Index Introduction The Research at Rijnhuizen Results in 2008 Education, Training, Outreach and Public Information Output Appendix website Rijnhuizen 4 | Education, Training, Outreach and Public Information The Institute considers the education of students and trainees in a research environment, as well as the communication of scientific results and the excitement of scientific research to a wider public, of great importance. Over the last few years, secondary schools have become an important target of the outreach programme. In this chapter we report on the activities of the institute in the following categories: • Training and education of graduate students • Activities aimed at undergraduate students of science at universities, and trainees at different levels of technical education • Activities directed at the top forms of secondary schools • Activities aimed at the general public • Other activities Training and education of graduate students At Rijnhuizen, like at other FOM-institutes, the research carried out by graduate students under supervision of members of the scientific staff constitutes a vital part of the research. The institute aims at having at least 18 graduate students in the research programme at any one time, i.e. an average of 4.5 PhD exams per year. Five members of the staff hold part-time professorships at Dutch universities, and act as promotors for the academic promotions. There is a strong awareness of the need for graduate students to finish their PhD-projects within the regular four years. The PhD students follow several courses — within a wider FOM framework — to help them achieve this goal. Rijnhuizen succeeds in attracting very motivated high-quality graduate students. Around half of them are, understandably given the number of physics students in Western Europe, not from the Netherlands. Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Japan and Romania are among the states from which students have been attracted, giving the research groups a truly international flavour. In the plasma physics subjects, the education of the students is organized in the frame of the ‘research school’ CPS (Centre for plasma physics and radiation technology), and includes participation in the Carolus Magnus summer school on Fusion physics (biannual, it was organized in 2007 in Germany), the Erasmus summer school on low temperature plasma physics, as well as the annual national plasma physics conference. It is the norm that graduate students in these subjects go abroad for prolonged research stays, often in Jülich (D) or at JET (UK). In 2008 one graduate student received his PhD, and on the 1st of January 2009 the number of PhD students was 20. The number of scientists holding a postdoc position in 2008 was 9. Education of undergraduate students and trainees While the influx of foreign graduate students is perceived quite positively in the research groups, the Institute is also keen on playing a role in the education of Dutch students of physics and technology. As a central activity on this front, members of the staff of the institute give specialized lecture courses at several universities. In 2008, the following courses were given: • Prof. Dr. N.J. Lopes Cardozo, Physics of Nuclear Fusion as an Energy Source, Eindhoven University of Technology. • Dr. H.J. de Blank, Prof. Dr. W.J. Goedheer, Dr. G.M.D. Hogeweij, Plasma Physics, Utrecht University. • Prof. Dr. R. Keppens, Introduction to (Solar) Plasma-Astrophysics, contribution to the Plasma Physics-course, Utrecht University. • Prof. Dr. W.J. Goedheer, Deposition methods, contribution to the lecture Device Physics, Utrecht University. • Prof. Dr. F. Bijkerk, Fundamentals of Photonics, University of Twente. • Prof. Dr. F. Bijkerk, Tutorial XUV Optics, University of Twente. Next to the regular lecture courses special lectures on specific topics were given: • Dr. A.J.H. Donné, Fusie, energiebron voor de toekomst, Eindhoven University of Technology. • Dr. A.J.H. Donné, Plasma diagnostics for burning plasma devices, Ghent University, Belgium • Prof. Dr. W.J. Goedheer, Energy from controlled nuclear fusion, contribution to the Bachelors Honours curriculum, Utrecht University. Undergraduate students are welcomed in the research groups to carry out one of the compulsory research projects in the frame of their studies. Likewise, students of various levels of technical education are welcome as trainee in either the Division for Technological and Facility support, or in the research groups. In 2008, a total of 20 undergraduate physics students from universities and trainees were accommodated. Figure 4.1: Performance of the Fusion Road Show during the UNIS-UN conference for secondary school students at the New York General Assembly of the UN, March 2008.