06 - My secondment at the JRC Seville
Hello guys, I think that it’s time to properly talk to you about my secondment (or research visit) at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Seville (Spain). This visit started in November 2018 and lasted seven months. It was an amazing experience both professionally and personally. To summarise this experience, I thought that I could answer four questions:
What is the JRC?
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's science and knowledge service. The JRC aims to provide EU and national authorities with independent scientific evidence and support to help tackle big challenges facing society. To this end, the thousands of scientists working at the JRC create, manage and make sense of knowledge, and develop innovative tools for policymakers.
The JRC’s headquarters are in Brussels (like most of the EU institutions) but the JRC also has research facilities in Geel (Belgium), Ispra (Italy), Karlsruhe (Germany), Petten (the Netherlands), and Seville (Spain).
More information about the JRC can be found at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en
What did you do?
My secondment was part of my PhD/MSCA project. The main aim of this visit was to collaborate and learn from the researchers of the Unit C6: Economics of Climate change, Energy & Transport. I have to say that this unit, as well as the whole JRC, were very welcoming and very supportive to me.
I specifically worked with Panayotis Christidis, Aris Christodoulou, and Elena Navajas. Our work focused on exploring the latest developments in complex network theory and traffic modelling to prepare abstract and real-world case studies to test and validate my resilience framework. This work resulted in forthcoming publications (stay tuned!).
Besides, I also had the opportunity to attend the workshop: Expert opinion ''Big data in Transport '' held on 13-14 November 2018 in the JRC facilities (see the picture below). This workshop organised by the NOESIS project (noesis-project.eu/) explored Big data applications to transport and their potential benefit to society.
Overall, the knowledge acquired from my work at the JRC, conversations with the JRC staff and the workshop was valuable and will help my professional development.
How was Seville?
In one word: amazing! I quickly fell in love with Seville and its region (Andalusia). This region has plenty of amazing architectural and historical sites to visit and re-visit: the Real Alcázar of Seville (a royal palace displaying the Mudéjar architecture), Seville cathedral (the third-largest church in the world and the largest gothic church in the world), the CAAC (Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo), the Caminito del Rey (a magnificent walkway close to Málaga), the natural reserve Doñana, and the list goes on... The city offers a sunny and chill atmosphere alongside fabulous food. I learned Spanish through weekly classes, made friends, and dived deeper into the culture by witnessing two events that are very unique in Seville: Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril. Overall, I feel that moving to Seville represented a challenge that further opened my mind and helped me mature. Indeed, although I already lived abroad (e.g. in Nottingham), Seville was particular because I barely knew the language and the local culture before landing!
Any last words?
To conclude, my secondment in Seville was definitely a highlight of my PhD project and a lifetime experience. I would encourage scientists reading this to follow the projects and publications of the JRC because they tackle real-world issues with robust methods. Additionally, I would encourage everyone to visit Seville and Andalusia in general for its vibrant architecture and historical legacy.
Philippe S, ESR9
What is the JRC?
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's science and knowledge service. The JRC aims to provide EU and national authorities with independent scientific evidence and support to help tackle big challenges facing society. To this end, the thousands of scientists working at the JRC create, manage and make sense of knowledge, and develop innovative tools for policymakers.
The JRC’s headquarters are in Brussels (like most of the EU institutions) but the JRC also has research facilities in Geel (Belgium), Ispra (Italy), Karlsruhe (Germany), Petten (the Netherlands), and Seville (Spain).
More information about the JRC can be found at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en
What did you do?
My secondment was part of my PhD/MSCA project. The main aim of this visit was to collaborate and learn from the researchers of the Unit C6: Economics of Climate change, Energy & Transport. I have to say that this unit, as well as the whole JRC, were very welcoming and very supportive to me.
I specifically worked with Panayotis Christidis, Aris Christodoulou, and Elena Navajas. Our work focused on exploring the latest developments in complex network theory and traffic modelling to prepare abstract and real-world case studies to test and validate my resilience framework. This work resulted in forthcoming publications (stay tuned!).
Besides, I also had the opportunity to attend the workshop: Expert opinion ''Big data in Transport '' held on 13-14 November 2018 in the JRC facilities (see the picture below). This workshop organised by the NOESIS project (noesis-project.eu/) explored Big data applications to transport and their potential benefit to society.
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How was Seville?
In one word: amazing! I quickly fell in love with Seville and its region (Andalusia). This region has plenty of amazing architectural and historical sites to visit and re-visit: the Real Alcázar of Seville (a royal palace displaying the Mudéjar architecture), Seville cathedral (the third-largest church in the world and the largest gothic church in the world), the CAAC (Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo), the Caminito del Rey (a magnificent walkway close to Málaga), the natural reserve Doñana, and the list goes on... The city offers a sunny and chill atmosphere alongside fabulous food. I learned Spanish through weekly classes, made friends, and dived deeper into the culture by witnessing two events that are very unique in Seville: Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril. Overall, I feel that moving to Seville represented a challenge that further opened my mind and helped me mature. Indeed, although I already lived abroad (e.g. in Nottingham), Seville was particular because I barely knew the language and the local culture before landing!
Any last words?
To conclude, my secondment in Seville was definitely a highlight of my PhD project and a lifetime experience. I would encourage scientists reading this to follow the projects and publications of the JRC because they tackle real-world issues with robust methods. Additionally, I would encourage everyone to visit Seville and Andalusia in general for its vibrant architecture and historical legacy.
Philippe S, ESR9