Minor Tesla

Owner	Master Biological Sciences
Coordinator	prof. dr. ir. R.C. Schuurink
Part of	Minor Tesla, year 1

Course manual 2023/2024

Course content

In the Tesla minor, students and teachers work together to create positive impact through connecting science and society. The main aim of the minor is for students to develop personally and professionally in a safe learning environment.

During the minor students work in small groups on complex client projects that combine science with a business or society challenge. Thereby Tesla minor cuts across traditional boundaries between disciplines and professional environments. Besides working on a project for an external partner organization, students attend lectures by speakers from within and outside of academia, participate in a range of skills training and are responsible for organising part of the programme. Special elements such as an integrated sports programme make Tesla Minor a unique learning experience.

During the programme, students have full-time access to their own office space. Most trainings, guest lectures and project work takes place here. Surely, other locations will be visited as well (visiting companies, going on excursions, engaging in training sessions, etc.).

Project

The backbone of the Minor consists of a project that students will work on in small groups (ca. 3 students per group). Each group works on a different project for a different external organization. During the first phase each group will take on the challenge posed by the organization and analyse it and develop a tangible and realistic project plan. After presenting this to the organization and FNWI supervisor each group will start working on the realization of their project.

The minor is designed for students who want to implement disciplinary knowledge and develop competencies necessary to integrate elements of business, science and society. During the minor students will improve their skills in team work in an interdisciplinary setting, information processing methods for dealing with complex problems, communication with stakeholders from outside the university, project management, entrepreneurship, and self-reflection

Skills training

An intensive training programme will enable students to perform successfully in their project. The trainings are provided by different trainers from within an outside of the University of Amsterdam. The trainings are focused on the competences mentioned in the learning objectives. The overall training programme is designed to offer an integral supplement to the project work. Thereby, students can utilize and improve the different skills while working on the successful realization of their project.

Next to the general training programme, students have the opportunity to fine-tune part of the training to their specific background and needs. Furthermore, each group has the opportunity to submit a proposal for additional training, research or other supporting activities necessary to bring their project to a success. The Minor coordinator assists students in making sure students make realistic and appropriate budget planning and has to give final approval.

Examples of training topics:

• Projectmanagement (planning, budgetmanagement etc.)
• Teamwork
• Communication (interaction, influencing, conversational- & interview techniques)
• Self-reflection (What are your talents, drivers, motivation, weaknesses)
• ‘Information processing’ (structuring and analysing information, presentation skills)´
• 'Doing business' (entrepreneurial skills, consultancy, sales, marketing, persuasion).  
• Theatre (improving communication & presenting)  
• Visual thinking
• Story telling
• and many more...

Lectures and more

During the programme a selection of guest lecturers will share their experience and knowledge concerning several topics related to the central theme of creating value with science in practice.

The theme will be rooted in more tangible lectures from professionals with a science background who share their personal and professional vision and experiences. Guest lecturers ranging from young professionals, to senior policy makers, scientists, entrepreneurs, business and NGO leaders, will share their insights related to their career path, the decisions they made and the ways in which they utilize their science background in their working environment.

The lectures offer the students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge on different aspects of utilizing science in different professional environments, including making personal and professional choices. Next to the prescheduled lectures the students have the opportunity to select and invite guest-lecturers themselves. Thereby they have to possibility to tune the lecture series to their specific project work and interests.

Several excursions might be part of the Minor as well. As with the lectures, part of these will be student organized thereby allowing students to practice certain skills while learning more about a topic relevant to their project work and background.

In addition to the self-organized lectures and excursions, other programme related elements (such as student presentations at UvA events, communication in media) will be part of the student involvement in the organization of the programme.

Students also give each other lectures on topics close to their (professional/personal) heart that make people think.

Sports

A specially developed sport trainings module is an integral part of the Tesla Minor. Every week the schedule contains several blocks in which students participate in a range of sports/trainings sessions. The overall sports programme has three aims:

1. Offering a special setting for further skills training
2. Creating an intense setting for teambuilding
3. Providing a balanced working week which optimizes performance and health

The sports programme is developed in cooperation with the University Sports Centre (USC).

Project presentations and meetings

Each week students will have a project meeting with their supervisor and students present their work and challenges in biweekly project sessions.

Coaching

Students engage in two types of coaching. 1) In peer coaching sessions students can share what they are struggling with in their projects or team. 2) one-on-one personal coaching with a Tesla coach will help students find their own path, within the minor and beyond.

Study materials

Literature

• All literature needed for trainings and workshops will be provided in the course. For the projects, students are responsible for finding the relevant scientific literature.

Objectives

• All learning objectives fall into at least one of the following learning trajectories: (1) Making systemic change (2) Collaborating across boundaries (3) Project and Information management (4) Self-Actualization (6) Career navigation (7) Creativity and Imagination in Action. On finishing the Tesla Minor, the student:
• Is able to develop a vision that is inspiring and effective in bringing about relevant (societal) change
• Is able to analyze and address societal challenges using a systemic approach
• Is able to create project outcomes and deliverables in a way that is effective in bringing about relevant (societal) change
• is able to evaluate impactful and fulfilling career paths that match with the student’s qualities and interests
• is able to utilize disciplinary knowledge and skills in a setting outside academia  • •
• is able to combine, structure, and analyze complex information from a diverse range of (academic and non-academic) sources
• is able to analyze and formulate research results and to draw conclusions
• is able to perform hierarchical decomposition on a complex problem 
• Is able to reflect on own strengths, weaknesses and values
• is able to use knowledge of own performance to improve on competencies
• is able to present – both written and orally - processes, methods and results in a clear and concise manner to both layman and specialist audiences
• is able to organize and structure a long-term project
• The following learning outcomes are not directly assessed. The student: • is able to cooperate and communicate with project commissioners and other project members • is able to show leadership in different situations and professional settings • is able to apply conflict management models to real life situations • is able to demonstrate a professional, effective and balanced work ethic • is able to apply various problem solving techniques • is able to deal with uncertainties and stressful situations • is able to apply several consultancy tools and methods • is able to communicate project goals and progress to different stakeholders

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Fieldwork/excursion
• Presentation/symposium
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
• Self-study
• Supervision/feedback meeting

Learning activities

Attendance

Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):

1. Attendance during practical components exercises is mandatory.

Additional requirements for this course:

Attendance is mandatory in all activities in the programme. If students cannot be present at one or more of the activities they have to notify one of the teachers in advance. If students miss more than 10% of all activities (80 hours in total), they will receive a NA (not accomplished).

 

 

 

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade

Group assessments

The project groups will be assessed on:

• Project proposal (10%)

Assessed by: docent vaardigheden, Internal supervision of FNWI staff member and examiner

• Project proposal presentation (10%)

Assessed by: docent vaardigheden, Internal supervision of FNWI staff member

• Final report (60%)

Assessed by: docent vaardigheden, Internal supervision of FNWI staff member and examiner

• Final presentation (20%)

Assessed by: docent vaardigheden, Internal supervision of FNWI staff member and examiner

• Reflection report (pass/fail)

Assessed by: docent vaardigheden

 

Peer feedback assessment (maximum positive or negative deviation of 1,5 grade points of final group grade)

Students assess each other’s contribution to the end result with a peer assessment form. The examiner will use this information and the experience of the docent vaardigheden, who supervises the project groups on a daily basis, to determine the final individual grades.

Assignments

All information will be provided in detail during the course

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Contact information

Coordinator

• prof. dr. ir. R.C. Schuurink