Education

Deeltijdstudies: nog geen duidelijkheid over ‘Halbes hobby’s’

Staatssecretaris Zijlstra brandt zich nog niet aan de vraag welke deeltijdstudies hij ‘nuttig’ genoeg vindt voor een beurs. Hij neemt anderhalf jaar de tijd voor de inrichting van een nieuw deeltijdstelsel. De Tweede Kamer wacht af.


Eind maart maakte Zijlstra bekend dat hij vanaf 2017 hogescholen en universiteiten niet langer rechtstreeks geld wil geven voor deeltijdstudies. In plaats daarvan wil hij studenten die een maatschappelijk belangrijke studie doen een beurs geven die ze kunnen besteden aan een deeltijdstudie bij zowel private als publieke instellingen. Studenten aan opleidingen in het onderwijs, de zorg of één van de economische topsectoren zouden in aanmerking komen voor zulke ‘vouchers’.



Gaat de staatssecretaris zelf bepalen welke studies relevant zijn? En worden dan alleen nog “Halbes Hobby’s” bekostigd, wilde SP-kamerlid Jasper van Dijk weten. Hij vindt het niet eerlijk als deeltijders die liever een andere studie doen, zelf voor de kosten moeten opdraaien.



Maar volgens Zijlstra loopt het allemaal zo’n vaart niet. Hij gaat niet in zijn eentje bepalen voor welke studies er beurzen komen en voor welke niet. Wiens hulp hij gaat inroepen, weet hij nog niet. De echte uitwerking van zijn voorstel komt pas eind 2013. Tot die tijd gaat hij om de tafel met onder meer de universiteiten en hogescholen, al betekent dit niet dat hij precies gaat doen wat zij willen.



Zijlstra merkte nog op dat hij de tegenstand vanuit de bekostigde instellingen niet zo goed begrijpt. Als zij gewoon goed deeltijdonderwijs blijven aanbieden, hoeven ze niet bang te zijn voor de concurrentie met private aanbieders.



De staatssecretaris bevestigde vragen van onder meer D66 en GroenLinks of hij afstapt van het idee dat iedere Nederlander één bachelor- en één masteropleiding kan volgen tegen het lage collegegeldtarief. Dat klopt inderdaad, zei Zijlstra. Dat principe gaat straks alleen nog op voor het voltijdonderwijs.



Echt moeilijk maakten de kamerleden het de bewindsman niet. Ze wachten zijn plannen af. Wel hadden ze nog wat vragen over huidige deeltijdstudenten die een langstudeerboete krijgen. Vorige week maakte Zijlstra al bekend dat hij tot 2017 jaarlijks tien miljoen euro ter beschikking stelt om hen te compenseren.



Hij moet daarvoor nog wel even een wetswijziging doorvoeren zodat ook deeltijdstudenten aanspraak kunnen maken uit het geld van de zogenaamde ‘profileringsfondsen’ van instellingen. Ook zal hij kijken of tien miljoen per jaar wel genoeg is. “Studenten mogen hier niet de dupe van worden”, aldus Zijlstra.

Deepak Pratap Singh (27) is a third-year PhD student in TU Delft’s Radiation, Radionuclides and Reactors department, where his specialist areas include lithium ion batteries, neutron & xray diffraction, energy storage and electrochemistry. A degree in Nano-science, a summer internship in 2006 at India’s reknowned Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and  research work from 2007-2008 at the University of Cambridge’s department of Material Science and Metallurgy are some of his impressive CV’s highlights. 

Singh was also a team member of the prestigious Cambridge Innovation Team (Michaelmas 2007), attending the Oxford School on Neutron Scattering and the prestigious Hercules course at France’s Institute Laue Langevin. Such achievements helped earn him the honor of being selected to conduct his research in the Shell-TU Delft Sustainable Mobility Program.

Your current work mainly involves studying and improvising battery technology.
“I’m studying various aspects of lithium ion battery technology, although I’m not yet the one making the new Super Power Battery. My PhD studies involve trying to explore and understand the fundamental properties of battery materials that limit and influence a battery’s power performance, while subsequently developing ‘cost effective’ strategies to improve this.”

