Materials and Processes community celebrated 20th MaP Graduate Symposium with live graphic recording
On 19 June 2025, the MaP Graduate Symposium brought together the Materials and Processes (MaP) Community at ETH Zürich for its 20th annual gathering. To mark the anniversary, graphic recorder André Sandmann captured the day’s events on a single canvas, illustrating everything that unfolded with his pens.
The 20th edition of the MaP Graduate Symposium once again offered a full day of oral presentations, poster sessions, and lively discussions. To mark the anniversary, the organising committee invited André Sandmann from Pikka to visually document the event through a live graphic illustration. Held in the Audi Max, the event welcomed over 200 participants.
The symposium opened with a special invited talk by Prof. Frans Spaepen from Harvard University. His lecture, “A Live Look at the Nucleation of Colloidal Crystals,” was a highlight of the programme and part of the 20th anniversary celebration.
Throughout the day, early-career researchers from across ETH Zürich presented their work in thematic scientific talk sessions, covering topics such as soft materials, battery technology, biofabrication, polymer science, and advanced manufacturing. Poster sessions in the Main Hall, complemented by one-minute pitch presentations, provided further opportunities for exchange and visibility.
A central feature of the programme was the MaP Award Final 2025, where four outstanding doctoral candidates competed for this year’s top honours. A panel discussion with industry representatives and the election of the new MaP student representative added additional dimensions to the day. These diverse formats not only fostered interdisciplinary dialogue but also strengthened the sense of community across the various MaP member groups.
The day concluded with a presentation of the graphic recording, an award ceremony recognising the most outstanding contributions, and a networking reception.
Congratulations to all the winners!
MaP Poster Awards
- Gold Poster Award: Beatriz Arsuffi (D-BAUG, Empa)
- Silver Poster Award: Carolina Söll (D-MAVT)
- Bronze Poster Award: Siyuan TAO (D-HEST)
Industry Poster Awards
- Merck Life Science Poster Prize: Fabio Bargardi (D-MATL)
- On Innovation Poster Prize: Xiang KONG (D-MATL)
- Geistlich Regeneration Poster Prize: Siyuan TAO (D-HEST)
- BASF Sustainability Poster Prize: Valentina Sanella (D-MATL)
- NeoChemurgy Poster Prize: Carolina Söll (D-MAVT)
MaP Best Image Prize: Hekun Kuang (D-MATL)
MaP Mastermind 2025: Carolina Söll (D-MAVT)
MaP Poster Quiz: Valentina Sanella (D-MATL), Luca Vigliotti (D-MATL), Sira Bielefeldt (D-ITET), Dimitrios Sapalidis (D-PHYS), Yanxia Feng (D-MATL)
MaP Award 2025: Hyun Suk Wang (D-MATL)
Congratulations to Dimitrios Sapalidis (D-PHYS) on his election as MaP student representative.
We extend our sincere thanks to the poster jury as well as the MaP Award jury members for their dedication and expert evaluation.
A special thank you goes to our industry partners IMT Microtechnologies, Merck Group, On, Geistlich, BASF, and NeoChemurgy for their continued support and generous sponsorship of the symposium and awards. Their engagement strengthens the bridge between academia and industry and is vital to the success of the MaP Graduate Symposium.
Finally, we warmly thank the organising committee for their outstanding work in making this event a success.
We look forward to welcoming the community again next year (18 June 2026). Until then, keep in touch and enjoy the collaborative spirit that defines our MaP community.
