This elite program is one of the most international programs at TU/e. It is relatively difficult for Dutch students to get into, this year only four Dutch students were accepted. “Our foreign students are absolutely in the top 5 percent of their universities in terms of their capabilities. The Dutch students who apply are generally average master students. Also many Dutch master graduates don’t want to bother with an additional tough practical qualification like the PD Eng”, says Janse.

“We try to get about half of our students from EU countries and half from outside the EU. Half of the people have a technological background, half a psychological one. The male/female ratio is also about half and half, but we have no policy for that”, Janse explains. This year’s crop is from Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, Argentina, Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, China, Belgium, Poland and Spain.

Of course there are other reasons to keep the program small. Hiring any significantly greater number of students would mean totally restructuring the program. More staff and space would be needed. The elite nature of the design program is good for graduates, as there is a shortage of USI engineers. Another practical matter: PDEng students get paid, so the program has to contribute to the unemployment benefits of anybody from an EU country who doesn’t find a job quickly. “It’s good to have a scarce product. And don’t forget, graduates compete with each other for jobs”, Janse explains.

Of this year’s 16 graduates, 12 have found a job. A few decided to take a vacation before going job hunting, others are choosing from a number of possibilities or waiting for an answer from a prospective employer. “Two of our graduates found a job with the Dutch tax services. These jobs were created especially for them. It will be interesting to see what these two can do for an organization which finds it so hard to connect with its clients and has such a long history of usability problems”, comments Janse.

Bridge the gap
The USI design program trains engineers who can bridge the gap between new technologies/ products and acceptation/easy use by consumers. Currently, 70 to 75 percent of new products still fail because of usability issues. And while the newly trained engineers are snapped up almost as soon as they graduate, the field is still developing and gradually becoming better-known. Every piece of new research in User Systems Interaction contributes to this. “Many USIs work in collaborative research projects such as fifth and sixth EU framework projects. About 17 percent of graduates works in academia, 68 percent is hired by multinationals and other companies, and 7 percent start their own business”, says the program director./.

The USI program is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with a symposium on Thursday November 27 in the Zwarte Doos on campus. A number of renowned international speakers is expected. More information: www.usinet.nl.