“Mobility for students and researchers between universities in different countries is crucial for invigorating both research and education. It can inspire and contribute new perspectives,” says Mattias Calmunger, Professor and Head of the Division of Engineering Materials (KMAT) at Linköping University.
This is an Erasmus+ ICM project, funded by the European Union, which enabled collaboration with the University of Sfax. The project began in August 2023 and will run until July 2026. It is a collaboration between the Division of Engineering Materials (KMAT) at the Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, and the Laboratory of Materials Science and Environment (LMSE) at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Sfax, Tunisia. The project facilitated exchanges in both directions, allowing staff and PhD students to travel between both institutions. The project is coordinated by Senior Associate Professor Mohamed Loukil at KMAT.
Connections
“We are very pleased to have this type of project, as it has led to more and deeper connections than we could have hoped for. It has gone beyond just research; it has fostered a greater understanding of different cultures. We now look forward to continuing this collaboration and building on its success,” says Mohamed Loukil.
Recently, a delegation from Linköping University travelled to the University of Sfax, where Mohamed Loukil presented the project's outcomes. The delegation included Mattias Calmunger and Mikael Segersäll from the Division of Engineering Materials, as well as Marie Jonsson and Fredrik Henriksson from the Division of Product Realisation.
Meeting the ambassador
The delegation from Sweden was involved as a committee in the PhD defence of Dr. Cyrine Ben Belgacem, who had been a visiting doctoral student at LiU in both 2022 and 2023. During the visit, researchers from both LiU and the University of Sfax presented their work as part of the project. Additionally, they held a workshop, engaged in networking discussions with colleagues from Sfax, and explored the culture by visiting two museums to discover the country’s heritage. They met with Sweden’s ambassador, Cecilia Wramsten, on site during the visit to Tunisia.
“The ambassador is very interested in our research,” says Mohamed Loukil. “She is also very supportive of the project. We updated her on the project outcomes, discussed the next steps, and explored how we can further strengthen research collaboration between Sweden and Tunisia”.
Workshops
The collaboration has included workshops, study visits, and joint research projects. It has resulted in five scientific articles, one of which has been published, while the others are currently under peer review.
"The delegation from Sweden would like to give special thanks to Professor Sami Boufi, head of the Chemistry Department at University of Sfax, and Professor Makki Abdmouleh for organising all the events and hosting us so warmly during our visit to Sfax".
The project has focused on sustainable natural fibre composites, coated with graphene, for various applications in materials science and engineering. Within the ICM project, we also had one student project that developed a sustainable thermoplastic composite using a mixture of coffee powder and thermoplastic polymer.
“At Linköping University, we have contributed by conducting material testing and characterization. Meanwhile, the University of Sfax complements our work by focusing on manufacturing processes and leveraging their strong expertise in chemistry. Together, we link material microstructure to mechanical properties, providing a holistic understanding of these sustainable composites”. Says Mattias Calmunger
Mobilities
The total budget of the project is about 72,000 euros, primarily to cover research costs, including travel. Today, we have had 21 completed mobilities, and the participants are planning to have even more by the end of the project.
“Since I come from Sfax and the University of Sfax is where I began my academic journey, I am especially proud to lead this project. The results have been truly rewarding for everyone involved. I strongly encourage any researcher who has the opportunity to pursue similar collaborations and to support young researchers, this is a path full of potential and growth” says Mohamed Loukil, Senior Associate Professor at Linköping University.
