Mandatory Introduction GSNS
Welcome to your new Master’s programme at the GSNS!
To ensure that you get off to a good start, the Graduate School of Natural Sciences (GSNS) organizes an Introduction Programme for all new graduate students on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February 2023. All students who are (conditionally) admitted to one of the GSNS Master's programmes, will receive more information about the introduction programme in January.
Participation in these two days is mandatory and will grant you 0,5 EC. Please make sure you register when asked to!
Read the Welcome booklet
Make sure to also read the Welcome Booklet. This booklet contains a lot of practical information for students who are new to Utrecht University. Make sure to check out the Master's Science Starter Guide as well!
On this webpage, you can find all the current information about the Introduction programme and the practical aspects. It will be updated in January with the programme and information about workshops. If you still have any questions after reading the information here, you can contact us at intro-gsns@uu.nl.
The introduction days will take place at the Utrecht Science Park in the Koningsberger building (KBG), Buys Ballot Building (BBG) and the Minnaert building (MIN). To get to the last two buildings, you can use the main entrance of the Victor J. Koningsberger building (Budapestlaan 4a-b).
Covid 19
There are currently no Covid-19 measures in place that affect educational activities. The university’s aim is to have the educational activities (including contact hours and exams) take place on-campus as much as possible. Naturally, some uncertainty remains and development in the Covid-19 situation could cause changes in the scheduling of education. However, please be aware that from the start of the academic year, the university expects to welcome all of its students, in person, on campus.
Introduction programme (overview)
Monday 6 February
| 09:45 – 10:15 | How to get started - Session for students new to Utrecht University |
| 10:30- 13:00 | Plenary session |
| 13:15 - 17:00 | Lunch with your programme & first programme specific session |
Tuesday 7 February
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Information sessions (profiles and honours) |
| 10:00 - 13:00* | Second programme specific session |
| 13:30 - 15:00 | Workshop round 1* |
| 15:30 - 17:00 | Workshop round 2* |
| 17:00 - 19:00 | Closing drinks @ De Vagant |
*Please note that for the workshops, you need to register separately (see below).
*Note: Not all programmes will host a second session, or they might start later. Make sure to check with your programme coordinator on the first day.
For more detailed information on the sessions and the locations, please click the tabs below.
Details of introduction programme
09:45-10:15 How to get Started (For students who are new to Utrecht University)
We start with a special session for all students who are new to Utrecht University. Study advisor Sara O’Keeffe will help you get started with the practical side of studying here. This session is not mandatory.
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 10:45 Opening GSNS Masters's introduction
We will give you an overview of the practical details of the introduction days.
10:45 – 11:00 Welcome by Prof. dr. Bert Klein Gebbink, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science.
11:00 – 11:30 GSNS community panel
The GSNS brings together students and researchers from many different disciplines, ranging from computing science to chemistry, from physics to mathematics. We all have our own expertise, but we also have many things in common. What defines the GSNS community? A multi-disciplinary panel discussion.
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 – 12:15 Scientific Integrity
Dr Hieke Huistra will present an interactive lecture about scientific integrity. What is scientific integrity about? To be sure, it is about fraud, plagiarism and fabrication of data. But these are not the most interesting aspects.
In daily practice, the ‘grey areas’ are of more importance, and also more interesting, because there are no straightforward rules on how to deal with issues in these grey areas. Hieke Huistra will discuss several examples of such issues with you, as well as some strategies on how to handle them.
12:15 - 12:45 Intercultural Awareness and social safety
We finish the morning with dr. Rena Zendedel, who will lead an interactive session on intercultural awareness and what is necessary to create a safe social climate.
Over lunch, you will get to know your fellow students and your programme coordinator(s).
After lunch, from 14:00, your programme coordinator(s) will spend the afternoon introducing you to your study programme.
