UAntwerp has one of the most productive groups and finest experts
"After finishing my bachelor studies at University of Belgrade I decided to enrol in a master course abroad.
It was my aspiration to experience life outside my country and with a master course I could do that while obtaining a second university degree which seemed like a win-win situation. The promotor of my thesis already collaborated with a research group from University of Antwerp and after a discussion about my future plans he suggested to apply for the M.Sc. of Physics (Nanophysics) at UAntwerp.
At the time I didn’t know much about the university or the city of Antwerp. Even Belgium was a complete mystery to me. However, after a little research I found out UAntwerp has one of the most productive groups and finest experts in the field of graphene research, a topic that I was (and still am!) interested in. Therefore, I decided to give it a chance.
I was in the first generation of students who enrolled in the Nanophysics master programme. The programme is completely taught in English and offers theoretical, computational, and experimental courses as well as the possibility for an internship in a company or research institution outside the university. The courses provide a deeper insight into the physical processes on the nanoscale, molecular, and atomic level. It’s worth mentioning that the programme is part of Nanomat master programme and allows students to do part of the programme at one of its partner universities.
There are no ‘tips and tricks’ that I can offer to the future students. Which is, if you ask me, a great thing. Course load, exam format and rules are all explained by the professor(s) in detail at the very beginning of the semester. Therefore, one just needs to follow these guidelines and good grades are guaranteed. Of course, students are always welcome to ask professors for additional clarifications of the lectures, course material or any other matter. This is something that every student should do and in my experience professors go the extra mile when dealing with international student (but keep this confidential).
With my master diploma I acquired knowledge in different fields of physics. Firstly, I filled the gaps in my knowledge of fundamentals of physics, which was essential for me since my bachelor was in nano electronics. Additionally, I learned to perform simulations of various physical processes using different programming languages and packages. Moreover, I was taught how to set up an experiment and perform measurements in the laboratory. Finally, I manage to combine these three methods in order to explain results of the experiment."