emmnano brochure

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Erasmus Mundus Master of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (EMM-nano)

www.emm-nano.org

CO-ORDINATOR: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

PARTNERS: ¢ Chalmers Tekniska Högskola (Sweden)¢ Technische Universiteit Delft & Universiteit Leiden (the Netherlands)¢ Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)


www.emm-nano.org


PARTNERS: ¢ Chalmers Tekniska Högskola (Sweden)¢ Technische Universiteit Delft & Universiteit Leiden (the Netherlands)¢ Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)


www.emm-nano.org


EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS: ¢ Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)¢ Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Göteborg (Sweden)¢ Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble (France)¢ Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)

ASSOCIATED RESEARCH PARTNERS: ¢ IMEC, Leuven, Belgium¢ CEA-LETI, Grenoble, France¢ Leibniz Institute for Solid-State and Materials Research, Dresden, Germany

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What is Erasmus Mundus? p. 1

What is nanoscience and nanotechnology? p. 3

Why study nanoscience and nanotechnology? p. 3

One programme - Two locations – One joint degree p. 4

Choose your field of specialisation p. 5

Programme description p. 6

Objectives and learning outcomes p. 8

Your profile p. 9

Admission requirements p. 10

Tuition fees p. 10

Application procedure p. 11

Deadline for submission of applications p. 11

Erasmus Mundus scholarship p. 12

Career prospects p. 13

Testimonials p. 14

1

In Europe, higher education is a public right and a public responsibility. The European Commission has a mission

to strengthen high-quality international academic co-operation while promoting social cohesion both at the

national and at European level.

Erasmus Mundus is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education that aims to

enhance the quality of European higher education in order to promote the European Union as a centre of

excellence in learning around the world and to promote intercultural understanding through co-operation with

third countries as well as for the development of higher education in third countries. In addition, it contributes

to the development of human resources and the international co-operation capacity of higher education institutions

in third countries by increasing mobility between the European Union and these countries.

Through the creation of European Master’s courses and the provision of a limited number of EU funded scholar-

ships, the programme enables students and visiting scholars from around the world to engage in postgraduate

studies at European universities. It also encourages the outgoing mobility of European students and scholars

towards non-European countries.

http://ec.europa.eu/education/external-relation-programmes/doc72_en.htm

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus

Master of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

What is Erasmus Mundus?

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Within the Erasmus Mundus framework four leading educational institutions in Europe offer a joint Erasmus

Mundus Master of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (EMM-Nano). The programme, which started in 2005, is a

truly integrated one, with a strong research backbone and a very important international outreach. The objective

of this course is to provide top quality multidisciplinary education in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

The educational partner institutions are:

¢ Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven), Belgium (Coordinator)

¢ Chalmers Tekniska Högskola (Chalmers), Sweden

¢ Université Joseph Fourier Grenoble, France

¢ Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), Germany

The course is organized with the support of three associated research partners:

¢ IMEC in Leuven (Belgium)

¢ CEA-LETI in Grenoble (France)

¢ Leibniz Institute for Solid State Materials Research in Dresden (Germany).

These institutions provide access to world-class infrastructure for nanotech -

nology research and development as well as opportunities for graduating

students to continue their studies with a PhD. This strong link between

education and research ensures a contemporary programme at the cutting

edge of state-of-the-art research.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) ¢ www.kuleuven.be

Chalmers Tekniska Högskola (Sweden) ¢ www.chalmers.se

Technische Universität Dresden (Germany) ¢ www.tu-dresden.de

Université Joseph Fourier Grenoble, (France) ¢ www.ujf-grenoble.fr

What is nanoscience

and nanotechnology?

The word Nanoscience refers to the study, manipula-

tion and engineering of matter, particles and struc tures

on the nanometer scale (one millionth of a millimeter,

the scale of atoms and molecules). Important properties

of materials, such as the electrical, optical, thermal

and mechanical properties, are determined by the way

molecules and atoms assemble on the nanoscale

into larger structures. Moreover, in nanometer size

structures these properties are often different from

on macroscale, because quantum mechanical

effects become important.

Nanotechnology is the application of nanoscience

leading to the use of new nanomaterials and nanosize

components in useful products. Nanotechnology

will eventually provide us with the ability to design

custom-made materials and products with new

enhanced properties, new nanoelectronics compo-

nents, new types of “smart” medicines and sensors,

and even interfaces between electronics and bio-

logical systems ...

