"Research honours programme has been one of amazing things I have ever participated in. I would say its complete development package focusing on multitude of dimensions. The content is so diverse from scientific integrity to personal effectiveness, science communication, writing sessions, creativity workshops and personal pursuit all add a distinct flavor to program. From kick-off till final diner, I enjoyed every moment with my amazing group." - Tamoor Mughal
"I am Alejandro Moya Esteban, currently a PhD candidate working on EMG-driven control of exoskeletons for industry workers. I joined the Research honors while a was MSc student in Biomedical Engineering. Specifically, I followed the program while I was working on my MSc thesis. Initially, I decided to join the program in order to gain a better insight on what research in a more professional level is. Actually, following the program is what encouraged me to start my career in research. The program involves attending different courses and workshops, from which you will learn many research-related topics. Apart from all the knowledge I achieved from these courses, the RH program was extremely useful for my MSc thesis. In several stages of the thesis, I could apply all the acquired knowledge to my final project. I got extremely useful feedback on MSc thesis-related such as scientific writing, data and time management. From my point of view, the RH can help you to make up your mind in case you are considering a career in research and, if not, it still can be useful in the final stage of your MSc studies." - Alejandro Moya Esteban
"I studied Biomedical Engineering at the UT and I’m currently a PhD candidate in the Biomechanical Engineering department. When I joined the Research Honours program I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to pursue a doctoral degree. Thanks to the Research Honours program, I had the chance to discover science from different perspectives: from ethical implications of research and technology to how to obtain our own funding. It was also a great opportunity to meet people from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. The Research Honours program, in combination with the Master thesis, helped me to decide that I want to pursue a career in academy. Lastly, now that I have decided to stay at the University, I am also happy that I already have 15 ECs of my doctoral education." - Pablo Cop
"I am a PhD candidate in the Ethics & Philosophy of Technology section at TU Delft. My research is a part of the larger ERC Advanced Grant project "Design for changing values in socio-technical systems." The focus of my research line is on changing values in the institutional design of community energy systems.
My story in the Netherlands began in 2016 when I came to the University of Twente to obtain a master's degree in Philosophy of Technology. As an international student who was dreaming of a research career, by the end of my first year, I realized that I knew nothing about how Dutch academia works. Subsequently, this triggered some worries and doubts about how and where I could use the degree I was obtaining at that time. At the beginning of my second year, I heard from other students that there is the Research Honors Program (RHP) that is designed to prepare students for an academic career. During the RHP, I received answers to all questions that were unclear to me. More to that, I learned about important theoretical and practical aspects of a research career and made some good friends. With every workshop and class, I was getting the grasp of how much the role of the researcher in the contemporary world is multi-faced. Acquiring knowledge about the administrative, research, managerial, teaching, and public aspects of the research career were empowering for me.
For instance, in the number of RHP workshops, I learned about the different components of an academic career that are additional to the actual research. Approaching grant applications, benefiting from the digital databases like Scopus and Web of Science, learning how to manage sensitive data and how to manage and structure PhD project are just some of the things to mention. Writing skills workshops were beneficial for practising to set up a PhD proposal and journal articles with a particular emphasis on how publishing practice works. In the other RHP course, I found out about the nuances of communication and acquired knowledge about empirical methodologies that are suitable for discourse analysis. Further, during JA@UT, I spent some time with a prominent researcher from the University of Twente, discovering what the life of a successful researcher is. Based on several activities we had together, I grasped valuable insights about work-life balance, dedication, motivation, diligence, and inspiration.
All these insights contributed to my successful PhD application process. Right after my graduating from the University of Twente, I was accepted to PhD at TU Delft and had no issues with planning and setting up my PhD from the very first day. I am very grateful to the RHP that played a decisive role in my career development." - Anna Melnyk