The Cubicus building is close to coming apart at the seams, but according to Dean Hubert Coonen of Behavioral Sciences, a solution is at hand. `In April a temporary semi-permanent building will be placed between our building and the Faculty Club, with 500 square meters of space.' He also announced two new research centers to be launched this year, one for risk perception and one for e-government. `It will be important to establish strong programs of study for the Graduate School. When it starts in September, we want to participate with at least two BS programs.'
His colleague Gerard van der Steenhoven of the Faculty of Science and Technology has made the good organization of the Graduate School one of 2009's goals as well. A big change for his faculty is the occupation of the NanoLab and Carré buildings. In his New Year's speech the dean spoke of the wintry weather. `I mentioned the ice skating on naturally frozen ice, something that also occurred often in the Golden Age, judging from all those beautiful paintings of this era. I want us to think about creating a new Golden Age. In the 17th century natural sciences, innovation and technology were of great importance, and it will be like that in this age as well. As a faculty we need to be well prepared for a new flourishing period.'
Ton Mouthaan, dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, thinks along the same lines. `Not investing in research is the worst scenario imaginable. Everyone is aware of this, but companies in need will think it over twice before they pay for a PhD position. We'll notice this change, because nearly all of our 250 PhD students are externally financed.'
But his most important message was that more students needed to be attracted to the university. `We must increase our market share. On the national level, our numbers have decreased. I have a feeling that there is a change in favor of exact sciences among high school students, but that might be wishful thinking.'
`We need to leave the bad patch in our enrolments behind us.' This is also the wish of Dean Paul van Loon. The School of Management and Governance had a dip of three percent in enrolments, as opposed to a growth of 18 to 25 percent in the previous years. `We need to do our best to make sure that people know you can study Management Studies at the University of Twente, among all the technological programs.
In the field of research, Van Loon has nothing to complain about. `Within the UT, we're ahead if you look at the number of publications per employee. We want to keep it that way.' The new accommodation of MG will also be visible. Next week Van Loon will symbolically drive the first pole in the ground, and halfway through 2010, he hopes to move into the new building.
In contrast to his colleagues of the MG and EEMCS, Dean Rikus Eijsing of the Faculty of Engineering Technology has no need to worry about a decrease in the number of enrolments. `Last year we had a hundred extra students. We are pointedly working on the goal of gaining ten thousand students. In addition, I see Civil Engineering and Industrial Design, with a combination of technology and gamma, as typical centers of growth in the new UT plan of Route `14.' One of the major points of concern for Eijsing is the accommodations situation. His faculty is growing out of its clothes, and new housing is needed, therefore, a Noordwest-Horst (Northwest Horst) will be built, announced the dean.
