Federation for International Refractory Research and Education

News

Jun 15, 2026

Highlight of FIRE Alumni - Mathilda Derensy - Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering, RWTH Aachen University - Germany

My interest in refractories began during my engineering studies in ceramics at ENSCI Limoges, when I discovered that the refractory specialisation offered an international research experience through the FIRE program. I quickly realised that refractories are far more complex and fascinating than simple bricks.

Thanks to Professor Marc Huger, I had the opportunity to join the FIRE program at Seoul National University (South Korea), within Professor In-Ho Jung’s research group, working on refractory thermodynamics. This experience was a real turning point, confirming my interest in the field and shaping my direction as a young engineer. It eventually led me to pursue a PhD within the European doctoral network CESAREF at the Institute of Mineral Engineering, in collaboration with Calderys. Through CESAREF, I became part of an inspiring international refractory community, bringing together PhD researchers, industry, and academia. Today, as I reach the end of my PhD, I know that choosing this field was the right decision.

 

As a student, it is not always easy to know which career direction to follow. We often make choices without fully understanding what a field really involves. The FIRE program was truly valuable in this regard, as it gave me the opportunity to gain international research experience and confirm my interest in refractories. I definitely recommend it to students curious about the field who wants to experience research in an international environment.

 Mathilda Derensy

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PhD student

Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering

RWTH Aachen University - Germany

Last news

Highlight of FIRE Alumni - Mathilda Derensy - Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering, RWTH Aachen University - Germany

My interest in refractories began during my engineering studies in ceramics at ENSCI Limoges, when I discovered that the refractory specialisation offered an international research experience through the FIRE program. I quickly realised that refractories are far more complex and fascinating than simple bricks.

Jun 15, 2026
Imerys & FIRE: Driving Innovation in Refractories Through Global Collaboration

I had the immense pleasure of being invited to talk about cooperative refractory research and education during the plenary session of the 20th China National Youth Academic Symposium on Refractories last May. The event took place in Yangzhou, China, and served as a perfect platform to promote the key mission of the Federation of International Refractory Research and Education (FIRE).

Jun 9, 2026

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Contact us for any information and/or to Become Member of FIRE: fire@ecers.org 

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