Successful pilot of a CARLA camp

The first of the CARLA camps was organized by ICFO on 23, 24 and 25 February 2021. Given the situation of the global pandemic, the initially planned in person camp was adapted to a virtual setting. The camp aimed at inspiring and informing university students and early-stage researchers about career opportunities in photonics, both in industry and academia as  well as encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.

Over 150 people attended the event, which consisted of three well-defined blocks through which over 20 international speakers participated. The first was dedicated to introducing the photonics landscape and some of the large initiatives underlying this ecosystem in the EU, as well as tools and approaches to career development provided by professional recruiters and trainers. The second block centered on the photonics community at large, including the participation of 10 professionals in different areas, from industry to academia, as well as in other areas such as publishing and communications, investment and intellectual property. The third block was devoted to innovation and entrepreneurship and included a hands on workshop in which participants worked in small and diverse groups. Attendees had the opportunity to network among themselves, with the speakers and with members of ICFO KTT and HR teams and ICONS, as well as organizations working in different diversity dimensions such as gender, LGTBI and disabilities.

Information about the attendees and their opinions was collected both before and after the camp. The profile of the attendants was diverse in terms of gender, stage of their career, and cultural backgrounds. 57% identified themselves as women, 43% as men. Over 30 countries were represented. 50% were university students (undergraduate and master), while the rest were PhD students, early-stage postdocs or were in other situations such as returning from a career break. Attendees gave the CARLA camp a 4.4 points rating over 5. The degree to which they were clear as to the options available for a career in photonics went up from a starting score of 2.96, to 4.02, reflecting the positive impact of the camp. In general, the camp was very well liked and received many praises.

The guided networking sessions, where participants met and talked with speakers and experts in smaller groups, were especially appreciated. In the words of one master student, “Guided networking with experts was awesome”. Another undergraduate student admitted, “I’m quite surprised about how interesting, useful and motivational it has been. I didn’t expect it to be so cool.” In general, the camp was perceived as “an amazing platform to get glimpses of the landscape, current photonics trends, and opportunities”, reflecting the intention behind the design and implementation of the CARLA camps.