Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Projects at UT

Project Details

• UT Project Coordinators: Dr. Arturo Susarrey Arce & Karin Paardenkooper
• Partner institution: Tecnológico de Monterrey
• Type of mobility: Student mobility for traineeships; Staff mobility for teaching & training
• Project duration: 2020-2023
• Subject areas: Engineering and engineering trades; Medical diagnostic and treatment technology
• Budget: 27.946,-

Project Summary

Since 2006, multiple inter-institutional agreements with Tecnológico de Monterrey (TEC) in Mexico have led to 30 successful undergraduate student exchange places per year. This project incentivised TEC graduate students and staff members to select UT as an exchange destination and vice versa.

The institutions selected three particular areas together: at TEC, Nanophotonics & Metamaterials (Faculty of Science & Engineering, TEC Graduate School) and at UT, Optical Sciences and Mesoscale Chemical Systems (Faculty of Science & Technology). Special emphasis in cooperation is placed on detection systems applicable to healthcare.

After the UT started innovative education (the Twente Educational Model) in 2011, TEC used this as a guideline for the establishment of Education TEC21, which is specifically challenge-based learning.

In 2016, the UT Executive Board established seven focus countries for more intensive cooperation, including Mexico. The UT Country Coordinator for Mexico, Karin Paardenkooper, started discussions about the possible implementation of graduate level cooperation with TEC in 2018, which led to a visit of a TEC delegation to UT in March 2019. UT and TEC are now working together to implement two programmes, one at the master level and another one at the PhD level.

Within the 2020-2023 project, the number of mobilities realised has exceeded the plan. We were able to carry out 5 more staff mobilities within the project funds and prolong the envisaged student mobility, benefitting the ongoing fruitful cooperation of the two programmes.

Project Impact

Institutional level:

The long term vision is to complete the double degree programme at PhD level between UT and TEC, and the integration of a joint master's degree between UT and TEC. In addition, the vision includes the implementation of collaborative online international learning (COIL) between UT and TEC.

Participant level:

The project creates an international nanotechnology hub where students can learn and interact worldwide. New professionals (masters and PhD) are expected to contribute to the private and public sectors. This in turn will benefit the field of health and nanotechnology, particularly in developing countries.

The broad impact of the project is to increase internationalisation and cooperation between universities on various levels.

Publications 

• UT Faculty S&T news: S&T strengthens international co-operation in healthcare with Erasmus+ KA107 programme
• UT news: Tecnológico de Monterrey and University of Twente mark 25 year collaboration, 15 November 2023
• Tracks Mazagine: Embassy of Mexico in the Netherlands, no 6, February 2023 
• Seminar presentation at TEC: Photoelectrochemical silicon microdevices for water splitting, Hans Gardeniers, 25 October 2022 
• LinkedIn posts: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mexico, Vice Rectory for International Affairs, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias

Other documents

• UT delegation to TEC in October 2022
• Nanotechnology Accelerated Master Programme Overview 

Project Details

• UT Project Coordinator: Dr. Alexander Golubov
• Partner institution: Technical University of Moldova
• Type of mobility: Student mobility for traineeships; Staff mobility for teaching & training
• Project duration: 2020-2023
• Subject areas: Physics; Physical sciences 
• Budget: 37.935,-

Project Summary

Strengthening a long-term scientific collaboration between Technical University of Moldova (TUM), Chisinau and UT.

Project Impact

Institutional level:

Boosting excellence in the modern areas of microelectronics, especially in spintronics and nanoelectronics. TUM modernised their educational model in the novel courses “Cryoelectronics” and “Functional nanostructures for Micro/Nanoelectronics” based on the UT’s educational model.

Participant level:

- staff scholarships for teaching (outbound)

- staff scholarships for training (inbound)

Several staff members of TUM received training at UT laboratories. UT staff gave lecture courses at TUM.

Publications

• Physical Review B article: Crossover between short- And long-range proximity effects in superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor junctions with Ni-based ferromagnets (Kapran, O.M., Golod, T., Iovan, A., Golubov, A.A., Krasnov, V.M.) Physical Review B, 2021, 103(9), 094509; DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.094509
• Report: Results of the staff exchange visit of the University of Twente, the Netherlands, in frame of the project Erasmus+ KA107 
• Major news feature: 12th International Conference on Intrinsic Effects and Horizons of Superconducting Spintronics, 22-25 September 2021 in Chișinău, Moldova, the interview given by Prof. A. Sidorenko, published in the newspaper Moldavskie Vedomosty (Moldovan News).
• Report: 12th International Conference on Intrinsic Effects and Horizons of Superconducting Spintronics, 22- 25 September 2021, Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology (IF-3,65), published 2022. 

International schools

• International summer school at UT, 2-3 October 2020: “Hybrid Structures for Spintronics and Qubits.” The event attracted a total of 32 participants. View the video.
• International winter school at UT, 10-12 February 2022: ''Functional nanostructures – modelling, design,  characterization.” The research focus was on modelling, design, characterization of functional nanostructures. View the video from the TV program “Stiinta si Inovare.''

Joint conference talks

• Invited talk: “Functional Nanostructures Superconductor/Ferromagnet for Superconducting Spintronics”. A. Sidorenko, A.A. Golubov, V.M. Krasnov, A. Wixforth, H. Hahn, Y. Savva, L. Tagirov, M. Kupriyanov. 30th World Nano Conference – Invention and Innovation of New Concepts in the Field of Nanotechnology, 20-21 May 2020, Zürich (CH).
• Invite talk (online): “Crossover in superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor junctions with Ni based ferromagnets”. A. S. Sidorenko, O. M. Kapran, T. Golod, A. Iovan, V. Boian, Yu. B. Savva, A. A. Golubov, and V. M. Krasnov. Proceedings of 3rd Virtual Congress on MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, SEP 27 - OCT 01, 2021, p.34.