Locations per programme:
- Artificial Intelligence: Buys Ballot Building – Room 214
- Business Informatics: Buys Ballot Building- Room 223
- Climate Physics: Minnaert Building- Room 0.11
- Computing Science: Buys Ballot Building- Room 106
- Experimental Physics: Minnaert Building- Room 0.14
- Game and Media Technology: Buys Ballot Building– Room 219
- Human Computer Interaction: Buys Ballot Building- Room 112
- Mathematical Sciences: Buys Ballot Building- Room 020
- Nanomaterials Science: Buys Ballot Building- Room 017
- Theoretical Physics: Minnaert Building- Room 0.09
On Tuesday, you can join one of the information sessions about our profiles and honours programme. The information below provides some information about each session. You can also find more information about Profiles and honours on the student website and in the Welcome Booklet.
- Honours programme Qbio: Buys Ballot Building – Room 017 (Hybrid: Teams link)
- Information sessions profile Applied Data Science: Online (Teams link)
- Information sessions profile Communication: Buys Ballot Building – Room 106 (Hybrid: Teams link)
- Information sessions profile Complex Systems: Buys Ballot Building – Room 109
- Information sessions profile Educational: Buys Ballot Building – Room 112
- Information sessions profile Science-Based Entrepreneurship: Online (Teams link)
- Information sessions profile Da Vinci: Online (Teams link)
Note: please check on students.uu.nl > your programme > Academics > Profiles which profiles you can choose from for your programme.
The Applied Data Science profile extends master students’ knowledge to address the challenges for decision making, planning, and knowledge discovery in large collections of diverse data. Within this profile you take a total of 30 ECs, including two compulsory courses in the areas of data science: Data analytics 1: Supervised learning and visualization (https://www.gerkovink.com/slv), and Data analytics 2: Battling the curse of dimensionality (https://uudav.nl/). For the other courses, you can choose elective courses offered by different faculties of Utrecht University. Finally, you can work on an interdisciplinary research project in your domain with the focus on applied data science. You can contact the coordinators of the Applied Data Science profile via the email address ads-profile@uu.nl for more information.
For more information about this profile, please visit https://students.uu.nl/en/science/education/gsns-profiles or watch the video below
The Complex Systems Profile is an interdisciplinary profile for ambitious students from different Graduate Schools. In this research field societal issues, such as a financial crisis, a sudden epidemic or climate change are studied from a quantitative modelling perspective. Students will get an understanding of the various models used in the complexity field and the behaviour (i.e. transitions, predictability) of these models.
For more information about this profile, please visit https://students.uu.nl/en/science/education/gsns-profiles
Science is a constant source of innovation, whether it is finding a science-based product while working at a large company or performing research in an incubator. The profile Science-based Entrepreneurship offers you the possibility to test your entrepreneurship gene by learning and working on scientific innovation in your field of study.
For more information about this profile, please visit https://students.uu.nl/en/science/education/gsns-profiles
These days researchers are increasingly called upon to engage with society, to share their results with a great variety of groups and to talk about work-related matters with citizens and interested parties. The Communication profile offers students the opportunity to focus on science communication and informal science education within the context of their own science research Master’s programme. Thus you will learn how to make all kinds of scientific knowledge accessible and useful for your target audiences.
For more information about this profile, please visit https://students.uu.nl/en/science/education/gsns-profiles or watch the video about the Communication Profile below.
Whatever your career is going to look like, presenting and working with and within groups, is almost certainly going to be an important part of it. Maybe you actually want to become a teacher in secondary education. In that case, a formal teacher training is mandatory.
But even if you do not see yourself as a teacher (yet), imagine what 30 EC teacher training would do for your group and presentation skills! The Educational Profile will give you this unique feature on your CV - and it will result in a formal degree in teaching as well.
For more information about this profile, please visit https://students.uu.nl/en/science/education/gsns-profiles
Modern Life Sciences research, faces the challenge to make biology a quantitative natural science. Therefore we have to integrate different scientific disciplines and foster collaborative projects between biologists, chemists, physicists, computer scientists and mathematicians.
The QBio Honours Programme is an educational programme for students in biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science, with a genuine interest in this interdisciplinary field. The aim of the programme is to train the next generation of scientists in Quantitative Biology.
For more information, please visit: https://tbb.bio.uu.nl/qbio/honours.html or watch the video about the QBio Honours Programme below.
