My name is Lars van Ruremonde, first year Fusion & Applied Physics master student. I became interested for the Fusion master during the Final Bachelor Project presentations. At the end of my Bachelor’s Applied Physics, I did my Final Bachelor Project in fusion, doing spectroscopic measurements on the Fusor in order to determine the ion velocity distribution. 

I chose the Fusion program because it offers opportunities to conduct exciting research on what will be a new energy source.

What I find especially nice about the Fusion master is the multidisciplinary contact among students and staff. In the beginning of the year, an event is organized in which you get to know your fellow students and staff. You will find that getting to know people from the department is not only good for a nice talk and a beer, but also critical for your study to be able to communicate with different people. I found the combination with an Applied Physics master is especially interesting because of the mix of both fundamental theory and the fusion applications.

I am planning on doing my external internship in the final quart of this academic year. When I was choosing options for an internship, I definitely wanted to go abroad. Preferentially in a nuclear fusion department. Thus I am planning on going to the USA. In my second year of my Master’s I am going to study half a year in Eindhoven, the other half year in Switzerland. I registered at EPFL as an exchange student, partly to expand my foreign experience - both scientifically as socially -, and partly to follow courses that I am unable to follow in Eindhoven. I plan to graduate in a company, in a graduation project of 60 ECTS. This is because I think entrepreneurial experience will help me in my future career as an engineer.