Alumni view
Inés Crespo (Argentina) graduated in 2009
‘I am still related to the UvA as a promovendus. Very soon after graduation I was asked for the job of teacher assistant. During six months after my graduation I assisted different courses. I had applied to a number of PhD-positions, but things did not work out as expected. There was nothing clearly available in Amsterdam. But one thing let to the other and in February 2010 I started with my PhD-position at the UvA. I was already acquainted with the people I work with now. My supervisor supervised my master thesis.
Working as a promovendus...
involves different things. The main thing is research: In the first month you define the project and there is a lot of reading. After getting acquainted to state of the art, you start working at the problem yourself. This means writing, there is no experimental thing in the area of my work. You read and write by yourself and with a group. The second thing that involves the job of a promovendus is teaching. I supervise bachelor and master students one day a week with two courses. Another thing that I do as a promovendus is helping with social activities in the academic world, like organizing workshops and meetings. This is not every day of course, but some time.
At the moment...
I am focusing on the problem of the component ‘tasty’. This involves
questions like: What is tasty? In what ways is tasty related to components like
expensive? A price is simple to look out, but how do you know if something is
tastier than the other? What are the similarities and differences between tasty
and expensive?
There is a lot of creativity that you need to work at the problems in my current
position. You have to define problems yourself, because problems are rarely out
there. You also need to be self-standing: independent, it is you who is
responsible. Ultimately you need a certain trust to develop the trust in
yourself.’