Atilà Herms: “Faculties must promote a research focused on issues with industrial applications”

At the end of 2012, you were appointed dean of the Faculty of Physics. What are the challenges faced by the Faculty regarding offerings?

The Faculty of Physics offers three bachelorʼs degrees (Physics, Electronic Engineering and Biomedical Engineering) and the double degree in Physics and Mathematics. Moreover, the Faculty coordinates six masterʼs degrees and it participates in two other masterʼs degrees in nuclear and photonic physics. In addition, an inter-faculty masterʼs degree in Renewable and Sustainable Energy was set up last year.

Concerning the restructuring of bachelorʼs and masterʼs degrees into a 3+2 structure, I consider that it will be crucial to establish well the competences of each stage. One of the most important aspects is price. Nowadays, tuition fees are high in the case of bachelorʼs degrees, but they are extremely high in masterʼs programmes. In my opinion, the new model should maintain bachelorʼs degree tuition fees during at least the four first years and masterʼs degree fees should be only applied to the last year; even though, the best option will be to apply bachelorʼs degree tuition fees to the five years.

Nowadays, it is said that there is a lack of motivation among students to choose scientific careers. Is that affecting the Faculty of Physics?

Demand has increased at the Faculty of Physics for the last years. Admission mark has gone from 5 to 9. For example, students need a mark that revolves around 12 points to access the degree in Biomedical Engineering.

Despite high tuition fees for masterʼs programmes, we receive some foreign students, particularly from Latin American and Asian countries. It is important to bear in mind that in some countries, like Germany, these programmes are free.

What are the strengths of UB physics research?

Research is one of the mainstays of the Faculty. In international rankings, like the QS World University Rankings, the Faculty of Physics is among the top 100 higher education centres. Moreover, in Spanish rankings, it ranks among the top 3.

Despite crisis budget cuts, the Faculty has maintained the number of research projects. Nowadays, it hosts twenty-four consolidated research groups, and 60% of them have received funding. This is one of the highest percentages among UB faculties.

Internationalization is other of its strengths. We try to establish links with other research centres by means of collaboration agreements. Prestigious researchers visit the Faculty and give lectures addressed to students. For example, Albert Fert, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2007 who discovered the giant magnetoresistance, gave a lecture at the Faculty at the beginning of the current academic year.

Even if it is difficult to highlight one research project because every Facultyʼs project is remarkable, I would like to stress the Gaia project and Facultyʼs collaboration with the CERN.

Do you think that the Faculty attracts talent and knowledge transfer?

The key to research is talent attraction, particularly talent retention. For the last years, the Faculty has hosted many Ramón y Cajal researchers, who are people with an extraordinary career. Regarding talent attraction, in 2013, the Faculty was granted three starting grants conferred by the European Research Council.

Unfortunately, crisis has hindered the consolidation of places. Future is not prosperous for many researchers who have an excellent career. Talent is being lost in the case of Ramón y Cajal researchers, tenure-track lecturers and postdoctoral student. This is a common problem at Spanish universities.

Nowadays, replacement rate at universities is 50% whereas at other institutions is 100%. This means that the number of teaching and research staff will be reduced by half in some years. This data proves our countryʼs commitment to research and innovation.

Another key aspect is knowledge transfer. In this sense, the Faculty of Physics has hosted the creation of eight spin-offs in different subject areas: biomedical engineering, material technology, meteorology, etc. Some of them are still at the Faculty, but others are trying to survive outside the Faculty, a difficult task in present times. Personally, I think that it is an aspect that the Faculty has to promote. Faculties must promote a research focused on issues with industrial and practical applications.

How does the Faculty promote student employability?

This is a fundamental question. In this sense, one of our objectives is to increase the number of students able to make a placement at companies and research centres. Last academic year, thirty-three bachelorʼs degree students completed a placement in the second semester. In the case of masterʼs programmes, placements are included in the syllabus.

Moreover, there is a job bank that will be soon included in the programme Feina UB. It offers students the opportunity to upload their curriculum as a way to make it visible to companies.

In fact, around 90% of graduates do not trigger more than one year in finding a job after their graduation.

In 2015, the Faculty celebrates the 10th Business Forum. What is your assessment of the evolution of this initiative?

The 10th edition of the Business Forum takes place on 6 May. The activity is organised together with the faculties of Chemistry, Geology and Mathematics. Its main objective is to promote the participation of companies that help students to join the labour market and offer them placements. Sometimes, these placements become job positions.

Last year, sixty-three companies participated in the Forum. The collaboration with the faculties of Mathematics and Geology improve Forumʼs quality. Many companies are transversal and they do not look for a physicist, a chemist, a geologist or a mathematician; on the contrary, they look for a person with a scientific degree who has certain abilities and competences.

Participating companies are diverse. The European Space Agency has participated twice; a consortium of companies from the Eindhoven region (Netherlands), as well as some German enterprises, come to the Forum looking for talent. Enterprises from energy, material and technology sectors, for instance HP, consultancy firms and data analysis companies have also participated in the Forum. In short, interdisciplinarity allows having an extensive range of participating companies.