Training, scientific collaboration, international visibility, and research excellence are at the heart of the fifth issue of the ISLANDS Newsletter.
This latest edition brings together the key activities and achievements of the ISLANDS Doctoral Network during spring 2026, offering readers an insight into the progress of the project and the growing impact of its Doctoral Candidates within the international research community. From advanced training courses and technical meetings to conference presentations and prestigious awards, the newsletter reflects the vibrant and multidisciplinary environment that characterizes the ISLANDS project.
Strengthening Skills Through Training
A major focus of this issue is the extensive training programme delivered to the ISLANDS Doctoral Candidates. The newsletter features the third complementary course, Improving Communications and Teamwork Skills, organized by Wave Up and designed to enhance key transferable skills, including effective communication, presentation techniques, emotional intelligence, teamwork, CV writing, and interview preparation.
The issue also reports on the successful delivery of the Ethics & Research Integrity Course, organized by University College London (UCL) and led by research integrity expert James Parry. The course provided participants with practical tools and knowledge to promote responsible research practices, ethical decision-making, and positive research cultures.
Technical Meeting in Thessaloniki
The newsletter also covers the ISLANDS Technical Meeting held in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 19 May 2026. Hosted by Associate Partner ACG Research, the meeting brought together Doctoral Candidates, supervisors, and project partners for a full day of scientific presentations, discussions, and project coordination activities.
The event offered an important opportunity for the Doctoral Candidates to present updates on their research progress, receive feedback from experts across the consortium, and strengthen collaboration within the network.
Strong Presence at ICT 2026
Among the highlights of this issue is the participation of ISLANDS researchers in the 32nd International Conference on Telecommunications (ICT 2026), where a dedicated Special Session entitled “Integrated Sensing and Communications for Vehicular Systems” was successfully organized and chaired by Prof. Constantinos B. Papadias.
The session showcased six scientific contributions addressing cutting-edge topics such as intrusion detection, MIMO deployments for ISAC networks, interference management, V2X communications, RIS-based radar systems, and advanced sensing techniques based on 5G technologies. The strong involvement of ISLANDS Doctoral Candidates demonstrated the growing scientific impact of the project within the international research community.
Best Student Paper Award for Mehri Nikzad
The newsletter also celebrates an important achievement for the network: ISLANDS Doctoral Candidate Mehri Nikzad received the Best Student Paper Award at ICT 2026 for the paper “Waveform Index Modulation for Backscatter Communications in RIS-Based MIMO Radars.”
This recognition highlights the quality and innovation of the research carried out within the ISLANDS Doctoral Network and reflects the dedication and excellence of its early-stage researchers.
Dissemination Activities at EuCAP 2026
The final section of the newsletter focuses on dissemination activities, featuring the participation of Doctoral Candidate Arya Kanathil-Meethal at EuCAP 2026 in Dublin. During the conference, Arya presented her work on beam-scanning leaky-wave antennas for automotive radar applications and shared preliminary results on electrically reconfigurable antenna technologies.
Her participation contributed to increasing the visibility of the ISLANDS project and fostered valuable exchanges with leading researchers and industry experts in the field.
We invite all partners, researchers, stakeholders, and interested readers to explore the latest issue and discover the achievements, activities, and milestones that continue to shape the ISLANDS Doctoral Network.