According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, Imperial College London is ranked 6th globally. The British research university, founded in 1907, is a partner of the FME in the BAANG project, which aims not only to conduct joint research in the fields of smart materials and aeronautics but also to enhance the excellence of the Brno Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Thanks to the project, Miroslav Hrstka from the Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics, and Biomechanics was able to find out what is it like to be a researcher at one of the world's best universities.

Miroslav Hrstka specializes in fracture mechanics of bimaterial notches. He spent four months at the Imperial College London – from September to December 2023 – in Professor Aliabadi's team of aerostructures. What experience did he bring back? We asked in the interview.

What did you work on during your stay at Imperial?

Within the BAANG project, we are studying morphable wings. At Imperial, I worked under supervision of Professor Aliabadi on a numerical algorithm using the finite element method in order to describe the morphing mechanism of a wing. This will be the basis for the design of the materials or composition of the morphable wing coating. This is because we are faced with two conflicting phenomena: the structure must be rigid to resist aerodynamic loads, and at the same time compliant to allow the morphing of a wing. So we are looking for the optimal solution.

Did you get into the Imperial´s labs?

I brought with me to the UK an auxiliary structure that was printed at our faculty, specifically at the Institute of Machine and Industrial Design. I did a dynamic test in the lab. The plan was still to do a fatigue test, but at the Imperial, it is difficult to get into the labs and no one will allow an experiment unless it is perfectly prepared. Therefore, in the end, I only prepared this experiment and it is going to be performed by a colleague (Jan Bajer from NCK MESTEC, ed.) who is going to Imperial now in the spring.

What in your opinion limits access to laboratories?

Imperial is a private university, so every square inch is money. This entailed, for example, demands on space and also on people's performance, they all worked hard. I sat in an office for 10 to 15 people, mostly PhD students and postdocs. However, we didn't disturb each other, they were used to working a lot, and if you wanted to discuss something with someone, you went to the meeting room.

As far as labs go, a lot of consideration is given to the cost per hour of the instrument, it has to earn its keep. In addition, every machine is operated by a technician, not a scientist; a scientist only sets up the experiment, but the machine is operated by a trained technician. So it is not possible, for example, to go to a laboratory „just to try something out“, as we can do here. We have much more freedom in this.

How was your stay enriching for you?

It's the world´s top university. And everyone there has been very willing to help me. Specifically on the algorithm I'm working on, it gave me a lot because I was able to meet people who are part of the global community that is working on this problem. It was very inspiring.

Is the workflow very different from what we're used to? What did you find interesting?

I was very impressed by the feedback and meeting system. Every week the professor would have half an hour of a meeting with me. And he was constantly demanding progress. I had to be well prepared and make the most of the half-hour, it was quite efficient. I'm trying to apply it now with my undergraduate students, but so far the implementation hasn't been easy because they don't come very prepared. However, this is something I brought back intending to implement it.

Another noticeable difference was that at Imperial I only worked on the project in question, which I spent 100% of my time on. Here, you have to do a lot of things at once, like teaching and other projects. In general, they have significantly different conditions, but also in a way less freedom and more pressure to perform. And it makes sense, most PhD students there finish their studies on time because they don't want to pay extra tuition fees. The atmosphere is different and more competitive.

What were the relationships among colleagues like?

Good, as I said, everyone was willing to help me. We also had some team-building meetings to get to know each other, the university is very international, and almost every two weeks someone new came in, so we got to know each other.

Overall the English hospitality was great, everyone was so nice: in the shops, in the streets, ...

Housing tends to be a problem for the best universities, or the cities where they are located. I suppose that's doubly true in London...

That was probably the biggest problem. A colleague from Imperial advised me to arrive a little early and find accommodation locally. Which I didn't want to do, but in the end it might have been best. I had three stays through Airbnb and just before I left for London, my middle accommodation was cancelled. So I had to deal with it in a hurry. It's a big problem and a lot of people commute from the outskirts of London. However, commuting in London is not only time-consuming but also expensive.

Is there another international university that appeals to you and would you like to go there for an experience?

Probably ETH Zurich, I'd like to go there at some point.