In this video, Prof. Szymon Szufa, BioTrainValue Project Coordinator, explains the benefits of participating in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges for Master’s and PhD students and early-career researchers. He discusses the opportunities for international research mobility, gaining hands-on laboratory experience, developing academic skills and strengthening soft skills. The video also highlights how secondments can help young researchers explore career opportunities in both academia and industry and support their professional development.

Research Mobility and International Collaboration: Dr Hilal Unyay’s Experience

Dr Hilal Unyay, a researcher at Lodz University of Technology, shares her experience of participating in the BioTrainValue project and undertaking a secondment at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia.

In this video, she discusses the research she worked on during her secondment and explains how the experience helped her gain practical research skills, develop new technical competencies and access specialised equipment and research facilities through international collaboration. She also reflects on the knowledge gained through project seminars and the value of exchanging ideas with researchers from different institutions.

Discover how BioTrainValue has supported her professional development, opened up new scientific perspectives and research directions, and fostered lasting international collaborations that continue through joint research ideas and publications.

School Outreach & Educational Workshops

2026

Exploring Sustainable Biomass Technologies at LabFactor (2026)

On 10 September 2026, LabFactor at Lodz University of Technology hosted another series of educational workshops as part of the 16th edition of the Week of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. The programme welcomed high school students from Poddębice, Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Sieradz and Wieluń, offering them an opportunity to discover research conducted at the university. During the event, Prof. Szymon Szufa and Dr Hamza Khan Suddozai delivered workshops for four groups, reaching approximately 60 students. The sessions introduced biomass torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonisation, highlighting the differences between these processes and the properties of the materials they produce. The students learned how processing conditions can influence product characteristics and explored potential applications of biomass-derived materials. The presentations also introduced the objectives of BioTrainValue and explained how international research collaboration supports the development of innovative biomass conversion technologies. By showing how biomass can be transformed into materials with practical applications, the workshops highlighted the links between scientific research, renewable resources and environmental sustainability. The visit also provided students with an insight into research opportunities at the Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering and encouraged them to consider future studies in science and engineering.

2025

From Biomass to Valuable Products: Torrefaction and Pyrolysis (2025)

How can agricultural biomass be transformed into useful products? This question was at the heart of the BioTrainValue educational workshops held at LabFactor in September 2025. The activities formed part of the 15th edition of the Week of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at Lodz University of Technology, which welcomed 202 students from secondary schools in Poddębice, Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Sieradz and Wieluń. Within this programme, Prof. Szymon Szufa and Dr Omar Mohammad from Aston University conducted workshops for four groups, reaching approximately 60 students. Their sessions explored biomass torrefaction and pyrolysis, explaining how these thermal conversion processes transform biomass and how operating conditions influence the characteristics of the resulting products. The presentations discussed the potential applications of biomass-derived materials and their relevance to renewable energy and resource recovery. Students were also introduced to the research activities undertaken within BioTrainValue and the importance of international cooperation in developing sustainable biomass conversion technologies. The workshops connected scientific concepts with practical research and encouraged participants to discover how engineering can contribute to a more sustainable use of renewable resources.

2024

Introducing High School Students to Torrefaction and Biogas Production (2024)

In September 2024, the BioTrainValue team welcomed high school students to LabFactor at Lodz University of Technology as part of the 14th edition of the Week of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. The wider event brought together 158 students from four secondary schools: LO in Poddębice, I LO in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, I LO in Sieradz and II LO in Wieluń. As part of the programme, dr. Szymon Szufa, together with Phd student Hilal Unyay, delivered workshops for four groups of students, reaching approximately 60 participants. The sessions focused on biomass torrefaction and biogas production, introducing students to the processes involved, the properties of the resulting products and their potential applications. Particular attention was given to the role of biomass conversion in the development of more sustainable energy systems. The presentations also highlighted the objectives of BioTrainValue and the opportunities created through international research collaboration. By combining scientific explanations with practical examples, the workshops offered students an insight into ongoing research at the Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering. The activities aimed to inspire young people to explore chemical engineering, renewable energy and environmental technologies as possible future fields of study.