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The UK Metamaterials Network Mechanical Metamaterials Summer School 2025

The UK Metamaterials Network hosted at University of Southampton its week-long Mechanical Metamaterials Summer School in August 2025 at Southampton, organised by Susmita Naskar, Marcelo A. Dias, Olly Duncan, Andrew Alderson, and Tanmoy Mukhopadhyay. The week brought together an inspiring mix of master’s students, PhD researchers, postdocs, and industry participants from across the UK, Europe, the USA, and India, creating a truly international and interdisciplinary environment.

The programme combined minicourses, lectures, supervised group projects, and poster sessions, offering participants both breadth and depth. Lectures were delivered by world-leading metamaterials experts with engineering, physics, and mathematics backgrounds, covering lattice systems, origami mechanisms, active and bio-inspired designs, alongside advanced modelling and computational methods.

Interest in the summer school was overwhelming, with applications far exceeding available places. Participants spoke very positively about the quality and delivery of teaching, the project-based learning approach and the blend of topics, along with the opportunities to connect with peers and mentors. Many described it as a transformative experience that strengthened their knowledge in metamaterials, broadened professional networks, and built a sense of community fostered during the week. The summer school left a lasting impression, inspiring the next generation of researchers in mechanical metamaterials.

The Network is deeply grateful for the time and effort spent by the organising team to arrange such an extraordinary and exciting event.