Training workshops, seminars and visits

• Five training workshops/seminars were held in 2021: three in Chișinău, Moldova on 22 March 2021, 19 April 2021 and 7-9 Sept 2021 plus two in Twente, Netherlands, from 12-13 July 2021 and 10-13 November 2021.
• Visit of the Magnetometry Lab at UT: 13 July 2021. Participants learned methods of magnetic properties of nano-layered structures investigation in the high-sensitive SQUID-microscope and did measurements of magnetic state of spintronic nanostructures Nb/Co, assisted by Prof. Alexander Golubov using the SQUID-microscope installation.
• Visit of the "BRAINS Centre for Brain-Inspired Nano Systems”, 13 July 2021: The Director of the BRAINS Centre, Prof. Wilfred van der Wiel, gave a lecture on the design and capacity of the brain-like circuits, elaborated in the Centre. Participants also
  have the chance to learn about methods of low-temperature experiments in the BRAINS Centre, elaborated there for investigation of the brain-like circuits.
• Training workshop at IEEN on 24-25 February 2022, Moldova: During a two day training workshop ”Artificial Synapses for Spintronics” 24-25 February 2022 participants gained knowledge in the newest direction of Spintronics – artificial neurons and artificial synapses, their design and engineering.
• 12th International Conference on Intrinsic Effects and Horizons of Superconducting Spintronics, 22- 25 September 2021 in Chișinău, Moldova. Organised by project partners, the aim was to bring together leading experts from 16 countries: Japan, USA, Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, UK, Spain, China, South Korea to share their expertise and experience in developing of new ideas and principles, novel technologies and their implementations on frontiers of superconducting electronics and spintronics.

Project Details

• UT Project Coordinators: Dr. Alberto Martinetti, Dr. ir. Peter Chemweno
• Partner institution: University of Dar es Salaam
• Type of mobility: Student mobility for studies; Staff mobility for teaching
• Project duration: 2020-2023
• Subject areas: Engineering and engineering trades
• Budget: 28.291,-

Project Details

• UT Project Coordinator: Tom Hartman
• Partner institution: Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies
• Type of mobility: Student mobility for traineeships; Staff mobility for teaching
• Project duration: 2020 - 2023
• Subject areas: Engineering and engineering trades; Electronics and automation; Information and Communication Technologies
• Budget: 57.672,-

Project Details

• UT Project Coordinator: Tom Hartman
• UT Country Coordinator Indonesia: Lyande Eelderink
• Partner institution: Bandung Institute of Technology
• Type of mobility: Student mobility for traineeships; Staff mobility for teaching  
• Project duration: 2022 - 2025
• Subject areas: Engineering and engineering trades; Electronics and automation; Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
• Budget: 65.344,-

Project Summary

The mobility project has successfully funded Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) students coming to UT in 2021, resulting in two published articles. The students showed a strong improvement in analytical skills and self-esteem, which will help them to succeed in the future. Staff from UT also had the opportunity to have fruitful discussions with institutions in Indonesia, through a workshop in June 2022. In July 2022, the staff from ITB had the chance to participate in the IEEE EMC distinguished lecture and knowledge sharing at UT while also visiting one of the biggest industries in our field.

Project Impact

Institutional level: Sustainable cooperation with ITB and beyond emphasises the importance of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) in education and research. This cooperation should involve other universities, industry players, and government bodies, where knowledge sharing and research dissemination can be facilitated.

Participant level: Through the project cooperation, students and staff should be able to easily gain valuable insights from relevant stakeholders to support their studies and enhance the research output. This will also open more opportunities for internships and joint research.

Publications

• ANRGI website: find out more about the project, as well as the participating members and partners.  
• Two research articles were published in 2021 Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility (APEMC) and 2022 IEEE International Conference in Power Engineering Application (ICPEA).
• Two day workshop on “Sustainability and Scalability of Remote Microgrids through the Improvement of Power Quality”, attended by more than 100 participants from around 20 organisations. Ideas were discussed and aspirations for joint research were instigated.

Testimonial 

“We see the E+ support as a very good stimulation for collaboration, which will enable us to send people to the University of Twente and invite people to Institut Teknologi Bandung to give workshops and lectures, and follow courses, to organize a prestigious conference, and to submit joint project proposals. E+ creates thus a boost in educational alliance and joint research.” – Dr. Deny Hamdani, ITB

Project Details

• UT Project Coordinator: Dr. Estefanía Talavera Martínez
• Partner institutions: Busitema University, Makerere University
• Type of mobility: Student mobility; Staff mobility
• Project duration: 2022 - 2025
• Subject areas: Computer Forensics; Computer Science
• Budget: 75.848,-

Project Summary

The agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa faces multiple challenges. Crop diseases are one of the main causes of food insecurity for more than 70% of the population who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. The aim of the collaboration between UT and the Universities of Busitema and Makerere, Uganda is to equip students with the knowledge to develop algorithms and build low-cost diagnostic tools for the early detection of crop diseases, the end users of which are smallholder farmers. We expect that the success of this project will lead to a large trial to validate the applicability of these technologies and their use to alleviate the problem of food security in sub-Saharan Africa.