Una oportunidad única: la experiencia de un doctorando internacional en la UCA 5 junio 2025
The University of Cádiz (UCA) continues to strengthen its international research collaborations by welcoming doctoral students from around the world. As part of this commitment to academic exchange and global knowledge-sharing, we had the opportunity to speak with Luca Fontechiari, a PhD candidate from University of Parma, in Italy, who is currently undertaking a research stay at the UCA.
Luca is doing a PhD in Food Science, particularly he is working on the recovery of agricultural biomasses, applying fermentation and green extraction techniques. In this interview, he shares his impressions of the university, the research environment, and the personal and professional impact of this international experience.
– What inspired you to pursue a PhD? How did you decide on your research area?
I first got that idea during the internship project for my master’s thesis, I liked laboratory activities and the idea of doing research. I did that project in food microbiology area, and that is the topic of my PhD too.
– Why did you choose the Universidad de Cádiz (UCA) as your destination for your International PhD?
I got the contact from my supervisor, she recommended it because of previous positive collaborations between the groups.
– What do you expect from this experience here at UCA?
Learn new laboratory techniques and improve the ones that I have already acquired. I think is super important to learn new approaches and new points of view to improve our work. Also, I’d like to expand my connections and meet new people, and I hope to learn a little Spanish too.
– What are your plans after completing your PhD? Do you see yourself staying in Spain or exploring other opportunities?
I plan to return to Italy and look for job opportunities there. However, I’m still unsure about my long-term career path, so I’m open to different possibilities.
– Would you recommend this experience to other students? Why or why not?
Yes, for sure. I found the project very interesting and motivating, and I got a lot of support from the people in the group. I met very prepared people, and also the group is nice and ready to welcome new people.
Luca is currently in his third and final year of the PhD, and for his research stay here in the UCA, he will be staying in the Department until the end of July.