Einstein Academy trailblazer in vocational education
Work on the Einstein Academy is in full swing. This is not a new school, but places a central focus on knowledge and skills about techniques and technologies that play a role in the Einstein Telescope within the existing secondary and higher vocational education in Dutch Limburg.
Next spring, the first students will join Zuyd University of Applied Science’s living lab in Heerlen for a minor. Agnes Berendsen is the programme leader of the Academy, and she is already pleasantly surprised by the high level of interest among Zuyd students. ‘Looking at the origins of the universe and into the future. That captures the imagination.’
She impatiently awaits the furnishing of the Einstein Academy’s practice space in the former Engineering practice room at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Heerlen. ‘This is where the systems will be placed, where we will build prototypes’, she says, as she walks to her office through the still practically empty space. ‘Here, students will be introduced to fields relating to vibration, optics, vacuum engineering and more. In February, the first minor will start. By then, this room should be set up as a practical laboratory.’
Living lab
A complete living lab where students learn and work on concrete research projects in practice together with researchers and entrepreneurs. ‘Quite a job, yes, and time is running out. I am now in the process of forming a team to put together the curriculum, seek publicity and establish contacts with schools and institutes across borders. The necessary equipment still needs to be purchased, and I also want a well-functioning air conditioning system and the best and most modern facilities. Fitting for a project as futuristic as the Einstein Telescope.’
Agnes Berendsen is ambitious and sets high standards, in her own words. Fortunately, funding to build the Einstein Academy is in place. Initiators Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and the senior secondary vocational schools Vista College and Gilde Opleidingen can jointly count on €4.5 million from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and the Province of Limburg. In a few years, the Academy should be embedded in the regular education of the three institutions.
Technically trained
‘In principle, the Academy is of course focused on the Einstein Telescope’, says the mechatronics engineer, who was born and raised in Poland, received his PhD in medical informatics from Maastricht University and has lived and worked in the southern Netherlands since 2003. ‘The preparation, construction and maintenance of the Einstein Telescope require practically trained people with knowledge of, for example, mirrors, cooling, mechatronics, welding and vacuum techniques, corrosion, digital twins and so on. The telescope guarantees innovations and the application of new materials and techniques by suppliers from the region. It is a known fact that there is a huge shortage of technically and practically trained people, so this Academy is extremely important.’
Broadly applicable
And if the telescope unexpectedly ends up not being built in this region, what then? No problem at all, according to Agnes. ‘Many companies are already involved in the project, in particular with the pilot telescope in Maastricht, the ETpathfinder. Innovation is in full swing. Even if the telescope ends up being built in Germany or Italy, businesses in our region still need expertise and well-trained technical staff. Their skills are broadly applicable. The telescope is not the only system using the new technologies. They are embedded in companies’ production processes. With the Academy, Zuyd, Vista and Gilde are jointly strengthening the educational offer in the region. Our aim is to train at least 150 more students, at both senior secondary vocational and higher professional education level, from 2027 onwards. The living lab here in Heerlen will act as a practical classroom for the three institutions, a place that schools from across the border can also visit.’
Questions and assignments
The living lab also explicitly targets the innovative business community. ‘Absolutely. Entrepreneurs can contact us with questions and assignments. Students and researchers, including from universities in the region, will then devise and develop solutions. For a fair payment, but always much cheaper than investing in labs and knowledge yourself. Ultimately, the Academy will need to become self-supporting, and that is possible with enough students and assignments. This approach has already proved successful at CHILL at Chemelot, among others. It also makes a programme extra attractive. There is no doubt that senior secondary vocational and higher professional education students enjoy working on practical assignments. Internally, we will get that vision across, but we also need to actively seek out the business community.’
Many applications
Perhaps that is why there are already just under 30 applications for the minor starting in February, exclusively from Engineering students. ‘I suspect that may be the case, although I didn’t expect that many applications. We could easily fill two minors with that number, and to think that enrolment is only open to Engineering students. For average citizens, the Einstein Telescope is an abstract concept anyway. Searching for vibrations from space, the big bang – most people quickly lose interest at this point. Fortunately, the Academy has been very well received here, including by students.’
Generating awareness is one of the biggest challenges, according to Agnes Berendsen. ‘I believe that is also part of my mission. If the telescope is built here in the region, it will mean a huge boost for the economy, science and education. Thousands of jobs and a better future are at stake. That is why we will go all out in raising awareness, recruiting for the programme and advertising.’
Special bus
Agnes is not exaggerating. ‘Indeed, I am not. We are going to set up a special bus and hit the road with it. The bus will have all possible information about the Einstein Telescope on board, including a scale model, flyers and set-ups similar to those on display in the Einstein Telescope Education Centre at the Discovery Museum in Kerkrade, where an entire wing has been set aside for the project. We will visit primary and secondary schools and will also attend major events where everyone is of course welcome. Everyone should know what we are working on.’