Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read this first post.

I’ve recently been selected as the Swiss candidate for the Research Science Institute 2025(RSI) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — a summer program that brings together students from around the world to engage in research and explore scientific fields in depth.

This opportunity was made possible thanks to the support of the FBK Bern Foundation, whose nomination allowed me to take part in the selection process. I’m grateful for their role in making this experience a reality.

I decided to start this blog as a way to document the journey — both for myself and for anyone who might be interested in what the path to a program like RSI looks like from a Swiss perspective.

I’ll be posting once a week. In the weeks leading up to the program, I’ll write about the selection process, what preparation has looked like, and some reflections along the way. Once RSI begins, I’ll shift to sharing what I’m experiencing there — the academic work, the people, and the environment at MIT.

My hope is that this space can provide a clear and honest account of the experience — something I can look back on, and maybe something that’s helpful to others too.

More soon.

– Aliocha Faurisson