Career counsellorTU Delft has appointed a career counsellor for PhD candidates who need career advice. The counsellor, Monique Draijer, has a drop-in hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30, at the Career Centre, Jaffalaan 9a.
She can help explain what extra skills you need in trying to find a job and has information about immigration issues. She can also help when PhD candidates have doubts about careers in science. There will soon be a psychologist on call for PhD candidates.
Elections
The Student Council elections will be held on May 25 and 26. Unlike last year, when students could only vote for Oras, the only party running, this year there is a second party: Lijst Bèta. Both parties say they want to represent international students, which, for the most part, they will do by maintaining close relations with the Delft International Students’ Society. Oras also has an international student, Jonathan Mugerwa, on the list of candidates. He is listed as number 26 on the candidate list, so chances are he will not be joining the Student Council.
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Flood defences
TU Delft has been assigned the leading role in two new national research programmes, which are being subsidised by STW to the tune of more than 8 million euros. Professor Frans van der Helm will be in charge of one of the programmes, looking at improved control for robotic grippers, such as during minimally invasive operations or when performing activities in space. Professor Han Vrijling, meanwhile, will lead a programme dealing with multifunctional flood defences. This concerns flood defences in or near urban areas, which fulfil functions other than keeping water at bay, such as housing, leisure and ecology.
New home
Cosmos magazine has reported the French researchers believe they have found the first planet other than Earth capable of sustaining life. The planet is named Gliese 581d, and it’s 20 light years away. The researchers claim the “the climate of Gliese 581d is not only stable against collapse but warm enough to have oceans, clouds and rainfall.” Gliese 581d orbits the star Gliese 581 in what astronomers call the ‘Goldilocks zone’ – neither too hot, nor too cold – and consequently water likely exists there in liquid form. Gliese 581d is approximately twice the size of Earth. And also may be ‘tidally locked’, meaning one side always faces its sun. The bad news is that it takes 300,000 years to travel 20 light years.
Shell demonstrations
IKV Pax Christi, a Dutch religious organisation, staged a protest at Shell’s recent annual stockholders meeting, calling for the Dutch oil giant to suspend its activities in Syria. “Shell wants to promote human rights. It cannot be neutral in Syria, and must temporarily suspend any links with the government,” said Egbert Wesselink, an IKV spokesperson. IKV Pax Christi says Shell cannot guarantee that it is not involved in human rights violations in the country, as Shell is a leading company in Syria’s oil business. Shell said it has no plans to suspend its activities in Syria. “We’re working according to our general policy and our code of conduct. So we’re working properly and we will continue to do so,” countered Shell spokesman, Wim van der Wiel.
Record PhDs
Dutch universities produced a record number of PhD last year, according to research conducted by NOS, a Dutch public broadcasting company. In 2010, 3707 people obtained a PhD, which marked a 5 percent increase over the previous year. Compared to 2000, last year’s record number of PhDs is 57 percent higher than it was 10 years ago. Of all Dutch universities, the Utrecht University produced the most PhDs in 2010: 468 doctorates.
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Censored
The Chinese authorities have censored the Chinese translation of a Dutch novel. The novel in question is titled, Komt een vrouw bij de dokter (Love Life), written by Dutch author Ray Kluun, who said that the majority of the changes had to do with sexual encounters in the novel, adding that he would have been angered if the changes had been political in nature. In one scene in the novel, a character says, “I’m going to watch porn”. The Chinese censors meanwhile translated that line as, “I’m going to comfort myself”.
De TU voert met ingang van 1 september één centraal registratiesysteem in voor incidenten als diefstal, ongevallen, bedreiging en hacking. Daarmee is beter te zien wat er op verschillende faculteiten gebeurt en wordt voorkomen dat bijvoorbeeld één en dezelfde diefstal meerdere keren staat geregistreerd.
Manager integrale veiligheid Ron Massink hoopt dat medewerkers en studenten gesignaleerde incidenten vervolgens ook echt melden. “De motivatie om aangifte te doen is niet zo hoog. Bij spoed natuurlijk wel 112 bellen.”
Massink heeft geen indicatie dat er momenteel meer wordt gestolen dan vorige jaren, maar weet wel dat diefstal vooral plaatsvindt op plekken met grote concentraties mensen. Plaatsen waar je gemakkelijk in- en uitloopt en waar wat meer feesten en manifestaties plaatsvinden. Als voorbeeld noemt Massink de aula. “Ook bij de faculteit Bouwkunde komt diefstal wat meer voor.”
Openbare ruimtes die ogenschijnlijk van niemand zijn, zo legt Massink uit, nodigen uit tot criminaliteit. “Bij een faculteit als Elektrotechniek, Wiskunde & Informatica heb je dat minder. Luchtvaart- & Ruimtevaarttechniek is ook een goed voorbeeld. Daar heb je veel kantoren en verschillende soorten ruimtes. Als mensen zich verantwoordelijk voelen voor het gebied waar ze zijn, valt het op als er mensen lopen die ze niet kennen.”
Massink propageert dan ook dat mensen zich verantwoordelijk voelen voor een gebied rondom hen met een omtrek van 25 meter. “Als je ziet dat er gestolen wordt: meld het. Al die cirkels van 25 meter maken de universiteit in haar geheel veiliger.”
