Mandatory Introduction GSNS

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.

As a (new) student you will receive a lot of information, and it can be challenging to find a balance between studying, enjoying student life and maybe a part-time job, board year or internship. In the workshop 'A Guide To Balancing Study and Life’ we will get to work on this. We will consider the questions: How can you study more effectively? How do you make sure you don't go beyond your limits? How do you keep your energy level up?

Our UU student wellbeing trainer Melissa Wolleswinkel will give you practical tips that you can apply as soon as you’ve walked out of this workshop’s door. The workshop consists out of elements from more elaborate student wellbeing workshops, like 'Working Consciously and Effective' and 'Energy Management'.

Do you want to know more about stress specifically, and how to handle it? Then take a look at the training 'Handling stress like a pro' within this introduction programme.

In this workshop, we will discuss some tips to set up your code, in order to maximise engagement with a global community, using oceanparcels.org as an example.

OceanParcels - a Lagrangian Ocean Analysis toolbox. The OceanParcels project is a set of Python classes and methods to create customisable particle tracking simulations using output from Ocean Circulation models.

How do you stay more clear-headed, remain calm and focused and keep a sense of relaxation while under pressure?

In this workshop, you will explore how the connection between mind and body can help you do just that. Through (diad) exercises you will get insights into your own unique reaction patterns to stressors. You will learn basic tools inspired by the Japanese martial art aikido to connect body and mind and open your perspective to handle stress in a more effective way. Connecting body to mind will help you to stay connected to yourself and feel more confident while being under pressure.

Considering a PhD after your Master’s? A PhD can be a good start for a career in research, both in academics and in business. In this workshop, PhD students from all our fields share their experiences in response to your questions.

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!

When you get started on a scientific project, understanding the state of the field is the first step. That means reading scientific literature, finding data and other sources, and storing these references in a way that will help you keep track of them easily. A good reference manager also is the basis for easy citation later on, when you will need to write a thesis that places your research in context, and cite your sources.

In this workshop, colleagues from the UU Library will guide you through this process: where do you find literature and data? How do you manage references? And how do you cite them correctly when writing a scientific paper or thesis? Join this workshop, and they will help you hit the road running!

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 question can only be answered by your programme coordinator.)

From deforestation to bee mortality: we regularly hear alarming noises about the decline in biodiversity. But what exactly is biodiversity and why is it so important to preserve? During the biodiversity crash course by the Green Office you will be guided through the basics of biodiversity. After the workshop, you’ll know how to become involved in the protection, conservation and promotion of biodiversity. During your studies or work, but also in everyday life.

What will you learn during the crash course?

We’ll cover four topics:  

• What is biodiversity and what is the crisis all about?
• What is the UU doing to protect biodiversity?
• What can you do as a UU’er to protect biodiversity? 
• What can you do in your everyday life to protect biodiversity?

The biodiversity talk goes beyond a normal lecture. We aim to create an environment where everyone can voice their opinions, ask questions, connect with each other and become engaged by actively learning.

Many of us spend a lot of time reducing our ecological footprint in our daily lives. Unfortunately we only see the tip of the iceberg; the direct emissions of greenhouse gases. However, there are also many other factors that play a role in your ecological footprint, without you realizing it. During the Hidden Impact workshop you will find out what impact you unconsciously have, and tips on what you can do about it!

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!

Would you like to present your research project with more confidence and connect more easily with your audience? Then join our lecture Engaging presentations! In this interactive lecture we will take you through the steps of how to improve your presentation skills for academic purposes. And you will learn how to share your knowledge and findings in an engaging way!

Research Data Management (RDM) helps you to keep control over your data during your research and will save you time and stress!

This workshop covers all aspects of research data management: FAIR data, data collection, data documentation, data storage, data security, data selection, and data availability for reuse. Whether you produce terabytes of new data per week, or just dive into an existing dataset, preparing yourself helps a lot. This workshop will be given by one of the RDM consultants from RDM Support.

LaTeX is a code language for typesetting documents, for example your thesis, scientific paper, or just 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.

You need to have installed the necessary applications before the workshop. Alternatively, you can create an account on the commercial website overleaf.com. All information around the workshop (including installation instructions), can be found on our website a-eskwadraat.nl/latex.

This workshop is organized by the TeXniCie committee of the study association A-Eskwadraat. We facilitate LaTeX use for exact science studies, mainly by organizing courses.

Definitions of leadership are usually about influencing others to achieve certain goals. Isn't it actually crazy, then, that we often focus on that leader and rarely on those "others" or determining those "certain goals"?

A different view of what leadership is, is all the more important in a practice increasingly characterized by VUCA issues. These are issues that are Volatile, or that change abruptly, think crypto. Which are Uncertain, where cause and effect no longer neatly align. That are Complex because they consist of many parts that influence each other. Ambiguous, so that we no longer have a clear idea of what things mean because there are multiple meanings that also change. In such a VUCA environment, the rules of the game are different and we may also need to rethink our understanding of what leadership is.

This is exactly what we will address in this workshop: what does leadership look like in the VUCA world you will soon be working in?

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!

Whether your stay in the Netherlands will be short or long-term, there are important things you might want to learn and be aware of. At the beginning of your Dutch experience you need to learn the practical basics, for example, how to find housing and where to buy books, means of travel to your university or within the country, how to set up your Dutch bank account and other useful sources of information. More related to your studies, you need to learn the standards and requirements of being a student at the university – the Dutch education and grading system, methods of studying, student associations and support groups. Another important aspect that would help you to enjoy your study life in the Netherlands is to get some understanding of the Dutch lifestyle and people, culture and habits and where to pick up the basics of the Dutch language. And as an international student and future graduate, it is useful to be aware of some specifics of finding a job in the Netherlands, while studying or as a future full-time employee.

During the workshop “Living and Working in the Netherlands as an international student” I would like to cover these aspects and encourage your awareness of such topics. I want to zoom in, where possible, in specific examples for different nationalities in the Netherlands. I will also tell you about my personal journey as an international student at Utrecht University and as a health-tech professional with over 10 years of working experience in the Netherlands.

We will keep this workshop open and interactive so I could answer as many of your questions as possible (I also want to encourage you to send your questions before our meeting, so it could be included in the workshop – a.v.pelkmans@uu.nl).

Open science is becoming more and more important – but what does it mean for your research project? What are ways in which you can make your research more open, and why would you do so?

In this workshop, we will discuss the why, what and how of open science and introduce you to a number of open science practices (including preregistration, sharing code and data, open access publishing, open peer review and more). We will also discuss the barriers and motivations you may encounter, and the support available at Utrecht University.

As a student or professional you might want to explore your entrepreneurial side, but don't know where to begin. In this workshop you will learn more about what is possible and how to get started as a student entrepreneur.

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!

Would you like to present your research project with more confidence and connect more easily with your audience? Then join our workshop Engaging Presentations! In this workshop, you’ll get some hands-on experience and practical tips. Our trainer will take you through the steps of how to improve your presentation skills for academic purposes while you can also work in small groups.

More information about this workshop will be posted later.