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jaargang 42, 11 mei 2000 English page

Students TUE Keep Their Network Secure TUE have one of the most open network structures possible. Yet, according to notebook project manager Herman van de Kuit, this does not result in problems with the system. “On the contrary, we have less trouble with security and with the network in general than most other organisations. Students really look after the network themselves,” he says. Photo: Bram Saeys “A few years ago, hackers were heros to students. No more. Now students get very angry if someone messes up their network. ’Hands off my games’ is the standard reaction to anyone getting smart with a virus. It’s surprising how few problems students have with their machines in general now the notebooks are their own property. In the few cases when a notebook breaks down, we have equipment we can give out on loan while repairs take place.” Not Optional The safety of the network is one of the very positive results of a TUE-wide notebook computer project started three years ago. TUE have issued 3800 machines to all first, second and third year students during the past years. A few hundred fourth and fifth year students with good (course-related) reasons for wanting a notebook also received a laptop. Anyone with a full enrolment at TUE is eligible for a notebook. The Toshiba and Fujitsu machines issued are worth 7500 guilders - 5000 for the notebook itself and 2500 for upgrades and services. TUE pay half of this amount, the student pays the rest. Loans are available for students from Rabobank, payment is made in monthly installments of about 40 guilders. Van de Kuit says the five year notebook project is well on schedule. “Of course, things could always be better. At the moment the early complaints about lack of memory upgradeability have been solved,” he comments. “We are also slowly but surely seeing the notebook becoming an integral part of the general teaching program. The idea behind the notebook project, is that the laptop is a necessary part of a TUE student’s education. No one will be able to do without in future. Notebook ownership is not optional.” Robot He names some examples of the way notebooks are being used. A group at Mechanical Engineering designed and built an operating system for a robot with students at the National University of Singapore. Together, they operate the robot from their computers in both countries. Other students work on a report together via their laptops in one file. Their professor can see what they’re doing, if they’re going in the right direction and whether anyone is putting in less effort than their colleagues. “Our lecturers will increasingly become people who help students find information, rather than the lone source of knowledge a student can consult,” says Van de Kuit. Both students and lecturers quickly learn their way around a notebook. “After the introductory course, they don’t need much help. There are thousands of more advanced courses available on the network. Lecturers keep up as a matter of course, probably because they don’t want to be shown up by their students, says Van de Kuit. First in Europe The TUE notebook project has attracted a lot of interest from other universities all over the world. At least 45 universities have sent teams to look at the project, but not many have dared to follow TUE’s example. The notebook project is an enormous investment of time and money. According to Van de Kuit, giving students their own laptops is only the beginning of a complex project like this one. IT infrastructure must follow. TUE was the third university in the world - after an American and Australian university - to set up such a large-scale notebook project. Hong Kong followed after TUE, and the university in Nice is now the second in Europe. TUE is now one of six institutes in Europe and Asia featuring in a special promotion video by Intel about notebooks in education./.

Wanted: Your Ideas! Cursor wants to hear about the kind of stories you would like to see on the English Page - bearing in mind that this page is meant to inform foreign students and staff about what’s going on at TUE campus. Which information do you need/are you interested in? Who do you think we should interview? On what subjects should we give more background? What do you like/dislike about our efforts on this page until now? TELL US WHAT YOU WANT! Send your ideas and/or criticism to engcur@stud.tue.nl. New Office Furniture TUE TUE have signed contracts with three new suppliers of office furniture. Offices at the university will gradually acquire a different, more modern feel in the coming years. The choice for the three firms was made on the grounds of technical and labour condition aspects. There were two committees deciding which new furniture would be best. The first committee was mainly interested in technical and ergonomic aspects. The second was made up of representatives of the TUE population and was especially concerned with user friendliness. The new desks and conference tables will be available in various colours, including a wood motif. The desks come equipped with special gutters for cables, round corners and are easily adjusted for height. A special web site with information on the new furniture will be opened shortly. Co-operation with University of Pretoria TUE recently closed a co-operation deal with the University of Pretoria (UP) in South Africa. The Executive Board want serious co-operation with this university, both in the areas of research and teaching. This will take place through an exchange of scientists and students as research trainees and graduate projects. A choice was made for UP because fields of study are similar to those at TUE and because tea-ching is bilingual - both in Afrikaans and English. Vice-chancellor Martin Rem recently visited Pretoria to sign the deal.