Name Karen May-Newman

Faculty/Rank Associate Professor and Chair

Department Mechanical Engineering

College Engineering

Office phone 619-594-5652

E mail address kmaynewm@mail.sdsu.edu

AND

Name Arlette R.C. Baljon

Faculty/Rank Associate Professor

Department Physics

College Sciences

Office phone 619-594-2051

E mail address abaljon@mail.sdsu.edu

Proposal title “Developing opportunities for SDSU engineering and physical sciences students at Dutch universities”

Country/ies visited the Netherlands

Institution visited University of Technology, Eindhoven (TU/e) and University of Technology, Delft (TU/Delft)

Dates of travel June-July 2005 (KMN), August-September (AB)

Number of student participants: 0 for planning (1-3 expected participants in upcoming year)

Previous IP proposals submitted and grants awarded
(list titles, countries and dates): none

Have all required reports been submitted? N/A

Other funding for this activity available/applied for: KMN has recently submitted an NSF research grant. Travis Depuy (UG) has obtained a travel grant from the College of Science to visit TU/e during Spring of 2004. AB has an NSF grant that provides student stipends, which can be used to pay students during foreign research internships.

Proposal Abstract (75 word maximum):

Karen May-Newman and Arlette Baljon strengthened collaborations with. Professors Frans van de Vosse and Thijs Michels/Alexey Lyulin, respectively, of the Eindhoven Technological University to develop collaborative research projects, which provide suitable topics for bioengineering and physics students from SDSU to perform a research internship abroad. Opportunities for a more traditional student exchange were explored primarily at the Delft University of Technology, which offers a wider array of coursework in English.

Travel report:

I. Opening/overview of intentions/activity

The major goal of this effort was to define feasible opportunities for engineering and physical sciences students to have an international experience in the Netherlands. Drs. May-Newman and Baljon have been hosting students from the bioengineering and polymer physics laboratories at the TU/e for over two years. However, during that time, just one student went to the TU/e to obtain an international research experience. Hence funding was requested to visit these laboratories to identify ways for SDSU students to pay reciprocal visit. Traditional (semester abroad) exchange opportunities were also investigated for The TU/e as well as the TU/Delft.

II. In preparation for the trip abroad
- Drs. Baljon and May-Newman planned their strategy and whether to overlap visits
- Dr. May-Newman secured invitations from Professor Frans van de Vosse of the TU/e as a visiting professor and Professor Fred van Keulen of TU/Delft to visit and give a seminar. Dr. Baljon arranged a meeting with Dr. Lyulin and Prof. Michels of the polymer physics group at the TU/e. Several other faculty members were contacted to arrange individual meetings.
- A concept-agreement for student and faculty exchanges between SDSU and TU/e was developed with the help of Dr. Sabbadini, coordinator for international affairs at the College of Science, and Robert Queen of the International Programs Office.
- The three technical universities of the Netherlands in Delft, Eindhoven and Twente are presently unifying so that an exchange agreement made with any one of the institutions will automatically extend to the others. These universities are among the finest technical schools in Europe (and combined the largest). They have an international reputation that rivals our finest technical universities in the US.
- A questionnaire was received from the International Programs Office. Meetings were scheduled at the TU/e with a Student Services professional as well as the professors and administrators of the Bioengineering and Polymer Science programs. Meetings with the TU/Delft were scheduled with the international program coordinator as well as professors in both Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering.

III. Upon arrival/specific activity
Contacts:
- Eindhoven: Professor Frans van de Vosse, Department of Biomedical Technology, Secretary Yvon Beimans. Dr. Alexei Lyulin, Dept. of Physics, TU Eindhoven; Secretary: Helmi v. Lieshout
- Delft: Professor Fred van Keulen, Microsystems f.vankeulen@wbmt.tudelft.nl , +31 152786515 and Dr. Dick Nijveldt, International exchange coordinator for Engineering, D.Nijveldt@WbMT.tudelft.nl . Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, the Netherlands. +31 152785921. Also made contact with Prof. J. Dankelman, 31 15 2785565, J.Dankelman@wbmt.tudelft.nl
Programs of Interest:
- Eindhoven: Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
- MS Biomedical Engineering (BME) [Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering]
- MS Medical Engineering (ME)
- Dept. of Physics and Dutch Polymer Institute
- MS Applied Physics

