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Housing Worst Problem Foreign Researchers TU/e
Study commissioned by VSNU
Finding suitable housing is by far the worst problem
foreign Ph.D. students and postdocs encounter during their time
at TU/e. Almost sixty per cent of all 250 TU/e respondents in
a study on foreign scientists at technological universities in
the Netherlands said this was the case. Other important difficulties
are finding contacts outside work (47%) and communication and
language (22%). However, two thirds of foreign researchers interviewed
said they would still have chosen a position at a Dutch university
if they had had the information beforehand that they have now.
The study was commissioned by VSNU (Association of Universities
in the Netherlands) at the three Dutch technological universities
in Eindhoven, Delft and Twente. Researchers Theo Buis and Ben
Hövels in Nijmegen completed an initial report on results
at TU/e in March, the whole project should be finished by the
beginning of the new
academic year.
More than three-quarters of foreign researchers at TU/e said they
had received enough information on the content of their new job
and their salary. A smaller majority felt they were given enough
information on visas, work permits and related matters.
There was insufficient information on all other subjects. Respondents
named tax difficulties, financial matters and university regulations
(TU/e's library closes at 5 p.m.). However, 75 per cent felt there
was no really important information missing, which of course still
leaves a quarter that did lack important data.
Suck Dry
Preparing their questionnaires, researchers Buis and Hövels
talked to 'key informants' at universities, such as deans, directors
of departments and research institutes etc. at all three universities.
These informants made some shocking remarks on the subject of
postdocs, such as "Postdocs are there to be sucked dry for
research" and "Anyone who goes from one postdoc position
to the other too many times has apparently not persevered enough".
Eligible
There is some concern that a growing number of postdocs who travel
the world from one temporary position to the next are losing their
social contacts in the prime of their lives and throwing away
any chance of a future career. "Industry is no longer interested
in them and they are not eligible for a staff position at a university",
the researchers report. However, their informants also said postdocs
are "very important for effective and efficient research
production and capitalising on knowledge"./.
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Meditation Centre TU/e to Open in September
Silence is often hard to find. With the opening of a
Meditation Centre at TU/e in September, it might become easier.
Anyone who feels the need, may make use of this special room in
the former Infotheek (de hal 1.46). The official opening will
take place in October. Working group STILTE 2000 is busy making
final preparations.
Dutch society is very rushed. Everyone is always extremely
busy. On the other hand, people increasingly feel they need to
escape this. STILTE 2000 wants to address that need by setting
up a Meditation Centre on TU/e campus. "Quite a few people
have worked on this project during the past three years",
says humanist student counsellor Willemien Fraaije. She has been
involved from the very beginning. At the moment, the other members
of the group are Jamel Sbai of multi-cultural student association
Mosaïc, Jan Maarten Kramer of Stichting Inter Kommunikatie
(StIK) and Elisabeth Fricker of the Eindhovense Studentenkerk
(ESK).
"We want the space to be mainly for individual use. For example,
to find a sense of peace or to pray", says Sbai. "Mosaïc
has many Islamic members. It's important to them to have a quiet
place to pray." But the centre is open to anyone feeling
the need of a peaceful moment.
Meditation moments
The group has also been thinking about possible activities during
the last few months. From her position as humanist student counsellor,
Fraaije plans to organise 'meditation moments'. "I want to
give people the opportunity to read a favourite passage from a
book or share a piece of spiritual music with other students."
ESK is planning to offer yoga and zen. Fricker: "Students
who contact ESK often need space. They want to think about what
they're doing with their lives."
Sbai says Mosaïc could organise lectures on Islam. "I
think it's good to get to know each other's cultures and beliefs
in this multi-cultural society." He thinks excessive haste
is something typically Dutch. "Everyone here has a watch
and a calendar. In Morocco, most people don't even think about
the time."
Joint activity
The three organisations have a joint activity planned in the new
Meditation Centre. "We want to organise a daily fifteen minute
moment of contemplation. That could take various forms, such as
a reading from a poem, the Koran or the Bible", says Fraaije.
The Meditation Centre will not be constantly booked up with activities.
