Federation for International Refractory Research and Education
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Highlight of the members of the Board of Directors - Victor Carlos Pandolfelli
My journey with FIRE began in 2003, together with Prof. Michel Rigaud and other academic and industrial colleagues. In 2005, our first official meeting in Limoges, France, transformed this vision into reality. From the beginning, FIRE was founded on a strong belief in cooperation between universities and industry towards a better education. Its strength has always come from working across institutional, cultural, and national borders.
In 2006, the first international internship brought a student from the University of Leoben, Austria, to my group in Brazil. Many other exchanges followed, connecting students, professors, researchers, companies, countries and cultures. A remarkable milestone was reached with FIRE’s 100th international internship. On that occasion, a student from my group spent six months at the Imerys Research Center in Lyon. For me, these exchanges represent much more than numbers or institutional achievements. They express FIRE’s mission of educating technically prepared and internationally minded professionals. They also help develop people capable of becoming true global players in the refractory field.
Twenty-three years have now passed since those first discussions in 2003. I am the last member of the original group still actively helping to carry the FIRE torch. For me, however, this is not a reason for nostalgia. It is instead a source of satisfaction, pride and confidence in the future. New generations have arrived, bringing fresh ideas, energy and dreams.
Nevertheless, this success would not have been possible without the commitment of all those involved. Chairmen, secretaries, board directors, industrial and university partners, students and ECerS, have all played essential roles. Together, they transformed an ambitious idea into an enduring international network for refractory education and research. FIRE has been showing how cooperation, education and international experience can help shape the future of our refractory community. I am proud to have witnessed this journey from the beginning and even prouder to see new generations carrying the FIRE torch forward. FIRE flame is shining brighter than ever.
Prof. Dr. Victor Carlos Pandolfelli
Last news
Highlight of the members of the Board of Directors - Victor Carlos Pandolfelli
My journey with FIRE began in 2003, together with Prof. Michel Rigaud and other academic and industrial colleagues. In 2005, our first official meeting in Limoges, France, transformed this vision into reality. From the beginning, FIRE was founded on a strong belief in cooperation between universities and industry towards a better education. Its strength has always come from working across institutional, cultural, and national borders.
Highlight of the members of the Board of Directors - Christos C. Aneziris
As the world navigates climate and energy transitions, strong partnerships between industry and academia are more important than ever. In the refractory field, sustainability means not only developing materials for high-temperature applications, but also ensuring the sustainable processing of these materials.
Contact us and/or Become Member!
Contact us for any information and/or to Become Member of FIRE: fire@ecers.org
