William van Drent is a system engineer at ASML, a manufacturer of microchip production equipment. He is responsible for the technical aspects of ensuring that these remarkable machines operate to the most exacting levels of precision. “The University of Twente gave me a solid foundation in electronics, optics, magnetism, IC technology, sensing, programming, mathematics and mechanics. I apply this knowledge in collaborative projects within ASML on a daily basis, projects that involve many disciplines. The extent to which I use what I learned at Twente in my job has far exceeded my expectations.
I have always been interested in anything you can plug into a socket. I come from Friesland and I really wanted to study at a university of technology, so my options were fairly limited. The University of Twente was the logical choice for me because I was able to move to a room on campus straight away. Everything I needed was there at one location: student facilities, sports and music. It was all so convenient.
For me, the challenge of Electrical Engineering lies in the fact that everything is constantly changing and improving. At ASML, we push the boundaries. Without Electrical Engineering, there would be no cars, airplanes, mobile phones, tablets, computers or TVs. I think that the analytical basis that Twente’s EE programme provides is a prerequisite for becoming a skilled engineer, whatever the field. Once you graduate, anything is possible.”