Federation for International Refractory Research and Education
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Highlight of FIRE Alumni - Mathilda Derensy - Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering, RWTH Aachen University - Germany
My interest in refractories began during my engineering studies in ceramics at ENSCI Limoges, when I discovered that the refractory specialisation offered an international research experience through the FIRE program. I quickly realised that refractories are far more complex and fascinating than simple bricks.
Thanks to Professor Marc Huger, I had the opportunity to join the FIRE program at Seoul National University (South Korea), within Professor In-Ho Jung’s research group, working on refractory thermodynamics. This experience was a real turning point, confirming my interest in the field and shaping my direction as a young engineer. It eventually led me to pursue a PhD within the European doctoral network CESAREF at the Institute of Mineral Engineering, in collaboration with Calderys. Through CESAREF, I became part of an inspiring international refractory community, bringing together PhD researchers, industry, and academia. Today, as I reach the end of my PhD, I know that choosing this field was the right decision.
As a student, it is not always easy to know which career direction to follow. We often make choices without fully understanding what a field really involves. The FIRE program was truly valuable in this regard, as it gave me the opportunity to gain international research experience and confirm my interest in refractories. I definitely recommend it to students curious about the field who wants to experience research in an international environment.
Mathilda Derensy
PhD student
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Meet us at ICR 2026 in Aachen in September!
We are pleased to inform the community that FIRE is media partner of the 2026 ICR Conference that will take place on 16th and 17th September in Aachen, Germany.
Highlight of FIRE Alumni - Mathilda Derensy - Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering, RWTH Aachen University - Germany
My interest in refractories began during my engineering studies in ceramics at ENSCI Limoges, when I discovered that the refractory specialisation offered an international research experience through the FIRE program. I quickly realised that refractories are far more complex and fascinating than simple bricks.
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Contact us for any information and/or to Become Member of FIRE: fire@ecers.org
