The university research school (EUR) “Ceramics & ICT” – TACTIC Graduate School offers excellent training in the fields of advanced ceramic materials and information and communication technologies (ICT). Supported by the University of Limoges, in partnership with the University of Poitiers and the CNRS, it is one of the 53 French EURs labeled by an international jury as part of the third investment for the future program (PIA3). It benefits from state aid of €4,000,000 over 8 years from the start of the 2020 university year.

EUR TACTIC is backed by 7 master’s degrees from the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Limoges and the Faculty of Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Poitiers, 2 doctoral schools (SISMI and SIMME) and 2 CNRS mixed research units (XLIM and IRCER). Its 7 master’s courses give great importance to interdisciplinarity, the management of collaborative projects, co-design, international mobility and training through research with the aim of developing skills conducive to innovation. Part of the teaching is provided in English. The objective is to train students able to contribute to the development of materials and ICT in areas with high industrial and societal challenges: 5G, additive manufacturing, energy and sustainable development, data security and protection of privacy, photonics, connected objects, 3D imaging, health diagnostics and advanced therapies…

University Research Schools are part of the flagship actions of the third future investment program (PIA3) launched on February 16, 2017 by the French government. Their ambition is to strengthen the impact and international attractiveness of research and higher education in France by bringing out excellent Masters and Doctorate training supported by high-level research laboratories in the territory. (based on the model of North American graduate schools).

More precisely, they must make it possible to:

• strongly link, and at the best level, training and research by bringing together universities, schools and organizations in the same dynamic of excellence;
• promote the thematic strengths of establishments and sites throughout the territory, whatever their size and the disciplines concerned, by organizing the research and training strengths which constitute the signature of these establishments or sites;
• contribute to the international influence and attractiveness of the country by building strategic international partnerships and attracting the best students.

The selection of EURs was carried out during two waves of calls for projects which took place in spring 2017 and 2019. Labeling
by an international jury (with 8 nationalities) ensures recognition of the excellence of the training. The 53 EUR retained from the 272 applications cover all the major scientific fields: Sciences and Technologies (25 projects ─ 47%), Life Sciences and Environment (12 projects ─ 23%) and Human and Social Sciences (16 projects ─ 30 %). EUR TACTIC is one of five labeled EURs in New Aquitaine.