The trainees will be positioned as designers throughout the program, as the intermediate between market demands and technical possibilities, between user needs and product satisfaction. To this end, the focus is on practical training in the form of design cases and projects for research, industry, or government supervised by university staff and the host organization.
Trainees will need knowledge, at the master’s level and above, but applying knowledge is an important characteristic of the program. Therefore, the focus in the courses is on assignments and case studies.
Another important aspect of the teaching approach is a focus on teamwork. Trainees with backgrounds in the engineering, behavioral and physical sciences will work in small interdisciplinary teams, together with other EngD, PhD, and Master students. For the design cases, trainees will be hosted by the research groups in the related education squads, where the EngD trainees will join other Master students and PhDs for practical project-based training in the context of design and research tasks.
Trainees will not only vary in study background, but also in cultural background. We expect both Dutch and international trainees to choose this program. Through the teams, trainees will learn to co-operate in a cross-cultural and international context. This will train them for the external design project, where they will also work in an interdisciplinary and often international team.
Finally, the program will be tailor-made. For each individual trainee a Training and Supervision plan of courses, design cases and projects will be developed and followed according to the background of the trainee and the needs from the industry and business. All trainees are assigned a supervisor (a member of the academic staff) from the start of the program. In principle, the trainee will have the same supervisor during the entire program. The supervisor will help to establish the Training and Supervision Plan in the first three months of the program. Typically, trainee and supervisor will meet once every two weeks. Professional skills, are trained in specific courses, and are also integrated in some courses (e.g. presentation skills, teamwork). The supervisor monitors progress.