Co-supervisor of PhD 1,2,3 is Branko Šavija. He is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Delft University of Technology, department 3MD, section Materials and Environment.

His research focusses on Smart materials in general, and in particular mechanics of cement based materials.

He is leading projects on:

• Auxetic Concrete (his ERC-starting grant)
• Energy harvesting cement-based materials
• 3D-printing of concrete
• Recycled materials
• Durability aspects
• Multi-scale modelling

Co-supervisor of PhD 3,4 is Iuri B.C.M. Rocha. He is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Delft University of Technology, department 3MD, section Applied Mechanics.

His research focuses on developing fast and accurate computational mechanics tools for high-fidelity multiscale and multiphysics analysis of complex materials. His research lines of interest include:

• Concurrent multiscale modeling (computational homogenization)
• Modeling of material degradation and failure across scales
• Manifold learning, projection-based model-order reduction, hyper-reduction
• Physics-informed machine learning for surrogate modeling
• Bayesian inference/learning, adaptive methods, active learning

Arjan Thijssen is a technician in the Microlab, supporting the research with Microscopy using ESEM and digital microscopes. Furthermore he will be running the CT-scanning machine and develop humidity chambers for our equipment to study moisture transport..

Maiko van Leeuwen is a technician in the Microlab that will be responsible for specimen making and preparation for the advanced testing. He will focus on supporting the mechanical testing in the project.

My name is Shan He, and I’ll be starting on November 1st as a part-time postdoc working on the MAGICON project. I actually come from the same group as I completed my PhD on self-healing concrete and just defended earlier this year, so it really feels like coming home. At the moment, I’m working at Witteveen+Bos as an advisor on digital construction and will continue that role alongside my postdoc work in our section.

A little bit about myself, I did my PhD at TU Delft from 2019 to 2024, and before that, I lived in Singapore for four years for my master’s studies and work. I’m originally from China, where I also did my bachelor (with one year spent in Canada). It’s been quite a journey to get here, and I’ve now been living in the Netherlands for five years. I like the weather here a lot, though most people don't believe me.

In my free time, I do sports and photography (I’ve photographed more than 10 PhD defences at Aula). I also enjoy good beer (probably 20% of my calorie intake over the past few years came from IPAs and Tripels). Looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones!

My name is Magdalena Rajczakowska, and I will start working in the MAGICON project as a part-time postdoc on 1 January. I obtained my doctoral degree at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden in 2023. My work focused on self-healing concrete with environmentally friendly binders and connecting microstructure with durability/mechanical performance. Currently, I work there as a Senior Lecturer, a role I will continue alongside my MAGICON involvement.

I am interested in various aspects of sustainable building materials, including multifunctional concrete (self-healing, electrically conductive, radiation shielding), alternative binders and aggregates, and 3D concrete printing. As part of my postdoctoral research, I conducted a Fulbright stay at Purdue University, where I worked with a cementitious “ink” containing plant-based fibers.

I come from Poland, but I have spent the past seven years living near the Arctic Circle in Sweden. I enjoy traveling, skiing, drinking coffee, and chasing the northern lights. I have recently started learning crochet, with a current focus on rectangles. Above all, I am a family person, navigating chaos with two small lab assistants.

My role in the MAGICON is to help ensure the project runs smoothly from the start. My contribution will be to help build an experimental foundation for MAGICON’s early phase, with the focus on transport and mechanical properties of the ITZ.

PhD 1 (start 1 January, 2026)

My name is Kangtai Yan (Dan). I come from China and I recently received my Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tongji University in Shanghai.

My research has mainly focused on 3D printing concrete, engineered cementitious composites (ECC), and sustainable materials. Over the past few years, I have been working on developing new types of cement-based composites that combine high strength, lightweight properties, and improved sustainability. I am also quite experienced with a wide range of mechanical experiments and testing methods, which has been the core of my research work.

Outside of research, I am really passionate about photography, which I’ve been practicing for many years and enjoy a lot. I also like sports of all kinds — recently I’ve been very enthusiastic about swimming, and I’m planning to get a diving license soon. Sports and photography keep me active, creative, and balanced.

For the MAGICON project, I will join as PhD 1 starting in January 2026. My role will focus on experimental mechanical testing and nanoindentation, with close links to small-scale manufacturing tools. I see this position as a great opportunity to bring together my background in civil engineering and experimental mechanics while exploring new approaches at smaller scales. I’m very excited about the interdisciplinary nature of this project and I look forward to contributing actively.

PhD 2 (start 1 January, 2026) 

My name is Arpan Adhikari, and I come from Nepal. I studied Civil Engineering (B.Tech) in Bangalore and then completed my Master of Technology in Civil Engineering with specialization in Construction Technology and Management at IIT Bombay. My research during my academic years was focused on microstructural evaluation in concrete technology. Over the last years, I’ve gained experience as a planning engineer to develop a 216MW hydroelectric project along with multiple linear infrastructures projects, which gave me both technical depth and a practical perspective on materials and large-scale infrastructure.

Beyond academics, I enjoy spending time outdoors through activities like hiking, running, and playing football. Growing up in Nepal, surrounded by mountains, I developed a deep appreciation for nature and staying active, which continues to be an important part of my lifestyle. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places and cultures, as it allows me to meet diverse people, experience different perspectives, and stay curious about the world. These activities keep me balanced, motivated, and inspired both inside and outside of research.

My Role in MAGICON  

Within the MAGICON project, my PhD will focus on transport mechanisms and CT-scanning/evaluation in cementitious materials.  

PhD 3 (start 1 January, 2026)

My name is Jasmijn van Riggelen from the Netherlands. I studied for my bachelor’s and master’s degree at Delft University of Technology, the latter program I graduated from in 2025. I did a specialization in Construction Materials and did my thesis on combining machine learning with model order reduction in computational mechanics. 

I'm very interested in using computational mechanics as a tool to better understand materials and their behaviours. In the MAGICON project, I will be doing just that: using models to capture the behaviour of the ITZ in concrete(-like) composites in order to better understand them. These models will be based on the output of the experiments of my fellow PhD candidates, and I’m very excited to start in January 2026 on this project.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing music and cooking, as well as reading and spending time with friends and family.