These newborn scientific disciplines are situated at

the interface between physics, chemistry, materials

science, microelectronics, biochemistry, and biotech-

nology. Control of these disciplines therefore requires

an academic and multidisciplinary scientific education.

Why study nanoscience

and nanotechnology?

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are at the forefront

of modern research. The fast growing economy in

this area requires experts who have an outstanding

knowledge of nanoscience in combination with

the skills to apply this knowledge in new products.

A multidisciplinary scientific education is crucial to

provide industry and research institutes with top

quality experts who have a generic background in

the different subdisciplines such as electronics,

physics, chemistry, materials science, biotechnology,

and at the same time be experts in one particular field.

This is what is offered in this master’s programme.

In the Master of Nanoscience and Nano technology,

you will learn the basics of physics, biology, and

chemistry on the nanometer scale, supplemented

by courses on technology and engineering to promote

an understanding of practical applications. Moreover

in the programme you will also be able to specialize

in a certain area of nanoscience. The combination

of a solid multidisciplinary scientific basis and an

individual high level specialisation in a certain area

of nanoscience (second year) is the philosophy of

the EMM-nano programme.

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The EMM-nano is a two-year, 120 ECTS, English

language degree programme. Thanks to its combina-

tion of partners, expertise and courses, it offers you

a unique integrated master programme, covering all

aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, while

at the same time allowing you to design an individual

study programme with specialisation in essentially

any field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

It facilitates studying at two separate participating

universities where you spend one year per country.

It is strongly multidisciplinary: you receive a basic

training in all the disciplines offered, one of which

becomes your area of specialisation.

The programme attracts students from a broad back-

ground of disciplines (physics, electronics, biology,

chemistry, materials science). In the first year you study

at the coordinating institution (K.U.Leuven), where you

¢ can follow introductory courses to complement

your previous education;

¢ learn the basics of all the relevant disciplines in

a common set of courses;

¢ follow a profiling block of elective courses to

prepare you for your second year specialisation.

In the second year you select a specialisation area and

¢ follow a compulsory set of specialising courses;

¢ select a set of broadening courses;

¢ complete your Master’s thesis research project.

One programme - Two locations – One joint degree

A unique educational concept

PhysicsBSc

1st

year

K.U

.Leu

ven

EM

M-n

ano

2nd

yea

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Uni

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Electronics

Materials Science Chemistry

Biotechnology

Introductory courses

common block

profiling block

Master thesis

Master thesis

Master thesis

specialization block

Chalmers Grenoble Dresden

The EMM-nano educational programme is divided

into five major disciplines:

¢ Nanophysics

¢ Nanochemistry

¢ Nanoelectronics

¢ Biophysics

¢ Bionanotechnology

At the beginning of the programme you choose one

of these specialisations as your major theme.

Each second year consortium partner (Chalmers, JFU

Grenoble, TU Dresden) offers specialisation courses

in at least two of the major themes as well as broadening

courses for the other themes (see scheme). A major in

one particular theme is not identical at all locations:

since an essential quality of the programme is the

strong connection between research and education,

the programme themes at each partner institution

reflect local research strengths. You will greatly benefit

from this connection between state-of-the-art

research and education within the Master’s programme.

You choose your field of specialisation through the choice

of second year university

Graduating option Nanophysics Nanochemistry Nanoelectronics Biophysics Bionanotechnology

K.U.Leuven

Chalmers

TU Dresden

JFU Grenoble

Introductory/Non-technical/Core/Graduating elective courses

GraduatingBroadening Thesis







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Programme description

The programme is divided into six modules:

1) In the introductory courses (max. 12 credits),

you will learn the basics of the disciplines that were

not covered during your Bachelor's training. If you

already have a solid background in these fields,

you will compensate the credits with elective courses.

2) The non-technical courses (9 credits) are needed

to learn some non-technical skills. Modules such as

innovation management, total quality management,

but also a language and cultural course in Dutch (the

language used in the part of Belgium where K.U.Leuven

is located) are offered.

