For many PhD candidates, the transition from academia to industry can feel like a leap.
Zubair Masaud, a PhD candidate from USN affiliated with INRESCOS, shares valuable insights into how the research school, through its network of people, institutions and opportunities, supports PhD candidates in bridging this gap. His story highlights the value of industry engagement, even when the path doesn’t follow the traditional INRESCOS model.
Personal Growth Through Determination
Zubair is currently working full-time at Elkem while finalizing his PhD. His research within material sciences on CO2 utilization and hydrogen splitting in various environmental and renewable energy applications is largely complete, but the final writing is being done during evenings and weekends. Despite the demanding schedule, his motivation to fulfill his PhD remains strong:
“I’ve invested so much in this project. The experiments are done, the papers are strong, I don’t want all that work to go to waste.”
This reflects the kind of personal development INRESCOS supports; perseverance, time management, and adaptability.
Support both from Academia and Industry
While working in Elkem, Zubair remains in close contact with his academic supervisor and is involved in a follow-up project based on his doctoral work. This continuity ensures ongoing academic development, even after formal funding ends, and underscores the importance of long-term collaboration.
Although Zubair’s current role at Elkem is not directly tied to his PhD topic, Elkem has also been highly supportive. From the interview stage, the company was aware of Zubair’s PhD commitments and showed flexibility. His manager regularly checks in on his progress, and he feels that the company values PhD-level competence:
“Around 90% of the research department here holds a PhD. Without mine, it would have been much harder to adapt to the demands of this role.”
This kind of employer support is essential for enabling PhD candidates to complete their degrees while transitioning into industry roles.
Transferable Skills and Professional Development
Zubair’s experience at Elkem has reinforced the value of his PhD training. While the materials he works with differ from those in his research, the skills he developed during his PhD studies; critical thinking, experimental design, and scientific communication, are directly applicable. This demonstrates how a PhD study contributes to professional development by equipping candidates with transferable skills that are highly valued in industry.
Improving Industry-Academia Integration
Zubair’s experience also reveals opportunities for how PhD candidates engage with industry. His recommendations for PhD fellows include:
- Early Industry Engagement: Involving companies from the beginning helps shape research questions that are both academically rigorous and industrially relevant. Zubair advises to align the PhD project with an industry of interest to be more attractive to a company. Many PhD candidates conduct their work in small-scale laboratory environments and may lack exposure to large-scale industrial equipment and real-world challenges. By being embedded in a company, they gain the opportunity to conduct real tests on real equipment. This experience not only benefits the candidate’s development but also brings tangible value to the company.
- Flexible Collaboration Models: Internships, part-time roles, or Match Making arrangements can provide valuable exposure without overwhelming the candidate.
- Supervisor Involvement: Academic supervisors play a crucial role in facilitating industry engagement. While some may worry that time spent in industry could slow down academic progress, Zubair believes most supervisors are reasonable and prioritize what’s best for the candidate. He also notes that supervisors often have insights into which companies that align well with a candidate’s research and can help build those connections, thus making it relevant for their PhD.
If Zubair was to offer one piece of advice to INRESCOS, it would be to strengthen collaboration with a broader range of companies. This would make it easier for PhD candidates to find industry partners whose work aligns with their research goals.
The broader impact of INRESCOS
Although Zubair’s path diverged from the standard INRESCOS model, his experience highlights the network’s broader value: facilitating connections, promoting industrial relevance, and supporting flexible career pathways. Being connected to industry through internships or part-time work also adds value to a CV.
Zubair reflects on a common industry perception:
“Many companies see a PhD as too focused on theory. One of the biggest challenges is the assumption that we lack real-world application.”
Now, he is exploring ways to host PhD interns at Elkem through INRESCOS, creating a cycle of opportunities:
“As a PhD student, I would have loved the chance to work in industry from the very beginning. Now I want to help others get that opportunity.”
Zubair’s continued involvement in INRESCOS, now as a potential host for future PhD interns, demonstrates how alumni can give back to the research school and support others on similar journeys. His story is a testament to the power of flexibility, collaboration, and long-term vision in shaping successful PhD-to-industry transitions.