Year of Physics: teachers discover the Institute’s research platforms

As part of the Year of Physics, the Chevreul Institute welcomed around twenty secondary school teachers on Wednesday January 24 for a tour of several research platforms in the Chevreul building. The visit was part of a training day organized by CNRS Hauts-de-France and the Rectorat de la région académique Hauts-de-France. In the morning, three lectures were given, including one by Patrick Cordier entitled “Micromechanics of plate tectonics”.

The afternoon visit began with a brief presentation of the Institute’s activities and its special status as a research federation rather than a joint research unit. In small groups, the teachers then toured at length three research platforms: “Materials for Nuclear Energy”, “Materials for Energy” and “High Pressures”. In the course of the afternoon, they gained a better understanding of the issues surrounding the nuclear fuel cycle with Bastien Vasseur, learned about the different stages of fuel cell manufacture with Aurélie Rolle, and discovered how geophysics research projects are conducted with Sébastien Merkel.

This exchange was rich in questions and discussions, and enabled teachers to gain a better understanding of the organization and day-to-day workings of research, as well as the various associated professions, in order to support students in their career choices.