Opening of Twente Academy Leerlingenlab

New UT laboratory aimed at secondary school students

17 January 2011

On 20 January, the University of Twente will officially open the doors to its new Twente Academy Leerlingenlab. Secondary school students will come to the laboratory for practical lessons in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, General Science and Nature, Life & Technology. The lab has the type of high-quality facilities that most secondary schools are unable to provide, enabling students to conduct experiments that are not possible at school. Furthermore, a visit to the laboratory will give them an idea of the work carried out at a university.

The new laboratory measures 130 square metres, has six fume cupboards, all the facilities one would expect in a modern laboratory and is equipped with professional research instruments such as a mass spectrometer, gas chromatograph, infra-red spectrophotometer and gel electrophoresis apparatus. This will enable students to conduct experiments that are not possible in most schools, making Twente Academy Leerlingenlab an extension of the laboratories in their own schools.
Alongside the usual practical lessons belonging to the school curriculum, students will also be able to visit the lab in small groups to work on their final school project.
The new laboratory is primarily aimed at students in years 4, 5 and 6 of pre-university education [vwo], but students in senior general secondary education [havo] and years 2 and 3 of pre-university education are also welcome.
The lab is keen to support cooperation between researchers from the University of Twente and teachers and technical teaching assistants. This could include activities in the field of Teaching Development Teams for the professionalization and exchange of scientific developments.

TWENTS MEESTERSCHAP

The official opening of the Twente Academy Leerlingenlab will be held at the start of the Twents Meesterschap conference. Rector Magnificus Ed Brinksma from the University of Twente will present Gerard van der Steenhoven, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, with the symbolic key to the lab. Various workshops have been organized in the laboratory during the conference.
Part of the funding for the laboratory came from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science's Sector Plan for Physics and Chemistry [Sectorplan Natuurkunde Scheikunde]. The Twente Academy Leerlingenlab is located on the fourth floor of the new Carré building on the University of Twente campus.