The centre is meant primarily for individual use. "But we
think some structure is necessary. The idea of looking for a peaceful
moment in a busy life may otherwise not so easily enter your mind,"
Fricker explains.
Please call Willemien Fraaije (extension 4694) if you would like
more information./.
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Foreign team second in korfbal tournament
 A team of 12 foreign TU/e post-docs
and Ph.D. students from at least six different countries took
part in a recreational korfbal tournament on a very rainy Sunday
afternoon last weekend. To their own surprise, they managed to
come second playing this typical Dutch ball game. Korfbal is somewhat
similar to netball, but with a basket instead of a net and teams
have both male and female players. "We enjoyed it very much,
even though it started pouring with rain during our game",
says Pranab Mandal, who is leaving his position at Eurandom for
a job at Technische Universiteit Twente. "A few of us hadn't
heard about the game until two weeks ago, and we only practised
a few times. Even so, I like the game and may continue with korfbal
in Enschede."
The players in the gray shirts are from the Eurandom team.
Photo: Bram Saeys
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Falling Asleep at Your PC
For the fifth consecutive year, the Auditorium at TU/e
will be the venue for multimedia event Takeover this weekend.
More than a thousand computer freaks from various European countries
are expected in Eindhoven. This is also the last Takeover.
Takeover start on Friday June 22 at 6 p.m. and will continue
non-stop until Sunday afternoon 5 p.m. "We are turning a
room in the Student Sports Centre into a dormitory, but it will
probably not see much use," says organiser Pim van Pelt.
He himself expects to stay up for the full 47 hours. "Most
parti-cipants keep going until they fall asleep at their keyboards."
The three-day spectacle will be rounded off with an award ceremony.
"We have about 13 competitions," Van Pelt explains.
"The demo competition is one of the more creative competitions.
All possible multimedia aspects image, sound, programming
code are combined in a five-minute show." Participants
can also go for the prize for best demonstration, best website
or best animation. Van Pelt says 'pixeling' -drawing by hand at
your computer- is a special part of Takeover.
Last year only five hundred people visited Takeover, mostly because
of the European Football Championships. This year a double number
of parti-cipants are expected. "Most similar championships
in Central Europe have been discontinued," says Van Pelt,
who wants this to be the last and best Takeover ever.
Anyone interested in participating in this last edition of Takeover
can register at www.takeover.nl or on Friday in the Auditorium.
Costs are fifty guilders per person./.
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Closed Roads
De Rondom at the yard is reopening in week 26. The closed part
of Den Dolech, between the main building and the Auditorium, will
be open again on June 27. De Wielen will be closed up to het Veken
after week 25. De Lampendriessen behind the main building will
also close in week 25. The parking lot on the south side of the
main building (Simon Stevinplein) will be inaccessible in week
25.
Safety Lecture ICT Facilities
Eric Mulder of CSS Intralink is holding a lecture today (June
21st) for TU/e's ICT service company. He will talk about the safety
of ICT facilities. The lecture is in collegezaal 16 in the Auditorium
at 2 p.m. Anyone interested is welcome.
Library Fines
People who hand in their library books late will pay a fine of
two guilders a week as of September 2001. The problem of overdue
library books has been growing and library users have had to wait
long periods for books. Staff and students will start paying fines
three weeks after the due date. If the publication is returned
in the third week after the due date, the fine will be six guilders
a book. Other lenders will start paying fines in the second week
after this date (four guilders per book). The library will remind
lenders of their due dates. Full library regulations are available
(in Dutch) at www.tue.nl/bib under 'dienstverlening'.
Beware Beamer thieves
A gang of thieves specialising in beamer equipment worth up to
25,000 guilders has become active in various public institutes
in the Netherlands. A number of universities in the Netherlands
and hospitals in this neighbourhood have already been hit by the
thieves. "TU/e has been spared", says Ton van Dijck
of security. "After laptops, beamers have become a the second
most popular article with thieves at universities. You can use
beamers to play DVDs at home on a big screen." The equipment
is often left in classrooms and lecture halls where security is
lax.
The English Page is written by Paula van de Riet. She can
be reached at engcur@stud.tue.nl.
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