Student experiences

Martin Jansen

After working on a PhD-project in materials engineering at the TU Delft, I am now working at the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), an institute for forensic services for police and other organizations in the criminal justice chain. It’s a career change you would not expect after trying to obtain a PhD in materials engineering, but it is very interesting. It shows that the field of materials science is much broader than you would expect. An education in material engineering gives you technical knowledge and analytical skills that are applicable in many jobs and businesses, not just in materials engineering itself. I started my education with a bachelor and master in materials science. During my masters project I did research on bonding techniques of high-strength steel for use in high-end products in the car industry, like race cars. I continued with a PhD-project in 2005 on laser brazing. I finished the practical work for my PhD-project in 2009 and I am now finishing my PhD thesis.

I chose an education in materials engineering mainly because of the many different opportunities and topics in this field. I wanted to get a thorough technical education and yet be flexible for the future. I have also done many additional things during my education to broaden my horizon. I have been part of the board of the study association for two years and I have worked as a student assistant in the department to get more working experience. I think materials engineering is far less specialized that people think. It provides you with an excellent educational background and provides many possibilities for the future.

Martin Janssen
(The Netherlands)