What does the future of electric vehicles (EV) and battery technology look like? Would you recommend these areas to students interested in pursuing careers in this field?
”Definitely! EVs are no longer future fantasies or sci-fi. With the tiny Mahindra REVA from India, or sporty Tesla Roadstar in the US, EVs are now claiming the road. Further, batteries are extensively used in our daily lives, from mobile devices to handheld emergency lights. The battery life in these devices directly affects our mobility and behavior. People panic when their electronic device shows ‘low battery’. This is very important field and will continue to be so.” 

One of the UK’s top scientists, Dr Richard Pike, said “EVs are not that efficient after all”. Do you agree?
“Right now the main issue is the necessity for EVs in society. Since 3500 BC, ‘the wheel’ is constantly changing and moving ahead. Even if we decide to not focus on major issues like global warming and environmental pollution, we simply cannot ignore the fact that global petrochemical reserves will run out eventually and fail to keep ‘the wheel’ running. With EVs the world is already preparing to keep our wheels running even when our reserves run out. At present, EV Batteries requires 7 to 8 hours for complete charging and provide only limited mobility range of 80-120km on every charging. The research currently being conducted to build affordable batteries that can charge within 30 minutes and travel 200-300km looks promising.”

Living and working in the UK, an English speaking nation, must’ve been more comfortable than in the Netherlands?
”Knowledge of the local language is always helpful for easily integrating into the society you live in and also for getting part-time jobs while studying. Most Dutch people are quite fluent in English and very supportive. I must say the Netherlands is a better place to work and live.” 

Are TU Delft’s research facilities better than those at Cambridge or India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center?
“My experience is that all these laboratories are equally good and among the top few in the world, all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. In terms of accessibility to equipment, Cambridge’s system is more open and easily accessible. TU Delft’s system however is very well organized, which limits the accessibility to facility. It’s unfair to try to compare which is better.” 

Do you feel consistently under pressure to perform well? Do you feel you receive enough support in carrying out your important research?
“My motivation to perform well at TU Delft is kept consistently high. As for support received, every country provides the best available resources and respect to support its researchers. Unfortunately, researchers don’t get the highest salaries! Conditions in the Netherlands are slightly better but not exceptional.”

Was it difficult getting a PhD position at TU Delft, and did you consider other universities as an option?
“Frankly speaking, I don’t know about the difficulty level for PhD admission here as TU Delft. I applied to only two universities: TU Delft and Cambridge. Fortunately both universities were kind enough to admit me.” 

And yet you chose TU Delft over Cambridge for your PhD. Why?
”My first and very basic reason for choosing to do a PhD here was that the research project matched my interest. Secondly, and also most importantly, my supervisor, Dr Marnix Wagemaker, has remarkable research experience in battery materials. I’m highly looking forward to continue working with him.”  

Why is Shell interested in battery research when its main and highly profitable business is oil? Do major oil companies consider developments like EVs as a threat and thus want to buy research so they can control it?
“Let me answer me your second question first. EVs have zero emission and are ‘the fuel efficient’ mode of transportation, which presents opportunities for oil companies to use their reserves, efficiently and strategically, in the market for extended periods of time, as well as in systems where electric-driven mechanisms are not possible, like ships or airplanes. With the remarkable breakthroughs in recent years, ‘Electric Mobility’ and the storage business are getting very serious. I believe Shell also wants to explore the potential and role of other alternatives, like battery technologies, in sustainable mobility.” 

What role has your family played in your life and education?
“I come from a family full of engineers. My grandfather had a passion for electrical engineering since the 1930-40s, when the place he came from – and most of India as well – did not have access to electricity. He felt the need to bring electricity to his society and this served as his motivation. I share a similar motivation. The reason why I chose to work in this field is because I feel responsible for bringing this technology into society. My family – more than emphasizing on the importance of success in life – have always emphasized the importance of being a good human being first.”

Editor Redactie

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