‘My bachelor gave me an advantage in my academic career’

Ramona Cirstian enrolled in Advanced Sensor Applications (now known as Sensor Technology) because she liked how applied it was. In the end, this bachelor turned out to be the optimal start of her academic career.

'When I was in high school in my home country Romania, I was very interested in studying abroad. I applied to multiple universities, but ultimately chose Advanced Sensor Applications at Hanze University of Applied Sciences because of the versatility of the programme. The fact that I wouldn’t just be taking classes but would also be working with real companies and applying my knowledge was what really attracted me.'

'I’ve always had academic aspirations but hadn’t really considered having a career in research until later on in my bachelor. During my time at the Hanze, I learnt that it was indeed possible and was encouraged to pursue a master’s degree. After graduating in 2018, I did a premaster, then got my MSc in Electrical Engineering. Now I’m doing a PhD in Machine Learning at the Radboud University in Nijmegen.'

'I believe my bachelor gave me a great advantage in my academic career. For instance, the number of projects and applied work we did taught me to plan and organise. It also taught me not to be afraid of tackling new problems and challenges. Moreover, all the reports we wrote and presentations we held helped me become a confident writer and public speaker.'

'After finishing my PhD, which normally takes four years, I would like to stay in academia and continue doing research. Honestly, when I enrolled in the Hanzehogeschool in 2014, I never thought that Advanced Sensor Applications would get me here, but I’m very happy and grateful it did.'