Old Members’ Graduate Conference and Academic Trust Travel Fund report – Sofiia-Stefaniia Zhylinska (2024, DPhil Chemistry)

From 14 to 19 June 2026, I had the privilege of attending the Attilio Corbella International School on Organic Synthesis (ISOS) in Gargnano, Italy. Situated in a picturesque town off the shore of Lake Garda, it is difficult to imagine a more inspiring place to learn, discuss, and network. Each day, I attended morning and afternoon lectures delivered by leading chemists from a variety of backgrounds, representing both academia and industry. I particularly enjoyed the keynote speech of Professor Alois Fürstner, the director of the Max Plank Institut für Kohlenforschung, a leading chemistry research institution in Germany. It was even more rewarding to discuss my research with the invited speakers and fellow graduate students during the poster session, and I appreciated the interest that many attendees showed in my work as well as the profound questions that were raised.

A further highlight of the summer school was the problem session that all students could participate in. It was an amazing opportunity to learn not only from the lecturers, but also peers, and connect on a more personal level. It was very impressive to see how far the school’s organizers had gone to make the event a welcoming learning environment, and there were plenty of opportunities to network during coffee breaks and lunches. The organizing committee even arranged a small concert of a local band, and people from the whole town, chemists and non-chemists, came to see them play and have a good time. I am very grateful to the Old Members’ Trust Fund for making this trip possible for me. I returned with new ideas and inspiration for my research at Oxford, as well as new contacts amongst acclaimed and aspiring synthetic organic chemists.

Published: 17 July 2026

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