Ten master students are in the running for winning the Final Project Award, ten PhD candidates could win the Doctoral Award, and nine PDEng candidates are in the race to win the Design Project Award. Winners of the Doctoral and Design Awards will both win 5,000 euros; the Final Project Award comes with 2,500 euros. All nominees will receive 250 euros as a financial token of appreciation.

Master students and doctoral candidates who wanted to compete for the academic awards at TU/e this year had to make sure their thesis or dissertation is freely available to the public, as the Executive Board had decided last January. The university follows the Dutch policy that promotes open access publishing. The new demand does not apply to the PdEng candidates.

After the awards ceremony, flamenco dancers will take the stage, followed by a panel discussion with Jan Fransoo (dean of the Graduate School), lecturers and students about the new educational set-up. Visitors are then taken from the Blauwe Zaal to Forum, accompanied by the Spanish tunes of the Tuna and Tuniña. The organization chose Spain because of the country’s ‘happy summer vibes’, and because of the many Spanish students in Eindhoven.

So far, six of ten professors who will be performing as DJs from 6 p.m. onwards have been booked, says Lodewijk Francken (secretary Closing Academic Year 2015). Rector Frans Baaijens will be spinning, and so will Benne de Weger (Mathematics & Computer Science), Jan Fransoo (Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences), Lucas Asselbergs (Studium Generale), and Kees Storm (Applied Physics). Nienke Meijer, Chair of the Executive Board at Fontys, will also make an appearance to play her favorite tracks. By means of preparation, professors will be treated to a crash course in DJ’ing at E.S.C on June 15 and 23.

Afterwards, students are welcome at the ‘NaTentamenFeest’ at E.S.C, also in Spanish spirits.