Whether rector Frank Baaijens is “a real animal on the dance floor", TU/e community manager Erik de Jong is not sure. But he is certainly welcome at the upcoming second edition of the PhD-PDEng Event, including a speed date dinner and a party for up to 450 young TU/e scientists. "The rector was a little jealous that something like this didn’t exist back in his PhD days."

‘Can you do something for the PhD/PDEng Council at TU/e?’ was the question that community manager De Jong was asked in 2017. He made sure not to lose time, called the concert hall de Effenaar, reserved the restaurant and a hall, and friendly put the doctoral club on the spot: "We have the date and location, we can have a conference, dinner, party or whatever you like. What shall we do?"

In their own bubble

Together with some enthusiastic young TU/e researchers, he leaped upon the organization of the first PhD-PDEng Event, on November 11th, 2017. There was one top priority: "To get to know each other, to connect, that was the most important thing". Because, as De Jong knows, "PhD students and PDEngs are very busy and therefore they will easily stay in their own bubble, in which it’s mainly about their research subject. They often attend a sports or cultural association, but special associations for this group, or places where they can meet, don’t exist."

Lieke Hermans, PhD student in the Signal Processing Systems group (Electrical Engineering) and a member of the PhD/PDEng Council, knows the bubble that De Jong is talking about. "That is also a risk. You are sometimes so focused on your own research that you can become lonely. Of course you have your immediate colleagues to fall back on, but sometimes it's nice to talk to someone else, outside your own office. That also provides you with different subjects for conversation."

With the PhD-PDEng Event, the PhD/PDEng Council and De Jong hope to fill the gap a bit. Due to last year’s success the speeddate dinner will be repeated, in which visitors get acquainted with each other fast in different compositions. Research, conference experiences, literature, travel destinations - according to De Jong, the topics discussed during the first edition were very diverse.

Live music

Afterwards there will be party until the early hours, this time in the Kleine Zaal of the Effenaar, which has room for 450 people. There will be live music by the Stringkings, a coverband from Gelderland, and by the Aeris Brass Band, which includes two TU/e PhD students. The karaoke enthusiasts can head to the foyer, where there will also be a photo booth to capture the joy of the evening.

It will be "the best party with the best people,” according to De Jong. "It is a very international and open community. PhDs and PDEngs are much freer than, for example, students. They do not feel the need to squeeze themselves into a certain group." Hermans was only at the dinner during the first edition, but she’s looking forward to attending the party this time. "Scientists know how to loosen up," she says with a smile, "I've noticed that, for example, at parties after conferences. People often do not go out every week; then it is extra pleasant if you can completely take your mind off your work."

The PhD-PDEng Event is on Friday, February 22nd from 6 PM to 2 AM. Check Facebook for more information and tickets (ten euros for just the party, thirty euros including a three-course dinner). The dinner is exclusively for PhD students and designers-in-training at the TU/e (on presentation of their TU/e-pass), while at the party guests are welcome as well.