Why did you choose the UvA, and why this Master’s (track) programme?

I chose to study at the UvA because of its excellent international reputation, and its location in the liberal, world-class city of Amsterdam. I chose the Computational Science programme because of its inherently interdisciplinary nature, and because computation and simulation are becoming increasingly important parts of almost all scientific fields.

What is (or are you planning to make) the subject of your Master’s thesis?

My graduation thesis will focus on heterogeneous traffic modelling, essentially attempting to model traffic flows in scenarios where there are a great number of different vehicle types on the road (such as places like India or Thailand), and their interactions are qualitatively different than the well-studied homogeneous traffic flows which consist largely of one or two vehicle types following very well-defined traffic rules. I chose this field of study because the existing research is relatively sparse, and it is a subject ripe for computational modelling because of the inherent difficulties associated with performing hypothesis testing on existing physical road networks.

What do you think of your Master’s programme so far? Which course, lecturer and/or research project stands out for you and why?  

I've been on the whole very pleased with the Computational Science programme at the UvA. I particularly enjoyed the courses Stochastic Simulation taught by Alfons Hoekstra and Complex Systems Simulation run by Michael Lees. They are both highly effective communicators at the forefront of their respective fields, and their teaching is imbued with the passion that they have for their fields of expertise. Most importantly, these two topics are fundamental to computational science which makes a solid grounding in them all the more important.

What do you think of your time at UvA Faculty of Science so far? What stands out for you (e.g. contact with fellow students, general atmosphere, location in Amsterdam, etc.) and why?

The Faculty of Science at the UvA, and Amsterdam more generally, have made me feel quite welcome as an international student. Collaboration forms the basis for much of the work we do as Master's students, which I believe is an accurate reflection of, and therefore excellent preparation for, eventual employment in either industy or academia. The general atmosphere at the Science Park campus is that of a high-tech hub, with the modern architecture and spacious design evoking the feeling of an early Google or Facebook. It is certainly an exciting environment to be working in.

What are you hoping/planning to do after your Master’s programme? 

After graduating I plan to look for work in industry. With the Computational Science Master's my options are still quite open and I am qualified to take on a wide range of analytical and scientific roles which are currently in high demand.