3) The core courses (33 credits) provide you with the

basic knowledge of the programme's core disci plines:

nanoelectronics, nanophysics, nano chemistry and

nanobiochemistry. You must follow these courses

irrespective of your specialisation. Moreover, you

have to choose a project-based practical course and

follow a series of lectures on actual topics in nano -

science and nanotechnology. During this Lecture Series

on Nanoscience and Nano technology national and

international experts will speak not only about state-

of-the art nanoscience research but also about the

impact of nanoscience and nanotechnology for the

society. Topics such as ethical aspects, safety and

health risks etc. will be treated.

4) The specific courses (21-33 credits) introduce

specialisation into the programme. You can choose a

number of elective, profiling courses from three

course modules in the first year at K.U.Leuven.

In the second year, you follow 15 credits of compul-

sory courses on your selected specialisation at your

second year location.

5) The broadening courses (15 credits) allow you

to broaden your horizon with specific courses from

other specialisations. You may choose from a large

set of courses offered at the second year university.

6) The Master's thesis (30 credits) is intended to

introduce you to a multidisciplinary research environ-

ment. You will be assigned to a relevant research project

and work in close collaboration with PhD students,

postdoctoral fellows, and professors. The research

project culminates in the public presentation of the

Master's thesis.

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INTRODUCTORY COURSES (MAX 12 CREDITS - LEUVEN)

NON-TECHNICAL COURSES (9 CREDITS - LEUVEN)

LECTURE SERIES (3 CREDITS - ALL)

CORE COURSES (30 CREDITS - LEUVEN)

5 GRADUATING OPTIONS

Nanophysics(Chalmers/Grenoble)

Nanochemistry(Grenoble)

Nanoelectronics(Chalmers/Dresden)

Biophysics(Dresden)

Bio-nano -technology(Grenoble)

Specific courses(15 ects comp. + min 6 credits elective Leuven)





Broadening courses

(15 credits)

Broadening courses

(15 credits)

Broadening courses

(15 credits)

Broadening courses

(15 credits)

Broadening courses

(15 credits)

Master thesis (30 credits)





Objectives and learning outcomes

The objective of the Master of Nanoscience and

Nanotechnology is to provide top-quality university

multidisciplinary education as well as specialisation

in one of the subdisciplines of nanoscience and

nanotechnologies.

As a graduate of the Master of Science in Nano -

sciences and Nanotechnology programme, you will

have thorough scientific knowledge of the funda-

mental structures of physical, biological, and

chemical systems in terms of their molecular and

atomic characteristics. You will also understand

the formation of complex macro systems, which

are unique in their operations and possess new

functionalities, based on their molecular and atomic

properties.

The programme is strongly connected to the latest

innovations in the field and is embedded in ongoing

research programmes at the participating universities

and at the associated research partners. The courses

are continuously updated following the progress of

science and technology in this young and highly

innovative field. Furthermore, you will spend one

quarter of the study programme on elaborating your

own research project in a Master's thesis. There is

ample opportunity to take elective courses, either

to increase your level of proficiency, or to broaden

your horizon, according to your own interest.

By the end of the programme, you will possess:

¢ thorough knowledge of the general principles of

physics, chemistry, electronics and biology that

play a role on the nanometer scale

¢ insight into the materials, fabrication and other

experimental techniques that can be used on

the nanoscale, as well as their limitations

¢ understanding of the formation of complex

macro systems which are unique in their opera-

tions and possess new functionalities

¢ in-depth knowledge of at least one specialisa-

tion area within the field of nanoscience and

nanotechnology

¢ proficiency in translating this knowledge into

useful technological applications

¢ extensive analytic and synthetic problem-solving

capacities

¢ sufficient scientific background to undertake

research

Upon the completion of the two year cycle, successful

students will be awarded a joint Master’s degree.

In addition, the EMM-nano consortium furnishes a

joint degree-supplement providing a description of

the nature and level of the programme followed.

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Your profile

You have strong analytic, synthetic and interpretive

capabilities and a clear interest in both fundamental

sciences as well as technological problems. You should

be able to understand a large variety of problems and

to attempt to solve them on an abstract academic

level. You are interested in how and why systems

function, as well as having a clear sense of the societal

and psychological relevance of technology and its

implications upon society.

From your Bachelor's education, you have basic

knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry and

electronics. Moreover knowledge on cell biology and

biochemistry, molecular and atomic architecture,

materials science and electromagnetism are considered

an asset. You have shown excellence in your study

results, as well as sufficient knowledge of English.

