Do you have an innovative idea that can make a real impact? Join the TU/e Contest 2026 and start
turning your idea into reality!

The TU/e Contest is a five-month competition and learning platform that offers you a hands-on
entrepreneurial experience. Want to grow professionally while addressing grand societal challenges?
Team up and develop your concept with guidance from experts in education, business, and society.

Who can join?
Students from all TU/e departments (and beyond) are welcome to join the TU/e Contest. Whether
you’ve been working on a project in your free time, during a course, within a student team, as part
of the Honors Academy, or have a brand-new idea, you are invited to participate. Students from
outside TU/e can also participate, as long as at least one team member is a TU/e student or recent
alumnus.

Register now for the TU/e Contest 2026!
Until February 6, 2026, you can secure your spot by completing the registration form:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/ucqsLe4GQU

Questions?
Not sure yet whether your idea is worth exploring? Or questions about the conditions of entry? All
practical information for potential participants can be found at tue.nl/contest-registration
Do you want to join the TU/e Contest but don’t have an idea to explore (yet)? Contact the coaches
via tuecontest@tue.nl

The TU/e Contest is an initiative of TU/e innovation Space, supported by TU/e’s Knowledge Transfer
Office (KTO – part of The Gate). In 2025, the TU/e Contest celebrated its 11th edition with 160
participants and over 25 partners.

The Study Tour Abroad (STA) registrations have officially been opened as of December 1st, 2025. This year, Van der Waals will travel to Argentina and Brazil, in a trip that is bound to be unforgettable! You have until December 16th, 23:55 to register, so make sure to be quick! Note that only members of SVTN “J.D. van er Waals” can register.

You can register for the STA by:

1. Filling in the registration form and sending your signed form to vincent@vdwaals.nl. The registrations form can be found here.
2. Making a deposit of €300 to NL86INGB0008035504. The maximum capacity for participants is 24, and if more than 24 people register, a lottery will take place on December 17th. Members that are lotted out in the lottery process will then have this amount transferred back to them.
3. Sending a copy of your passport along with your signed registration form to vincent@vdwaals.nl. If you do not yet have a passport, make sure to apply for a passport as soon as you are certain of your participation (you will be notified immediately after the lottery on December 17th).

Missed the info lunch but want to have more information about our trip to Argentina and Brazil? Be sure to check out the presentation here.

The administrative regulations STA 2026 Argentina and Brazil that are in accordance with the registration form can be found here.

On Friday februari 6th, NNV (Dutch physics association) organises a symposium! The symposium is about the Dutch energy systems and their vulnerabilities. The symposium will feature a speaker specialized in Energy and Climate, as well as an open panel discussion about the various challenges and potential solutions the energy networks are facing. There will also be workshops about these topics if you are interested in learning more.

The symposium takes place at the ministry of Climate and Green Growth, Bezuidenhoutseweg 73 in The Hague, from 9.30 until 17.00 uur. The costs (including tea/coffee, a lunch and a drink) are €22,50 for students and NNV members, and €30 for everyone else. If you are interested, you can sign up by sending an email titled “E&K-symposium” to bureau@nnv.nl. If you want more information you can visit nnv.nl

PLANCKS is an exam-based physics competition for bachelor’s and master’s students and will take place in Eindhoven May 21st-25th 2026. It is a four-day event event organized for undergraduate and graduate students who have performed best in the preliminary rounds of the Physics Olympiad. It will be filled with excursions, social activities, alongside a symposium and the contest itself. The event is organized by the International Association of Physics Students (IAPS) in collaboration with a committee from the hosting country. The committee will consist of people from all over the Netherlands.

What does it get you?

Besides a fantastic and unique experience, you get the chance to become good friends with the international community of IAPS. PLANCKS has a history of impressive speakers (such as Stephen Hawking) and sponsors. Organizing this major international event provides a great opportunity to gain experience in programming, sponsorship, and networking.

We are looking for some extra committee members for the following roles.
– Vice-Chairman
– Treasurer
– Acquisition
– Participant contact
– General committee member
If you are interested, please fill in the following form: forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=R_J9zM5gD0qddXBM9g78ZDUmmKz6Fg5OrKsPLMEpXYlUN0hERThQTExNRlowVFlPM1E0RlZLWUtWMC4u. For any further questions, please mail PLANCKS@tue.nl.

The books of quartile 2 are open for sale until the end of the 2nd quartile. You can buy the books via the following link: WO4YOU