- Intro
- 24/08/2026
While the stage for the bachelor’s Introduction Week is being dismantled on the Koeveld, the Market Hall is filling up with incoming master’s students this Monday morning. Upon arrival, they receive an orange water bottle and a red intro shirt featuring logos from various companies in the Brainport region.
Around 900 new students are taking part in the Master Kick-Off (MKO). When students are asked in the hall who completed their bachelor’s degree at TU/e, about one in five raises their hand. An equally large group comes from another Dutch university. By far the largest group comes from universities abroad.
Getting out there
During the opening session, students receive information about tomorrow’s practical assignment and are strongly encouraged to join an association. “In addition to your studies, take part in an association. We have all kinds of activities, from horseback riding to poetry. Join a community. We really want you to get out there,” says Student Diversity and Wellbeing Officer Lara Hofstra.
Incoming Biomedical Engineering master’s student Aniella (see main photo) has listed her goals for this Master Kick-Off. “I want to get to know the university, embrace Dutch culture, make friends, and explore career opportunities.”
The Venezuelan left her home country after 19 years to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Spain and is now choosing to do a master’s in Eindhoven. “I was looking for a university that uses Challenge-Based Learning. I want to apply my theoretical knowledge to help people. I didn’t choose a medical degree for nothing.”
Virginia is Italian and no longer needs to get to know TU/e: she completed her bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics here over the past few years. She is taking part in the MKO to meet new people and get to know companies where she might work in the future.
She is not sure whether she will stay in the Netherlands after completing her master’s. “It’s a great country to live in and develop myself, but maybe I’d like to see other countries first.”
Mix & Mingle
After the joint opening, students have the opportunity to meet their fellow students. To do so, they head to different rooms spread across campus. There are also two low-stimulus meeting rooms in the Auditorium.
For most students, finding their way around campus still takes some getting used to. From the stage, Hofstra points them in the right direction. “Neuron is that way, Vertigo is that building over there, and Atlas is in the other direction. It’s also in your app.”
On his way to Vertigo for the Mix & Mingle activity, Dutch student Tio says he is starting a pre-master’s program. “I studied architecture at Avans in Tilburg. I also did a minor in building physics, during which we visited several programs in the Netherlands. The final day was in Vertigo. I think it’s a nice, compact building.”
Tio plans to pursue the Building Physics and Services master’s track in Eindhoven to improve his career prospects.
Tomorrowland
“We’re a little nervous,” say incoming master’s students Molina and Yinhao, both from China. They are a couple and have been together for a year and a half.
“We met during our studies and decided to come to Eindhoven together,” says Molina. She will pursue a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management. “This is where the major tech companies are after all.”
Yinhao will pursue the master’s degree in Semiconductor Devices and Technology. Both plan to stay in the Netherlands after completing their studies. “Of course, I’d like to work at ASML,” says Yinhao. “Hopefully, that works out.”
But it is not just the Brainport region that makes TU/e attractive to them. “We also know that Dutch people like to party. Tomorrowland is very close to Eindhoven.”
Program
After the Mix & Mingle activity, the students visit various companies in the region. They can then join a dinner organized by the Central Introduction Committee. In the evening, the study associations host an activity that immediately introduces the new master’s students to a typical Dutch ritual: the borrel.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, a pub crawl and the Vibes Festival are on the Master Kick-Off program. Just as during the bachelor’s Introduction, low-stimulus options are available as well.
This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.
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