From 13 to 19 July 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in PlasmaSurf 2025, an international 
summer school organized by the Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN) at Instituto 
Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal. 

The program brought together 29 students from around the world, creating a truly global learning 
environment. Over the course of a week, we combined intensive lectures on plasma 
fundamentals, nuclear fusion, and high-power laser applications with remote experiments on 
real plasma systems. We also visited several laboratories at IPFN — most notably the ISTTOK 
tokamak — where we explored plasma diagnostics and confinement techniques first-hand.
One of the most distinctive aspects of PlasmaSurf was how it blended academic training with 
outdoor activities such as surfing, kayaking, climbing and mountain boarding. These activities 
not only made the week unforgettable on a personal level but also fostered strong connections 
between participants, adding a collaborative dimension to the scientific learning.
Participating in PlasmaSurf has been an inspiring milestone in my academic journey. It 
deepened my understanding of plasma physics and nuclear fusion, introduced me to the 
broader fusion community, and helped me clarify my motivation to continue pursuing research 
in this field in the future.

I would like to sincerely thank the PlasmaSurf organizing team for delivering such an inspiring 
program, as well as Fusenet for supporting my participation through their funding program. 
Experiences like this play a key role in attracting young researchers to fusion science and 
building the next generation of the community