Dat verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel is een onderdeel van het concept Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) dat Bouwkunde momenteel invoert. Een ruimte hoort daarbij zodanig te zijn ingericht dat duidelijk is dat die ruimte van iemand is, legt Massink uit. “Denk aan een hoek waar je gezamenlijk koffie drinkt, zorg voor zicht op de gang, zorg voor veilige activiteiten: zet bijvoorbeeld een kopieerapparaat op de gang. Lok criminaliteit niet uit: zet dure apparaten niet neer waar geen toezicht is. Iedereen spuugt op sociale controle, maar het werkt wel.”
Massink wil geen cijfers noemen over het aantal diefstallen binnen de TU. “Als ik dat doe, word ik de volgende dag gebeld dat het cijfer te hoog of te laag is.” Toch stond er onlangs op de website van studievereniging I.d dat er in het afgelopen jaar naar schatting al tachtig tot negentig laptops onvrijwillig van eigenaar waren gewisseld bij de faculteit Industrieel Ontwerpen (IO).
Dat getal zegt Massink niets. Facilitymanager Paul Uiterdijk kan het ook niet bevestigen: “Het aantal geregistreerde gevallen vanaf januari ligt tussen de tien en twintig. Niet alleen laptops, ook mobieltjes.”
Volgens Uiterdijk heeft het te maken met de ‘huiselijke sfeer’ bij IO. “Studenten ontwerpen gezellig met elkaar in een studio en laten hun tas staan als ze even naar het toilet gaan. Ze gaan er vanuit dat anderen even opletten. Als ze terugkomen is bijvoorbeeld hun iPod verdwenen.”
Vorig jaar werd in samenwerking met de facultaire studentenraad een bewustwordingsactie gehouden. “Twee oud-rechercheurs hebben we als bezoekers door de faculteit laten lopen en acteerden dat ze dief waren”, zegt Uiterdijk. “Ik heb het meegemaakt dat zo’n rechercheur een laptop weghaalde en medestudenten er niets van zeiden.”
Career counsellor
TU Delft has appointed a career counsellor for PhD candidates who need career advice. The counsellor, Monique Draijer, has a drop-in hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30, at the Career Centre, Jaffalaan 9a. She can help explain what extra skills you need in trying to find a job and has information about immigration issues. She can also help when PhD candidates have doubts about careers in science. There will soon be a psychologist on call for PhD candidates.
Elections
The Student Council elections will be held on May 25 and 26. Unlike last year, when students could only vote for Oras, the only party running, this year there is a second party: Lijst Bèta. Both parties say they want to represent international students, which, for the most part, they will do by maintaining close relations with the Delft International Students’ Society. Oras also has an international student, Jonathan Mugerwa, on the list of candidates. He is listed as number 26 on the candidate list, so chances are he will not be joining the Student Council.
oras.nl
lijstbeta.nl
stem.tudelft.nl
Flood defences
TU Delft has been assigned the leading role in two new national research programmes, which are being subsidised by STW to the tune of more than 8 million euros. Professor Frans van der Helm will be in charge of one of the programmes, looking at improved control for robotic grippers, such as during minimally invasive operations or when performing activities in space. Professor Han Vrijling, meanwhile, will lead a programme dealing with multifunctional flood defences. This concerns flood defences in or near urban areas, which fulfil functions other than keeping water at bay, such as housing, leisure and ecology.
New home
Cosmos magazine has reported the French researchers believe they have found the first planet other than Earth capable of sustaining life. The planet is named Gliese 581d, and it’s 20 light years away. The researchers claim the “the climate of Gliese 581d is not only stable against collapse but warm enough to have oceans, clouds and rainfall.” Gliese 581d orbits the star Gliese 581 in what astronomers call the ‘Goldilocks zone’ – neither too hot, nor too cold – and consequently water likely exists there in liquid form. Gliese 581d is approximately twice the size of Earth. And also may be ‘tidally locked’, meaning one side always faces its sun. The bad news is that it takes 300,000 years to travel 20 light years.
Shell demonstrations
IKV Pax Christi, a Dutch religious organisation, staged a protest at Shell’s recent annual stockholders meeting, calling for the Dutch oil giant to suspend its activities in Syria. “Shell wants to promote human rights. It cannot be neutral in Syria, and must temporarily suspend any links with the government,” said Egbert Wesselink, an IKV spokesperson. IKV Pax Christi says Shell cannot guarantee that it is not involved in human rights violations in the country, as Shell is a leading company in Syria’s oil business. Shell said it has no plans to suspend its activities in Syria. “We’re working according to our general policy and our code of conduct. So we’re working properly and we will continue to do so,” countered Shell spokesman, Wim van der Wiel.
Record PhDs
Dutch universities produced a record number of PhD last year, according to research conducted by NOS, a Dutch public broadcasting company. In 2010, 3707 people obtained a PhD, which marked a 5 percent increase over the previous year. Compared to 2000, last year’s record number of PhDs is 57 percent higher than it was 10 years ago. Of all Dutch universities, the Utrecht University produced the most PhDs in 2010: 468 doctorates.
Censored
The Chinese authorities have censored the Chinese translation of a Dutch novel. The novel in question is titled, Komt een vrouw bij de dokter (Love Life), written by Dutch author Ray Kluun, who said that the majority of the changes had to do with sexual encounters in the novel, adding that he would have been angered if the changes had been political in nature. In one scene in the novel, a character says, “I’m going to watch porn”. The Chinese censors meanwhile translated that line as, “I’m going to comfort myself”.
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