Geneva Summer School on Microplastics

From June 16 to 20, Antonia attended the summer school “Microplastics: From Environmental Impact to Policy, Innovation, and Public Awareness” at the University of Geneva. This Summer School was organized by Prof. V. Slaveykova (UNIGE) in partnership with Profs. T. Andersen and N. Posth (University of Copenhagen), Prof. M. Parolini (University of Milano), and Prof. Dr. David Siaussat (Sorbonne University).

It was an inspiring and eye-opening experience that brought together experts and PhD students from around the world. During the week, Antonia deepened her understanding of microplastics by learning about their sources in the environment, their effects on people and wildlife, detection techniques, regulatory challenges, innovative industry responses, and the crucial role of public awareness.

But the experience was much more than just academics. Antonia connected with lovely peers she plans to keep in touch with, enjoyed the vibrant summer atmosphere of Geneva, visited the United Nations headquarters even if only from the outside, explored different cultures through interesting conversations, and even picked up a few words in Chinese thanks to her new friend Lee. Antonia returned with fresh ideas for her research, exciting potential collaborations, and renewed motivation to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges of our time.