Maria Giovanna de Pasquale

Maria Giovanna de Pasquale is a PhD candidate in Physics and Chemistry of Materials, jointly enrolled at Sorbonne University and the University of Milan as a part of the 4EU+ European University Alliance doctoral cotutelle programme. She explores how her academic journey in the programme has created valuable opportunities for international collaboration and professional development across Europe.

Two big eyes popped up from behind the computer as the door to Maria Giovanna de Pasquale’s office space opened. “Hello, it’s me Maria Giovanna!” she welcomes, with a wave of her hand.

One would not expect a 27-year-old researcher to be so well travelled, and yet, as the conversation moved into the coffee room to go through the questions, it becomes clear that the quality of research Maria Giovanna has conducted parallels that of the life she has already lived. 

Born in Sicily, Maria Giovanna grew up with a natural curiosity that led her to discover a particular passion for mathematics and science. She studied biomedical engineering at the Politecnico di Torino, and broadened her studies through an Erasmus exchange at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne. She later obtained a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino. While seeking a PhD opportunity, she reached out to Professor Philippe Guégan at Sorbonne University, who encouraged her to apply for the cotutelle programme with the 4EU+ European University Alliance.

The 4EU+ PhD cotutelle programme: a unique opportunity

This unique opportunity for PhD candidates allowed Maria Giovanna to pursue her doctoral studies in two leading European institutions: Sorbonne University and the University of Milan. The doctoral contracts provided by Sorbonne University through the 4EU+ European University Alliance are based on international joint supervision and implemented within the framework of international cotutelle agreements, giving candidates like Maria Giovanna, the opportunity to benefit from attractive doctoral training conditions, financial support, mobility, and a dual degree. 

Maria Giovanna speaks about the 4EU+ cotutelle programme with genuine delight, “This experience has been extremely enriching, both professionally, by allowing me to conduct in-depth research on my topic, and personally, by working with multiple teams, in different languages, and on a variety of subjects.” She emphasises the multicultural aspect of the opportunity, noting that her lab partner in Milan is Russian and they work together in English. The spectrum of her work spans across languages in the laboratory of Sorbonne University where she teaches in French yet writes her thesis in English. 

Maria Giovanna goes on to describe the focus of her doctoral research with clarity and enthusiasm, carefully turning complex ideas into accessible terms. Her project, she explains, sits at the crossroads of chemistry, physics, and biology. Maria Giovanna’s research aims to design polymers capable of transporting genetic material within the body. These materials are engineered into nanoparticles, structures small enough to interact directly with cells. This technology explores new possibilities in targeted biomedical applications.

In Milan, her work takes on a different dimension. Immersed in a biophysics-oriented environment, under the supervision of Professor Valeria Rondelli at Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine in University of Milan, she is able to explore how these materials behave in conditions that closely resemble those of living systems. She offers a concrete example: after creating a library of polymers in Paris, she transformed them into nanoparticles and then tested their interaction with complex membrane models in Milan, evaluating their ability to release plasmid DNA. These cross-institutional results, she notes, have been instrumental in refining and optimising her designs.

Building academic bridges through cross-border doctoral education 

Beyond the laboratories, Maria Giovanna’s experience within the 4EU+ Alliance has also opened doors to a broader European scientific network. Through an additional travel grant, she was able to meet collaborators, strengthen partnerships, and access major research infrastructures across the continent. She recalls her visits to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, where she conducted physical characterisation of her nanoparticles using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques, as well as to the ISIS neutron facility in the United Kingdom, where she performed reflectometry experiments on complex membrane systems. These experiences, also contributed to her participation in the BioMeTra 2025 workshop in Milan, where her work was recognised with a best poster award.

However, Maria Giovanna is quick to point out that the benefits of such an international journey are not simply academic. Working across countries, languages, and cultures has also shaped her personal development. With a smile, she jokes about how Italy was very welcoming. She then emphasises in a more serious note, that this mobility experience has allowed her to build a project that will ultimately lead to a dual degree in both France and her home country (she is to defend her thesis this October). More importantly, it has strengthened her adaptability and cultural awareness, skills she considers essential in today’s research landscape.

When asked what advice she would give to students considering a cotutelle PhD within the 4EU+ Alliance, Maria Giovanna replies enthusiastically, “I would tell them to go for it!” She describes the cotutelle as a unique opportunity to combine the strengths of two universities, to work in multicultural teams, and to benefit from an international platform. While she acknowledges that the experience can be demanding, she insists that it is equally rewarding, offering not only academic excellence but also invaluable personal and professional growth, along with promising prospects for the future.

To conclude the conversation, the question was put to Maria Giovanna about the most motivating factor for doing a cotutelle PhD. “To learn!” she says, eyes bright with that beautiful curiosity, the kind that fuels academics around the world…“To learn!” she repeats.