On Monday, April 27, the Lille Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (LMFL) hosted an event dedicated to its doctoral students, held in conjunction with its annual general meeting on the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille. The event brought together all members of the laboratory—doctoral students, faculty members, and engineers—for a program rich in scientific discussions and opportunities for socializing.
A Look Back at the LMFL’s 2026 PhD Student Day and General Assembly
An event organized by and for doctoral students
For several years now, the Lille Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (LMFL) has been offering this hybrid format, which highlights the laboratory’s collaborative spirit by giving a central role to the doctoral students. Organized primarily by the doctoral students themselves, this year’s event was led by Tom Moussie.
The event brought together about 50 of the laboratory’s 75 members, demonstrating strong engagement among the research teams.
As is tradition, all first- and second-year doctoral students presented their work to the laboratory’s researchers, faculty members, and staff. These presentations highlighted the diversity of research topics at the LMFL and fostered scientific exchange among teams. This highlight also marks an important milestone in the doctoral students’ academic journey, providing them with an ideal setting to share their progress and receive constructive feedback.
A general meeting to take stock and look ahead
The day continued with a general meeting that was intentionally brief but essential. This session provided an opportunity to review the past year and outline the laboratory’s future prospects.
A sustained scientific momentum
The Annual General Meeting provided an opportunity to review the key events of the period from April 2025 to April 2026, as well as some key figures:
- Four dissertations were defended, with honors awarded to Le Yin, Maël Benlarbi, Miguel Martinez-Valero, and Pierre-Louis Spychala
- 7 dissertations started
- 10 additional doctoral positions planned for 2026, already funded and awaiting recruitment
In terms of research projects, several new collaborations are strengthening the laboratory’s portfolio, including:
- 4 ANR projects
- 2 ONERA projects
- 1 Carnot Arts project
- 1 BPI France project
- as well as a project within the RéCLasSIF network: GriSIF – Design of multi-modular grids for Lagrangian particle filtration in industrial flows
Key milestones and transformative progress
Among recent achievements, there are several notable initiatives:
- The development of the CONES library, designed for data assimilation, is now available onArts et Métiers GitLabArts et Métiers is already being used by two European teams
- Testing of a new aircraft compressor geometry design, conducted for SAFRAN on the CME3 test bench
- The launch of the LMFL’s new website, aimed at increasing the laboratory’s visibility and promoting its activities
Finally, Arts et Métiers its congratulations to Antoine Dazin, who is taking over as director of the entire LMFL (the laboratory is overseen by multiple institutions and spread across three sites in the Lille metropolitan area).
A unifying event
Beyond the reviews and outlooks, this event once again fully served as a unifying moment for the LMFL community. It demonstrates the laboratory’s commitment to supporting its doctoral students while fostering collaboration among its various teams and sites.
Congratulations to Tom Moussie and to all the organizers and participants of this event!