The Da Vinci Program offers an immersive learning experience with the aim of educating a new generation of changemakers, connectors, and innovators. You will collaborate with private and public partners, such as the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam, AkzoNobel and Province of Utrecht on real-life sustainability challenges. A few days a week you will work in an interdisciplinary team of students from Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research and Utrecht University on the challenge at the partner’s site. The Da Vinci Program is a new track. It will start in September, it takes one academic year and has a study load of 20 hrs a week. You will apply systems thinking and design thinking as a methodology for complex problem-solving and to develop feasible, viable, desirable and - of course - sustainable solutions. You will be trained in future skills such as complex problem-solving, Creative and critical thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. Next to the challenge and trainings, coaching for personal development and field trips are part of the program. And Da Vinci also offers jams with the whole Da Vinci community to optimize peer learning and you will partake in a squad to co-create the program.
*Note: Not all programmes will host a second session, or they might start later. Make sure to check with your programme coordinator on the first day.
Locations per programme:
- Artificial Intelligence: Buys Ballot Building– Room 214
- Business Informatics: Buys Ballot Building- Room 201
- Climate Physics: Minnaert Building- Room 0.11
- Computing Science: NO SESSION!
- Experimental Physics: Buys Ballot Building- Room 109
- Game and Media Technology: Buys Ballot Building– Room 209
- Human Computer Interaction: Buys Ballot Building- Room 112
- Mathematical Sciences: NO SESSION!
- Nanomaterials Science: Buys Ballot Building- Room 017
- Theoretical Physics: Minnaert Building- Room 0.09
Between 12:30 and 13:30 you can pick up a lunch package in Buys Ballot Building – 020!
After the lunch break, you will follow two workshops/interactive lectures:
13:30–15:00 Workshops Round 1
15:00–15:30 Break
15:30–17:00 Workshops Round 2
More information about the workshops you can find below under 'Choose your workshops'. You will receive a separate email with instructions on how to sign up for the workshops.
We will close off the introduction days with drinks organized by the study associations at De Vagant!
Choose your workshops
What does it mean when something is lekker or leuk? And will you manage to pronounce gezellig, the word that is at the heart of Dutch culture?
In this interactive workshop, volunteers of ESN Utrecht will introduce you to the basics of the Dutch language. Familiarize yourself with phrases used on a day-to-day basis and learn some essential vocabulary such as numbers and greetings. With your fellow students, you will practice the basics and get ready for your first conversation in Dutch.
Every semester ESN offers a basic level course of Dutch for your daily life. Next to that, an advanced course is available to build on prior knowledge you might already have. Take this opportunity to give Dutch a try!
Round 2: Buys Ballot Building– Room 020
Do you consider going abroad as part of your Master’s study? The earlier you start the better it is! In this workshop the International Officer of the Faculty of Science will give you an overview of the possibilities and explain what planning and administration is necessary to organize your stay abroad.
Also there is ample time to ask your questions. (Note however that programme related questions can only be answered by your programme coordinator.)
Round 1&2: Buys Ballot Building– Room 209
Studying, socializing, working, doing sports… There’s so much to do, in so little time. What do you do, when you feel overwhelmed? The experience of stress is a familiar problem for a lot of students. The coping strategy someone choses, is not always a conscious choice.
In this workshop, together with study advisor Yo-Yi Pat, students will explore different aspects of stress. Also several coping strategies are discussed. The aim is to become aware of one’s preferred coping strategy and find out what other strategies may be useful.
Students are given an active role in the workshop. We hope to learn with each other and also from each other. After this workshop, you are one step closer to handling stress like a pro!
Round 1&2: Buys Ballot Building– Room 109
LaTeX is a code language for typesetting documents, for example your thesis, scientific paper, or hand-in. It produces professional looking documents and typesets mathematical expressions well, making it the standard (and often requirement) for academic documents.
This workshop requires no prior knowledge of LaTeX and will help you through the rough start which new users of LaTeX experience. We show you how to correctly format text and how to include mathematical expressions, tables and images.
For this workshop we will use Overleaf. You can create a free account on Overleaf.com. Please bring a laptop since the workshop will include excercises.
