Chemistry Master's Day 2021 (Newsletter #11 – March 2022)

The 2021 Master's in Chemistry Day, the fifth graduation ceremony for students of the Master's in Chemistry program at the Faculty of Science in Montpellier, took place on Friday, November 26, 2021, at the Triolet Campus of the University of Montpellier. Gathered in the institution's Dumontet amphitheater, the graduating students of the 2020-2021 M2 Chemistry class received their diplomas, the culmination of their years of university study.

See all the photos from the graduation ceremony

This event, hosted by Prof. Umit Demirci (Deputy Director of the Master's program in Chemistry LMD5), brought together around 150 people in person (graduates, teaching staff, and Chemistry students) and was broadcast live on the UM's digital platform so that the graduates' families and friends could follow the ceremony remotely. The introductory speeches began with one by Professor Alain Hoffmann, Director of the Faculty of Sciences, followed by those of Prof. Jean-Yves Winum (Director of the Chemistry Department) and Prof. Joulia Larionova (Director of the Chemistry Master's program LMD4). All three warmly congratulated the students on their success and wished them a bright professional future, hoping that they would not forget their years at the University and that in the near future, they would in turn become ambassadors and privileged partners of Montpellier University chemistry in their professional circles.

Subsequently, participants had the opportunity to listen toThe conference "Zeolites: reasons and risks behind a success story", presented by Dr. Francesco Di Renzo, Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS. This was followed by testimonials from two former Master's students in Chemistry, who looked back on their academic careers and the impact these careers have had on their current professional lives.

Finally, comingfrom 11 different backgrounds, 84 of the 148 students graduating in 2020-2021 tookturns receiving their 2021 Master's degree in Chemistry from Professor Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, who honored us with his presence at this event. The graduation ceremony ended with the traditional throwing of hats, a powerful symbol of the culmination of a brilliant academic career.

The Chemistry Master's Day ended with a buffet during which the young graduates were able to talk to teachers about their future careers.

Comments collected from Stéphanie Roualdès
Lecturer
Teacher of physics and chemistry