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Admission requirements

Applications will be considered from candidates in possession of:

¢ A top-level Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Electrical

Engineering or Materials Science, with a proven solid background in mathematics

and physics or chemistry. A Bachelor’s degree represents a minimum of 180 ECTS

(applications will also be accepted from candidates who expect to receive a

Bachelor’s degree before the EMM-nano Master’s degree programme commences)

¢ A GPA (Grade Point Average) of at least 75% of the scale maximum

¢ An IELTS (Academic version) overall band score of at least 6.5 or a TOEFL score

of at least 580 (paper based) or 237 (computer based) or 92 (internet based).

The admissions policy is intended to ensure equal opportunity of access to higher

education for qualified EEA and non-EEA students. In general, candidate students,

in possession of the above aforementioned documents, will be assessed individually

on the basis of their previous academic record, their personally written motivation

letter and their reference letters. The availability of places will also be taken into

account.

The academic selection is carried out by the EMM Nano Board of the consortium.

The selection criteria are the applicants’ background and previous education,

the applicants’ excellence based on the obtained GPA, the English language

skills and the completeness of the application file.

Tuition fees

Non-EEA students:

€8000 per year

EEA students:

€4000 per year

Please refer to

the EMM-nano website

for the current rates:

www.emm-nano.org

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Application procedure

Application should contain:

¢ The completed application form

¢ A passport photograph

¢ Original certified copies of your diplomas and transcripts of academic records in duplicate

¢ Translation of your diploma and official transcripts

¢ English proficiency test (IELTS test or TOEFL test)

¢ Appendix indicating your preferred location for the second year

¢ A letter of motivation

¢ Two recommendation letters

¢ CV

All applications are to be submitted online at http://www.kuleuven.be/application

Deadline for submission of applications

Non-EEA students: 1 January

EEA students: 1 May

For additional information, please contact the International Office of the K.U.Leuven:

[email protected]

tel. + 32 16 32 40 20

fax + 32 16 32 37 73

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Erasmus Mundus scholarship

A limited number of scholarships for both European and non-European students are funded by the European

Commission. There are category A and B scholarships:

Category A scholarships

Granted to third country nationals coming from any country other than the 25 EU member states, the EEA-

EFTA states and the candidate countries for accession to the EU, who are not residents of any of the above

countries, and who have not carried out their primary activities (studies, work, etc.) for more than a total of

12 months over the last five years in any of the above countries.

Category B Scholarships

May be awarded to any Master’s students selected by the Consortium who do not fulfill the Category A

criteria defined above, and who spend their study period in at least two of the consortium partner countries,

different from the country in which they have obtained their last university degree.

The EMM-nano consortium selects those applicants eligible for a scholarship and submits the shortlist to the

European Commission for approval. Successful candidates are notified by the K.U.Leuven after the EU-approval.

For students not eligible for the Cat A or B-scholarships funded by the EU, the consortium funds a limited

number of its own grants. The number of grants and the amount of the grant is decided on an annual basis.

Category A Category B

Contribution to travel, installation and other types of costs €8000

Contribution to the EMMC tuition fee €8000/year €4000/year

Monthly allowance (during 12 months/year) €1000/month €500/month

Career prospects

In the coming decades, nanoscience and nano tech -

nology will undoubtedly become the driving force for

a new set of products, systems, and applications.

They are even expected to become the basis for a

new industrial revolution.

Within a few years, nanoscience applications are

expected to have an impact on virtually every techno-

logical sector and ultimately many aspects of our daily

life. In the coming five to ten years, many new products

and companies will emerge based on nanotechnology

and nano sciences. These new products will stem

from the knowledge developed at the interface of

the various scientific disciplines offered in this

Master’s programme.

As a result, the students who gradu ate as masters

of nanoscience and nanotechnology will be joining

companies developing these new technologies.

The graduates will be able to go into R&D as well as

industry. In the coming years, there will be a strong

need for scientists and engineers whose expertise

is precisely at the interface of these various disci-

plines, and these engineers will end up in jobs

directly aligned to the education provided in this

Master’s programme. You will be employed by com-

panies in the electronics sector, new and smart mate-

rial industry, chemical tech nology, and biotechnology

companies. As a graduate of the programme, you will

have an ideal background to become the interface

between experts in all these disciplines and you will

be able to use your broad perspective of nano -

technology to develop and create new products or

even start up completely new companies. With your

basic education, you may also end up in R&D

(research & development), product design or product

development, or you can become an independent

consultant.