This workshop is organised by the TeXniCie committee of study association A-Eskwadraat. We facilitate LaTeX use for exact science studies, mainly by organizing extracurricular courses. More information about this workshop and others can be found on our website texnicie.nl
Round 1 & 2: Buys Ballot Building- Room 201
Since your Master’s programme is the next step in the run-up to your career, this is a good moment to start or get serious about your LinkedIn profile.
During this workshop you will get to work on your own profile and receive feedback on it. Colleagues from Career Services will teach you how to build a strong profile and how to expand your network. The sooner you start working on this, the easier it will be to use LinkedIn when searching for a job after your Master’s programme. So make sure you have a LinkedIn profile, to get started right away!
Round 1: Buys Ballot Building– Room 017
A day planner brimming with tasks and responsibilities: how familiar does that sound? How do you ensure that your efforts are effectively and efficiently directed while at the same maintaining your well-being under the onslaught?
In this workshop, you’ll explore a number of models and insights from the field of time management. These will help you organise and prioritise your tasks. We will distinguish between urgent and important tasks and practice the ‘Getting Things Done’ method. We will also examine which style of working is best for you, so that you may enjoy all of its benefits and will be able to avoid (many of) the pitfalls.
This interactive training will help you work with a purpose and reduce your stress levels into the bargain. Conscious and effective!
Round 1: Buys Ballot Building– Room 106
In this session, you will meet the different study associations we have to offer. Every association makes sure there are fun and relaxing activities for you to enjoy every week. These activities can be anything from just having a drink to a full gala and everything in between. Make sure to meet us at the game activity to see for yourself!
Round 1&2: Buys Ballot Building- Room 219
- Log in to Osiris Student (you can switch to English via EN in the top right corner). Your login is your student number, your password is your Solis password.
- Choose Enroll from the options in the yellow bars at the top, then choose Course.
- ! IMPORTANT ! On the left side, open the filter for Starting period, then choose ‘Semester II’.
- In the search bar, enter GSNS-R1.
- In Select group preference, give your first, second and third choice for this round and then confirm your registration. The group numbers correspond to the following workshops:
GSNS-R1 |
|
Group 1 | |
Group 2 | LaTeX - Beginner |
Group 3 | Going Abroad |
Group 4 | Working consciously and effectively |
Group 5 | Handling stress like a pro |
Group 6 | Games with the associations |
Note: If you get an error, this means your preferred workshops are already full. In this case, please select other workshops.
6. In the bottom of your window you will see a notification (‘Course enrollment successful’) once you have registered successfully. You will also receive an automatically generated email in your University email account.
7. Check which workshop you are assigned to by going to the Enroll section and then to Show my enrollments at the bottom of the page. When you click on the course, you can see which workshop (‘’group’’) you have been assigned to.
8. Repeat steps 2-7 for the workshops in the second round. Make sure to set the filter to ‘’Semester II” again, then enter GSNS-R2 in the search bar. For round two, the group numbers correspond to the following workshops:
GSNS-R2 |
|
Group 1 | Dutch 101 |
Group 2 | LaTeX – Beginner |
Group 3 | Going Abroad |
Group 4 | Handling stress like a pro |
Group 5 | Games with the associations |
Note that if you indicate the same preferences in round 1 and 2, you might be assigned to the same workshop twice. If you want to be assigned to a different workshop, you can de-register and then register again using steps 2-7.
If you are still experiencing problems with your registration after checking the manual, contact us at intro-gsns@uu.nl. Please include screenshots so we can get a better idea of the problem you are experiencing.
Practical information
International students will also receive an invitation for the Warm Welcome week (3 & 4 February 2023). You will be informed about these activities separately.
Any questions?
- If you have any questions concerning your application procedure, documents etc. please check our FAQ webpage.
- If the FAQ webpage doesn’t include your question, contact the Student Desk. International students should contact International Student Admissions with questions about documents.
- If you have any questions concerning the programme, please contact your programme coordinator.
- For any questions regarding the master’s introduction, please contact intro-gsns@uu.nl
- In all correspondence with Utrecht University, please include your student number <######>.