Erasmus+ Staff mobility : Analytical Sciences professor and researcher Sébastien Burtin at the University of Copenhaguen
Sebastien Burtin, CPE Lyon professor and researcher in Analytical Sciences from the Chemistry department and the industrial analytical chemistry laboratory (CPE Lyon) was recently in mission abroad at the University of Copenhaguen to meet Danish colleagues, take a look at the teaching methods there, and exchange around scientific issues. He tells us about his experience in this Danish university.
Sébastien Burtin kindly shared his experience at the University of Copenhagen in an interview for the international relations office of CPE Lyon
What were you looking for in the Erasmus+ staff exchange opportunity ?
My objectives before undertaking this exchange were diverse. Firstly, I wanted to discover a different teaching environment in a context different from the one I am familiar with. Secondly, I wanted to visit a research laboratory relevant to our laboratory’s activities (industrial links, development of our research activities, creation of research/internship partnerships). Thirdly, I wanted to meet with the administrations of Master programmes which could be of interest for our students, in order to assess potential academic cooperation. Finally, I also wanted to have the opportunity to be immersed again in an English-speaking environment for several days.
I identified the partner with whom I carried out my Erasmus+ exchange through a colleague researcher from ISA who also teaches at CPE Lyon. I initially explored my professional network to identify several possible destinations matching my criteria.
Could you give us a feedback about your experience and what you have learned about the partner university?
During my stay, I observed many similarities with our teaching approach: the willingness to provide scientific knowledge while supporting students in acquiring reflective methodology rather than only operational practice. In addition, an essential emphasis is given, as in our teaching at CPE, to the experimental part. There is also a clear desire to strengthen links with the industry, as it is the case in our engineering programme.
Regarding specificities, we can note a major difference in the number of students we have in front of us. The smaller group size allows higher quality work, but this is also linked to their Master training objectives, which are specialised courses with few modules with high ECTS credits. On our side, the 1.5-year common core makes such an organisation more difficult (except from the optional courses for our 1st year of Master’s students. Moreover, mandatory teaching in English starting at Master level is a strong advantage for students, for teachers — who can practice regularly — and for welcoming international students (50% of the students in the Chemistry departement for their Master program).
What is the next step following this opportunity ?
This exchange allowed me to take a step back and reflect on what I want to prioritise in the future as a teacher and as a scientist within the laboratory. It also highlighted the positive aspects of what we already do well on a daily basis, as well as what we could potentially approach differently. Finally, it also brings a certain level of frustration regarding what we would like to do but are not able to implement for various reasons.
The exchanges will continue with the host laboratory over the next few months in order to assess the possibility of sending students for a gap year. Finally, we will maintain contact with the researchers of the host laboratory to evaluate the possibility of joint European project applications if opportunities arise.
