'You're stepping into a field that is new and emerging'

Lars Kuiper's interest in technology was instilled from an early age, as his father works at Philips. However, the path to the master's program in Smart Systems Engineering (SSE) was not always clear. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mechatronics, he decided to take a gap year to focus on obtaining the required courses for a master's at the University of Groningen (RUG). When this didn't work out, he discovered the SSE program, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

‘My father works at Philips, so I've been around technology from a young age. I wanted to get a taste of all aspects of technology, which is why I chose Mechatronics. This field combines programming, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering into one study program. That really appealed to me because it allowed me to explore different directions. Initially, I wanted to pursue a master's in Mechanical Engineering at RUG, but that required VWO-level Mathematics B. I took some VAVO (adult education) classes for that, but due to circumstances, I didn't complete them. That's when the SSE master's came into view. I thought, 'This is what I want to do.' It's very practical and lasts a year and a half, so it's neither too short nor too long. It really suits me perfectly.

I'm currently working on a graduation project at MOOD-Sense, where they're developing the E-motion chair, a kind of cushion with sensors. Eventually, they want to apply embedded AI to it so that the seating can increasingly detect and predict movement. For example, in what posture is the client sitting, and is there a need to alert caregivers to check if something is wrong? The goal is to reduce the pressure on healthcare providers and create better and healthier conditions for clients. I will be conducting research here and trying to develop this further. I'll be developing simulations where AI can actually be applied. It's very hands-on, which is exactly what I was looking for.

The program has exceeded my expectations, although I didn't really have any specific ones going in. Initially, I thought it would focus more on data itself, but it’s really about the future, like machine learning. Additionally, we're still doing programming. During this master's, we're working on data collection, understanding how to handle it, and processing it. It's more than just analyzing data, which is what I had initially expected.

Working with international students has also been very enriching for me. Out of the twenty students, only three are Dutch, so you're working with a large international group. This gives you a lot of insight into the norms and values of other cultures and teaches you how to interact with people from different backgrounds. We Dutch are quite direct, which not everyone is used to. So, you have to make sure that everyone in the group is included in a respectful way.

This international aspect would definitely be a reason for me to recommend this master's program. You're working in such an international environment, and you develop the necessary skills for that. Additionally, you're staying up-to-date. You're stepping into a field that is new and emerging, which means you can help companies develop machine learning and data fusion capabilities. After graduation, you can assist companies in further developing and thereby contribute to major societal innovations.

If you're considering starting this master's program, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with Python beforehand. Get comfortable with programming and focus on it. It doesn't have to be intensive, but knowing the basics helps. Also, prepare yourself for the Dutch directness, from both students and teachers. Dutch people can be quite blunt, not only during your studies but also in daily life. This can be challenging for some international students. So, be prepared for that.’