Nibs

50 researchers were given three minutes each to speak with a researcher who they did not know. The speed talks however were meant to lead to research collaboration, not romance. “The participants did indeed feel a bit awkward at first,” said Simon Marrywest, one of the organizers, “but as soon as they heard that the other person was interested in their research, they began to feel comfortable with it.” Nearly every participating researcher found someone they planned to collaborate with in future. It’s unknown if these meeting led to relationships of a ‘non-scientific’ nature.
Big Band

TU Delft’s student musical society Krashna Musika is setting up a Big Band. The band is to be part of Krashna’s jazz section, which was started in September 2004. Auditions for the Big Band will be held today, March 10. Krashna Musika is planning a ‘renewed repertoire’ for the band, which will include funky and Latino songs. The first performances are scheduled for June and August 2005.

www.krashna.nl
Best innovation 2004

TU Industrial Design student Carmen Platvoet is one of three nominees for the MKB Match, a prize awarded to the university student whose project is deemed to be the most innovative of 2004. On behalf of two companies, Platvoet carried out research involving a new and revolutionary anti-decubitus product. Decubitus, or bed sores, causes patients great pain and cost the healthcare sector a half billion euros per year. The winner will be announced on March 15.
Ombudsman

TU Ombudsman Wil Knippenberg received a formal complaint from a foreign MSc student concerning the use, or rather, the ‘non-use’, of English during an MSc course that was supposed to be taught in English. The foreign student couldn’t participate in various international architecture classes for a number of weeks because the instructors lectured in Dutch only. Lecturing in any other language but English is a violation of the contractual agreement between foreign MSc students and TU Delft. The Architecture Faculty’s dean admitted the violation occurred and said extra efforts were being made to solve the problems at the faculty. The ombudsman agreed with the student that teaching in Dutch was improper, but the ombudsman stated that any further discussion about what exactly went wrong at the faculty was unnecessary. The faculty said it’s continuing to improve language capacities, information and organization regarding the MSc program. It’s unknown if the student will be financially reimbursed a percentage of the tuition fee as a result of being deprived of the legal right to follow courses in English.
Anthropologist resigns

An anthropology professor whose work had been cited as evidence Neanderthal man once lived in Northern Europe, has resigned after a German university panel ruled he fabricated data and plagiarized the works of his colleagues. A Frankfurt University panel ruled that Professor Reiner Protsch von Zieten lied about the age of human skulls, dating them tens of thousands of years old, even though they were much younger. “The commission finds that Professor Protsch has forged and manipulated scientific facts over the past 30 years,” the university said of the widely recognized expert in carbon data. The university’s report called Protsch’s 30 years of work a “dating disaster”. Chris Stringer, a Stone Age specialist and head of human origins at London’s Natural History Museum, said: “What was considered a major piece of evidence showing that the Neanderthals once lived in northern Europe has fallen by the wayside. We’re having to rewrite prehistory.” Frankfurt University’s president, Rudolf Steinberg, apologized for the university’s failure to curb Protsch’s misconduct for decades: “A lot of people looked the other way.”

Researchers speed-date

Speed dating is hip these days, a quick way for singles to meet and date. These fast-food type romances have inspired Manchester University (UK) to launch what it is calling ‘speed collaborating’ for researchers. 50 researchers were given three minutes each to speak with a researcher who they did not know. The speed talks however were meant to lead to research collaboration, not romance. “The participants did indeed feel a bit awkward at first,” said Simon Marrywest, one of the organizers, “but as soon as they heard that the other person was interested in their research, they began to feel comfortable with it.” Nearly every participating researcher found someone they planned to collaborate with in future. It’s unknown if these meeting led to relationships of a ‘non-scientific’ nature.
Big Band

TU Delft’s student musical society Krashna Musika is setting up a Big Band. The band is to be part of Krashna’s jazz section, which was started in September 2004. Auditions for the Big Band will be held today, March 10. Krashna Musika is planning a ‘renewed repertoire’ for the band, which will include funky and Latino songs. The first performances are scheduled for June and August 2005.

www.krashna.nl
Best innovation 2004

TU Industrial Design student Carmen Platvoet is one of three nominees for the MKB Match, a prize awarded to the university student whose project is deemed to be the most innovative of 2004. On behalf of two companies, Platvoet carried out research involving a new and revolutionary anti-decubitus product. Decubitus, or bed sores, causes patients great pain and cost the healthcare sector a half billion euros per year. The winner will be announced on March 15.
Ombudsman

TU Ombudsman Wil Knippenberg received a formal complaint from a foreign MSc student concerning the use, or rather, the ‘non-use’, of English during an MSc course that was supposed to be taught in English. The foreign student couldn’t participate in various international architecture classes for a number of weeks because the instructors lectured in Dutch only. Lecturing in any other language but English is a violation of the contractual agreement between foreign MSc students and TU Delft. The Architecture Faculty’s dean admitted the violation occurred and said extra efforts were being made to solve the problems at the faculty. The ombudsman agreed with the student that teaching in Dutch was improper, but the ombudsman stated that any further discussion about what exactly went wrong at the faculty was unnecessary. The faculty said it’s continuing to improve language capacities, information and organization regarding the MSc program. It’s unknown if the student will be financially reimbursed a percentage of the tuition fee as a result of being deprived of the legal right to follow courses in English.
Anthropologist resigns

An anthropology professor whose work had been cited as evidence Neanderthal man once lived in Northern Europe, has resigned after a German university panel ruled he fabricated data and plagiarized the works of his colleagues. A Frankfurt University panel ruled that Professor Reiner Protsch von Zieten lied about the age of human skulls, dating them tens of thousands of years old, even though they were much younger. “The commission finds that Professor Protsch has forged and manipulated scientific facts over the past 30 years,” the university said of the widely recognized expert in carbon data. The university’s report called Protsch’s 30 years of work a “dating disaster”. Chris Stringer, a Stone Age specialist and head of human origins at London’s Natural History Museum, said: “What was considered a major piece of evidence showing that the Neanderthals once lived in northern Europe has fallen by the wayside. We’re having to rewrite prehistory.” Frankfurt University’s president, Rudolf Steinberg, apologized for the university’s failure to curb Protsch’s misconduct for decades: “A lot of people looked the other way.”