From August 2nd to 5th, 2016, nine students and recent alumni of the UT Master program Nanotechnology organized INASCON 2016,the 10th international nanoscience student conference.
INASCON was first organized by students of the University of Aarhus and University of Basel in 2007 and since then the objective has been to gather students interested in the wide field of nanoscience and nanotechnology from all over Europe with at least two years of study experience to offer a unique opportunity to network and promote the careers of young scientists, in contrast to usual conferences, which focus on established researchers and professors.
This year, for the first time, participants even came from outside Europe, e.g from the Domenican Republic and India, as well as prof. dr. dr. h.c. mult. Sir J. Fraser Stoddart from Northwestern University, United States. Besides Stoddart, who holds and honorary degree from the UT, the list of keynote speakers entailed distinguished and word-renowned scientists such as prof. dr. dr. h.c. Klaus Müllen (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz), the most cited German chemist, and prof. dr. Bert Meijer (TU Eindhoven).
The second day of the conference was spent at the campus of the University of Twente starting with lectures in the Waaier and tours through the MESA+ Nanolab. One of the highlights of INASCON 2016 was the poster session and network drink held in the Gallery of Kennispark Twente in the afternoon, opened with a talk on nanotechnology entrepreneurship by dr. Kees Eijkel, president of Kennispark Twente.
UT professors Gertjan Koster (Inorganic Materials Science) and Wilfred van der Wiel, as well as Floris Zwanenburg (both Nanoelectronics), gave invited lectures at INASCON 2016 and showed their laboratories to interested students. All participants enjoyed the energetic, international and warm atmosphere of the successful conference and look forward to next year’s edition in Bristol, UK.
Pictures of the event can be found here