- Delft: Faculty (Dept.) of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials (3M) Engineering,
- MS in Biomedical Engineering (BME)
- MS in Mechanical Engineering with emphasis in Biomechanical Design (BMD)
- MS in Applied Physics
Exchange agreement: The concept agreement has been discussed with the contact persons. They will discuss it with the appropriate administrators in the coming months. We anticipate that it can be finalized during Dr. Baljon’s sabbatical stay (planned for Fall 2006)

IV. Conclusion, recommendation, and next step?

- Why is this particular institution valuable for SDSU?
The reputation of the TU/e in technical instruction ranks at a very high level, which could greatly benefit students from SDSU engineering and physical sciences. The graduate and some of the undergraduate courses are often in English. All research seminars are conducted in English and almost all of the citizens speak English so communication does not require proficiency with a second language, which most engineering and science students do not acquire while at SDSU. Like SDSU the TU/e has received recognition at the European level for its commitment to create international exchange experiences for its students. The TU/e is less than 50 years old and creating its own image which in many ways differs from that of the other Dutch Universities, most of which were founded in the 17th century. In that sense its dynamics resembles that of SDSU, both are in a stage of strong flux.

- Sustainability of project (is there a high likelihood that students in the department will be interested in studying the proposed subject area at the prospective partner university and vice versa)?
The Netherlands is a pleasant place to spend a few months, within an hour’s flight to London, Paris, Rome and other European destinations with discount airline RyanAir. The students should have minimal transportation problems because there is considerable public transport as well as an excellent system of bicycle paths and flat terrain. Moreover reasonable priced university housing is available (an important fact since housing in the private sector is hard to find). There is a high likelihood that a small number of SDSU students in bioengineering and physics will participate in high-quality research internships, given sufficient funding for that project. Towards that end, a NSF grant was submitted last month that included funding for two graduate students each year for three years. (KMN) Moreover AB currently has an NSF grant and will apply for an PRF grant (American Chemical Society). Both of them include student stipends to do research. Some of the research can be performed at the TU/e.

- How will this exchange program (or expansion) increase participation by students in international activities, or enhance international learning environments for students?
The students in engineering and the physical sciences are usually conscious of the rankings of universities nation- and world-wide, and understand the advantage of having an experience that sets them apart, particularly at a more highly ranked institution. Students will benefit from being exposed to the different environment that a technical university offers, and will require that they ‘survive’ in a culture that does not center around speaking English, (although most Dutch natives know English). The experience of living in a different culture will increase the students' awareness of the history and current events around the world.

- What students will benefit?

- What will be their activities (e.g. course work, international internships, field research, etc.)?

Graduate students will participate in three to four-month research experiences abroad at the TU/e, possibly enrolling in an independent student or thesis course, or occurring during the summer break. All undergraduate students working towards a B.S. in Physics or Chemical Physics are required to complete a 30-page thesis (comparable to the “honors” thesis) based on an original research experience. Typically they spend the equivalent of 3-4 months in a research lab, during which time they are often sponsored by stipends paid out of faculty grants. UG students specializing in polymer physics, will spend some part of this research period at the TU/e. Given the planned collaborative research projects between Dr. Baljon, Lyulin, and Michels, transitions between their labs should be quite seamless.

Students may attend a semester abroad. All Masters courses in physics at TU/e are in English and at TU/Delft there are at least three mechanical engineering or bioengineering courses in English at the senior and graduate level.

- What will be your role in promoting and supporting these activities?

Drs. May-Newman and Baljon have made plans and efforts to pursue standard agreements with the TU/e and TU/Delft as well as funding for students to travel to the Netherlands. Dr. May-Newman submitted an NSF grant in September with a major component of international graduate student research experiences. Dr. Baljon has NSF support and will apply for additional support from the PRF. One student plans to travel to TU/e in Fall 2006. Additional efforts are being made to match specific coursework so that SDSU students may enroll in a more traditional exchange program. Student recruitment will take place in classrooms and might involve discussions of international experiences by students that obtained an international experience.

V. Additional Information

Catalogs and informational materials on the programs and courses at TU/e and TU/Delft have been collected and will be made available to students in the Student Services office in the Engineering building.