- Intro , Student
- 27/08/2019
Master's Kick-off 2019 | Participant numbers more than doubled
This week some 750 students signed up for the Master's Kick-off, more than twice the number who did so last year. While it has been necessary to tweak the logistics here and there, all things considered, the Central Intro Committee is pleased with the growing number of participants. This year for the first time, pre-Master's students are also taking part in this week that marks the start of the Master's.
At nine o'clock in the morning the Auditorium is a hive of activity as students sign up to take part. Thirty minutes later, when the official program starts, plenty of students have yet to reach the front of the registration line. The CIC is quick to tell those attending the opening ceremony in the Blauwe Zaal that more time has been allotted in the lunch break for registration. This is just one of the logistics adjustments that have been necessary, some of which were foreseen and planned in advance. This year some 750 students have enrolled; last year that number was 300.
CIC member Sjoerd Telkamp explains: “It was only during the past two weeks that the likely number of participants become clear. Tomorrow our students will be visiting companies and we've asked whether more students can be accommodated than we initially planned for. The companies have all said it's okay. They've been very flexible. We know we have enough spaces at this afternoon's workshops, although there's a chance that some Master's students won't be able to attend their first choice.”
Telkamp points out that the team is very pleased with the growth in participant numbers. “We worked hard to make it happen, and we pulled it off.” He is also pleased about the improving balance between the numbers of internationals and Dutch students. “Last year, 75 percent of participants were international and 25 percent Dutch; now less than half are internationals.” Telkamp suspects this being the first year that pre-Master's students have been able to attend has made a big difference. Education and Student Affairs, a TU/e service, puts the number of nationalities taking part this week at about fifty.
With such a high number of participants, it was decided to digitally loop the opening ceremony to two lecture halls. A rapid stream of information comes at the new Master's students. In his words of welcome, Dean Paul Koenraad advises the participants to do what he himself did during his vacation: spread their wings and push their boundaries. He illustrates his point with a vacation photo showing himself hang gliding. Afterwards, speeches are given by representatives of the Skillslab, the Career Academy, Recruitment Days, and Studium Generale, and the CIC gives more details of the event program.
Discussion