IMATEC

Proud to share that our university is part of the IMATEC Erasmus Mundus 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, an international joint master’s in 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆. The program brings together three European universities — Vysoká škola chemicko-technologická v Praze, the Universidad de Oviedo (𝗢𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗼, 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻), and Åbo Akademi University (𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝘂, 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱) — and offers students a truly international learning experience focused on three tracks: Technology, Policy & Management, and Science, all centered on the circular economy.

Over four semesters, the program offers Master’s-level courses covering chemical engineering, technologies, entrepreneurship, economics, management, and environmental policymaking, followed by specialized study and transferable skills development. The final semester is dedicated to the Master’s thesis, prepared in close collaboration across the three universities to ensure academic and industrial relevance.

After successfully completing the IMATEC program in 2025, Racheal Ariokot joined our GreenCats team for PhD studies and is now working on NiMo catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived phenolics. We are also currently hosting two IMATEC students, Raphael Chukwudi and Benedict Dale Porcalla, who chose UCT for their Master’s thesis research. Raphael is working on the catalytic upgrading of lignin model compounds into high-value alkylphenolics, gaining practical experience in heterogeneous catalyst synthesis and flow reactor testing. Benedict is focused on the quantification of phenolic hydroxyl groups in lignin, receiving hands-on training in characterization techniques such as NMR and TLC.

We are grateful to work with such talented international students at GreenCats and look forward to continued collaboration!