Newsletter MSc & PhD Education NL
June 2015
It's June, the month with the longest daylight hours of the year. The 21st of June marks the
start of the summer and we are looking forward to that!
June is also a busy month with a nice events taking place. And in July and August The
Journey (our annual summer school) will kick off. We hope to see you there or at any of our
other upcoming events.
In this newsletter you can find updates of upcoming events, Pre-Journey workshops 2015,
the upcoming SPARK! lecture, a documentary suggestion, the Dutch CLC Innovation event, a
Dilbert cartoon and a mobility case. Also don't forget to look at our website for internship
updates: http://www.climate-kic.nl/vacancies/
Happy summer!
The Dutch Education Team
June/July/August 2015:
* 6 and 13 June (10:45 to 16:00): Pre-Journey workshops
More information in the below article.
* 16 June: Upcoming SPARK! lecture
More information in the below article.
* 17 June: Climate Innovation Event
More information in the below article.
* The Journey July: 5 June-8 August 2015
More information will be provided as soon as possible.
* The Journey August: 26 July-29 August 2015
More information will be provided as soon as possible.
Pre-Journey workshops 2015
Saturday 6 and 23 June 2015
To be well prepared for the ideation sessions during The Journey
2015, we organize yearly Pre-Journey workshops. These
workshops are scheduled on: 6 June 2015 and 13 June 2015.
Master and PhD students can choose one of the two dates to
attend a pre-journey workshop. In each workshop the same content will be presented and discussed. These
workshops are mandatory for The Journey 2015 participants.
Timing: We start at 10.45 and the workshop will last till approx. 4 pm.
Location: Atlas building. Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB. Wageningen.
Catering: We will take care of coffee/tea and lunch.
In this Pre-Journey workshop you will learn the theoretical basics and principles of creative thinking and idea
generation. According to the learning-by-doing principle you will practice with the creative and divergent
thinking. We will also address the different roles people can have in a creative process and how creativity
may lead to innovation.
The purpose of this workshop is to give you tools and a solid basis so that you can use your own creativity
talent in The Journey, and are also able to recognize how you can use each other in your creative processes.
The workshop is also a day to get to know each other, learn who will be in your Journey and exchange
knowledge and experiences. The workshop will be facilitated by Willemijn Brouwer.
Important: In case you have not done yet: For logistic reasons (catering) please inform Franky Tai
(franky.tai@climate-kic.org) asap in which workshop you will participate. Please, don’t forget to inform
Franky also about your dietary, if applicable. If you don’t participate in one of these workshop you have
to inform Nies Springer (nies.springer@climate-kic.org)
Upcoming SPARK! lecture
As the relationship between mass meat consumption and climate change is
better understood, people are increasingly choosing meat free alternatives
to regular sausages and burgers. This year alone the global market for
‘meat free’ is projected to reach $3.86bn. To explore this ripe opportunity
we have invited film maker and sustainable food entrepreneur Mark
Kulsdom to share his experiences with The Dutch Weed Burger – a rapidly
growing start-up – at the next SPARK! lecture. And that’s not all!!! To mark
the start of summer, after the presentation we will get a chance to try out
his seaweed based burgers with a Climate-KIC BBQ and drinks.
The SPARK! will take place on Tuesday June 16 at Utrecht's Molen de Ster. Built in 1739, the still operational
sawmill is located around 10 minutes from centraal station in the neighborhood of Lombok. You can find
walking directions at http://www.molendester.nu/contact/. You are invited to arrive from 17:30 and the
presentation will begin at 18:00. The BBQ will last until 21:00.
Important: It is mandatory to confirm your attendance, so please email Gareth Wakeling
(gareth.wakeling@climate-kic.org). If you cannot be present at the SPARK! lecture, please let Gareth
know the reason of your absence.
Films For Actions
Documentary tip: No Impact Man
On the website Films For Actions you can find movies for people who want to
change the world. It has many inspirational movies that might be appealing to you!
One of our best choices is the movie No Impact Man. This film is about the
Manhattan-based Beavan family as they abandon their high consumption 5th Avenue
lifestyle and try to live a year while making no net environmental impact.
You can watch the movie on the following link: http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/no_impact_man/
Reminder: Climate Innovation Event
On June 17 Climate-KIC the Netherlands organizes the Climate Innovation
Event. The aim is to strengthen our local community and to find the match
with end-users and our partners. It is a great opportunity to present ClimateKIC to external parties as industries, SME’s and governments. A key objective
is to foster ‘matchmaking’ both within and beyond our rapidly expanding
community, with ample opportunity for structured and informal networking.
Our PhD students and Greenhouse students are invited to register at http://www.climatekic.org/events/climate-innovation-event/
Dilbert cartoon: Ask the
intern on experience
Mobility showcase
Melchior Langeveld: The mobility of a lifetime
The Climate-KIC community stimulates you to cross boundaries: both
personal and national. So when an opportunity for an internship on
research collaboration in New York came along, I immediately applied.
The assignment was out of my comfort zone: I was asked to get an
overview of microgrid and electric mobility research in the Netherlands,
an overview of the research at the East Coast of the U.S. and identify
opportunities for collaboration. How was I to get an overview of such a
vast research area?
The job interview went smoother than expected and I was able to integrate the internship as part of the
consultancy project course of my masters. This resulted in a joyful phone call to two of my fellow students,
asking them if they would love to come to the United States to present our findings during the New York
Energy Week: they accepted. Before the start of the course I had assembled a team, communicated with all
parties involved and set up the project. I felt that I was already learning a lot.
Within the first part of the project we interviewed over 22 researchers at TU Delft, TU Eindhoven and
Twente University (the three Dutch technical Universities) to talk about their research programs on smart
grids and electric mobility. In a short time we got a glimpse of the scientific work currently conducted
within the technical Universities of the Netherlands. We developed a methodology that would enable us to
identify areas of expertise, transcribed the interviews, got introduced to a lot of research and prepared our
presentation for the New York Energy week. It was a very intense time with lots of working hours.
After the New York Energy week I continued the internship. I got to visit the National Institute of Standards
and Technologies in Washington where Gregory Downing, a scientist working on neutron depth profiling of
lithium-ion batteries. We ended up connecting him to professor Peter Notten from the TU Eindhoven and
applying for funding. The research would expand our understanding of the formation of crystals during the
operation of lithium-ion batteries. Very useful knowledge for electric mobility. I felt dwarfed by the subjects
I was dealing with. However, I learned that everyone plays its part. I might not be able to model the
behavior of lithium-ion batteries, but I might be able connect researchers to funding. I learned that by being
assertive and entrepreneurial, I can achieve more than I expect.
Although I already did part of my mobility program, I am eager to continue my Journey. I therefore look
forward to this summer, when I get to participate in the summer school. Lastly, I would like to thank
Climate-KIC for the mobility funding that enabled this internship. I am truly privileged!