The scientific training received by the fellows combined with the high level of recruitment targeted will make them outstanding mathematicians, which is necessary to ensure their future careers. If in certain situations this may be sufficient to obtain a job, we are convinced that it is not satisfactory, and the stated ambition of this programme is to go well beyond the training of excellent mathematicians. Indeed, we have the ambition to impact far beyond the academic sector by reaching out to society and the industrial sector and that is why we have put the emphasis on training in non-research oriented transferable skills and instituted a mandatory mobility period of at least two months.
We actually have the ambition that our model of training citizen mathematicians, in relation to society and non-academic, will profoundly change the way non-academics, economic and political decision-makers, and society view mathematicians and that in the medium term our approach will become the norm. After two years into the programme, the work was done in line with these expected impacts: the level of candidates recruited was very high, and they responded enthusiastically to our fist propositions of meetings and soft skills activities.
We think today, at the end of the programme, that the work done has been in line with expected results and impacts. As noted above, the program has achieved excellent scientific results, with all fellows having successfully defended their thesis (39 out of 40) and thriving in their roles as researchers (approximately 60 preprints authored by the fellows and 39 published papers).
Regarding our model for training citizen mathematicians, fellows were consistently encouraged and supported to participate in soft skills activities throughout their doctoral studies. While the direct impact of these activities on the fellows is challenging to measure, all participants actively engaged and fulfilled their COFUND commitments by contributing to science outreach initiatives.
It is important to highlight that the project’s objective was to cultivate a new generation of researchers who are attuned to non-academic concerns, committed to promoting equal opportunities in their broadest sense—including ethics, gender equality, and non-discrimination—and actively involved in public engagement. Although assessing the depth of researchers’ commitment based solely on interactions with them and their advisors is difficult, this new generation demonstrates a heightened awareness of environmental issues, gender inequalities, and socioeconomic challenges.