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Testimonials

Himanshu Gupta, India

I belong to the first generation of EMM-Nano alumni

as I graduated in 2007. I am working since then in

The Netherlands (Europe) as an Experimental Physicist

in a High-tech start-up named MAPPER Lithography.

The EMM-Nano programme provided me a unique

platform to explore the career opportunities in Europe

both in academic and in job market. Furthermore,

the programme helped me in changing my perception

about Europe that academics here were less com-

petitive. The competition was as much as I wanted

it to be! The fact that studying far from the comfort

of home country and known social and cultural

etiquettes made study at least challenging.

Michaël Simoen, Belgium

What stood out for me immediately was the inter-

disciplinarity of the field. It ranges literally from biology

and chemistry over both pure and applied physics

to engineering. My background was electrical and

mechanical engineering, a rather applied field, but I

quickly picked up new knowledge from a whole

range of sciences, both applied and less applied.

But besides the necessary theoretical work we also

got the possibility to do some hands on work in various

projects and in a state-of-the-art cleanroom, as well

as get interesting lectures from well-known experts

in the field and from all over the world. There is also

an annual workshop, where all the students throughout

the programme in Europe come together in one of

the sites, to catch up and to see some of the work

they have been doing.

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Tomás Magalhães, Portugal

The EMM in Nanoscience was not only an amazing

way to get a very good education in top European

universities but also a chance to get to know many

different cultures. It is quite an exciting and promising

masters programme to have on my CV. After all,

everyone has heard about Nanotechnology (even if

they have no idea what it means!) and every company

likes candidates with plenty of experience abroad.

I can definitely say I grew plenty during the past two

years, the experience of being completely alone

away from home for the first time and of participating

in a top class research group were very enriching.

I met so many people with so many different back-

grounds that I am now confident that I have a place

to stay and probably a friend whichever corner of

the world I find myself in.

Shashank Shekhar, India

My EMM experience was one great roller-coaster

ride through some of the world's most beautiful

cities like Paris and Dresden! At the same time, it also

brought me face to face with high-quality research

at world renowned Max-Planck Institutes and the

CNRS. Meeting fellow students from all around the

world, sometimes countries I had never heard of

before was, of course, the best part! I will certainly

cherish and draw upon my experiences of these

two years for the rest of my life.

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Arthur Taylor, Brazil

The EMM-Nano provides not only the opportunity

to study at some of the best universities in Europe

but also a rich intercultural environment! In my

case, I had classmates from more than 20 different

countries! It is an amazing chance to learn and share

great experiences! The structure of the programme

gives the student plenty of freedom to adjust the

curriculum according to his interests while giving

the essential background which is necessary to

such a broad field like nanotechnology.

Saurabh Srivastava, India

The most incredible thing about the programme

which I experienced was that it integrates so many

aspects of Nanoscience and nanotechnology on

extensive basis, without sacrificing the level of

details and quality of education. The EMM-

Nanoprogramme has given me one of the best expe-

riences in my life, with knowledge, experiences and

friends which will stay in my mind and heart wher-

ever I go.

Bregt Verreet, Belgium

To me, the most amazing thing about the EMM Nano

is how it succeeds to integrate so many different

aspects into a single programme. The interdisciplinary

nature of Nanoscience makes the lectures start with

some quantumphysics, then takes you to the chemistry

of self-assembly, shows you the toolbox of semi-

conductor physicists and reveils some of the won-

derous aspects of superconductors. By the time you’ll

have to choose a Master’s thesis, you face the

“problem” of an overabundance of exciting projects.

In the meantime you get to know two countries.

And within your own class you are amid even more

cultures, so even the lectures feel like vacation!

A taste of the world merged into a state-of-the-art

programme, what’s not to like?

www.kuleuven.be

www.chalmers.se

www.tu-dresden.de

www.ujf-grenoble.fr

Contact information:

Prof. Guido Groeseneken (K.U.Leuven), Co-ordinator Erasmus Mundus Master of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

[email protected] • www.emm-nano.org

www.ifw-dresden.de, www-leti.cea.fr/en, www.imec.be

emmnano brochure

Documents

nanotechnology research

e u v e n b e

dresden master of nanoscience

s w e d e n w w

e r s i t e i t

e r s te

erasmus mundus framework

application of nanoscience