Aurélie Billon, PhD Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Analyst at Safran Helicopter Engines – CIFRE Thesis Testimonial

What led you to choose to pursue a PhD within a Cifre scheme?

A PhD opportunity was offered to me following my end-of-study internship. I had not necessarily planned to do a PhD, and I did not want to pursue an academic one because I wanted to join a company with concrete topics and operational needs.

The Cifre PhD made it possible to work within a company environment, and the proposed topic had real applications and real data.

What was your main mission within the organisation?

The topic of my PhD was mainly to model the reliability of components based on feedback data while taking scheduled maintenance into account. My PhD was carried out within the reliability engineering department. My mission was therefore to collect, analyse and validate the relevant and necessary data, and to implement the appropriate solutions.

What concrete benefits do you draw from this experience today?

A Cifre PhD provides insight into the corporate world and the various constraints that come with it. It was therefore necessary to adapt the work as best as possible to the needs and to the available data. What is also interesting in a PhD is the opportunity to manage your project from the initial topic to the final solution. This includes every phase of a project: understanding the needs of different stakeholders, monitoring the state of the art, searching for available and relevant data, and presenting your work to the involved parties. You can focus on a single project that you must build and defend. And in the corporate world, it is a valuable experience.

How would you describe your Cifre PhD experience in 3 or 4 words?

Enriching, commitment, doubt, satisfaction.

If you had to do it again, would you choose a Cifre PhD?

The three years of the PhD demand significant commitment, but it is a rewarding experience. In my case, it opened several opportunities afterwards. So yes, I would make the same choice again.

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