To many people, quantum technology still seems like science fiction or what we will only encounter in the distant future. But in his inaugural lecture at the University of Twente, Pepijn Pinkse talks about quantum technology that already exists now and about future ones that threaten our encryption methods. This is why he argues to prepare ourselves now: “The best moment to get quantum security in place was three years ago. The second best moment is now.”

During the annual award ceremony of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences (KHMW), eight students from the University of Twente (UT) were awarded. On the celebratory day at the monumental Hodshon house in Haarlem, one UT master’s student received a thesis prize. Seven first-year students from Twente received encouragement awards.

It is traditionally an exciting moment for universities: the announcement of the results in the Keuzegids Universiteiten. This study guide, which is an important source of information for prospective students, ranks the performance of various programmes at Dutch universities. In the latest edition, published today, four UT programmes can call themselves Top-rated programme: Technology, Liberal Arts and Sciences (ATLAS), Applied Physics, Chemical Science & Engineering and Creative Technology. Of all Dutch universities, UT scores fourth place.

In this week’s issue of Resilience Reflections, Vinod Subramaniam, UT’s President of the Executive Board, reminds us of what it takes to be a truly inclusive and resilient institution. 

Marieke Huisman, professor in Software Reliability and head of the FMT (Formal Methods and Tools) Group and chair of the Computer Science department at the Faculty of EEMCS, is one of two recipients of the 2023 Athena Awards.

Much of the sand needed for coastal replenishment, land reclamation and construction is extracted from sandbanks in the sea. However, sand reserves in the North Sea around Belgium and Zeeland are depleting. Moreover, sea sand extraction threatens the stability of sandbanks and their associated ecology. The University of Twente’s BANX project is developing computer models and data analysis techniques to improve the detection and understanding of the consequences of large-scale sand extraction in areas with sand scarcity. Sand scarcity is an emerging crisis on a global scale. BANX contributes to making marine sand extraction more sustainable.

A team of researchers and teachers from the University of Twente developed a novel teaching method that uses conceptual modelling to facilitate learning and foster creativity in classrooms of Chemical Science & Engineering students. The students tackled real-world problems related to sustainability.

The University of Twente works hard to make its operations more sustainable. At many locations on the campus, you can find places where we use smart solutions to save energy, promote biodiversity or save water. However, these measures are often not very visible. To give them the attention they deserve and to introduce the UT community to our sustainable campus, a new walking route with information boards was created: the Sustainability Walk.

The European Research Council honoured the applications of three UT researchers for an ERC Consolidator Grant. The funding will support excellent scientists and scholars at the career stage where they may still be consolidating their own independent research teams to pursue their most promising scientific ideas. The grants go to Johannes Schmidt-Hieber (EEMCS), Massimo Sartori (ET) and Richard Stevens (TNW). A total of 308 consolidator grants have been awarded in Europe with a total value of € 627 million.

In this week’s issue of Resilience Reflections, Devrim Yazan describes how the transition to a circular economy not only reduces vulnerability to disruptions in our supply chains but also reduces dependence on virgin raw materials and promotes financial stability.

The professional sector has a pressing need for systems engineers. However, it is widely understood that in order to become a systems engineer, a person needs multiple years of experience in the industry in question. The profession also requires a number of competencies such as the ability to overcome insecurity and being able to communicate with various types of people, including techies, marketeers, project managers and others. As a result, the industry is increasingly struggling to find systems engineers. Professor Bonnema (Faculty Of Engineering Technology) is advocating for higher ‘production’ within this discipline. On 23 November 2023, Professor Bonnema will be giving his inaugural lecture. 

Polyphosphoesters, molecules containing phosphorus as central element, are easily traceable without the need for contrast agents, thanks to developments by researchers of the University of Twente. Normally, these molecules display a similar molecular composition of our DNA, leading to considerable ‘noise’ in the image. The UT researchers provided a solution and developed unique polymers which are traceable with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dr. Olga Koshkina, Project Leader in the Sustainable Polymer Chemistry Group, published about this new concept of traceable polymers in the renowned journal Nature Communications.

She receives the award for her research on the use of innovative imaging in pelvic floor problems such as prolapse. Twelve young researchers from all fields of science will receive a KNAW Early Career Award. The award goes to early career researchers with innovative original ideas. The annual award consists of a sum of 15,000 euros and a work of art for each of the laureates.

Saxion, UT and ROC van Twente join forces on sustainability. For the fourth time, the three educational institutions jointly organise Sustainability Week for their students and staff from 27 November to 1 December 2023. A week full of activities, inspiration sessions and workshops.

How do changes in biodiversity and climate affect each other in Dutch landscapes? That question is at the heart of the COMBINED project that NWO awarded today. “In addition, we do not know exactly what the effect of existing management measures is or what barriers stand in the way of implementing successful measures,” says project leader Wieteke Willemen of the University of Twente. COMBINED aims to change this over the next six years.