From PhD to permanent job: Malik Durand continues the CEMEF adventure

We are pleased to announce that Malik Durand is now Research Engineer in charge of mechanical testing at CEMEF.

Malik Durand has officially joined CEMEF as a Research Engineer in charge of mechanical testing, under a permanent contract. This new chapter is a natural continuation of an already rich and long-standing journey within our lab.

“What I particularly enjoy about this position is the balance between technical work and rich human interactions. These exchanges push me to go further and make each day both intense and stimulating!”
— Malik Durand

A career path shaped by CEMEF

Malik is far from a newcomer. He joined CEMEF back in November 2017, within the MSR team, to undertake a PhD on “Analysis of metallurgical mechanisms in the AD730 alloy during stress-relaxation aging”, within a collaborative project with Pprime Institute. He then defended it in January 2021.

He continued with a postdoctoral fellowship, still within the MSR team, and benefited from a year of knowledge transfer with Gilbert Fiorucci, a key reference in mechanical testing at CEMEF.

A role with three key dimensions

In his role as research engineer, Malik identifies three main dimensions structuring his missions:

1. First and foremost, the technical dimension involves thermomechanical testing and the development of experimental set-ups.

2. The human dimension includes interdisciplinary collaboration, supervision and training of PhD students, as well as responsiveness and adaptability to project needs.

3. The safety and maintenance dimension is based on monitoring critical systems, proactive management of technical issues and promoting a culture of safety.

A PhD experience that still matters

« My PhD gave me solid technical expertise and taught me how to be rigorous, autonomous, and scientifically thorough. But it also helps me better understand what PhD students go through — and support them in a caring, effective way, acting as a bridge between supervisors, students, and technical teams.»

How does Malik describe CEMEF?

Malik enters his permanent position with a good knowledge of the laboratory. Here are the three words he chooses to describe it:

Innovative – Multidisciplinary – Collaborative

Welcome to Malik in his new role!