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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">Dear colleague,<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">** TL;DR: we invite you to actively contribute to designing an update of the MSc. Ph&A study programme. We hope to collect a substantial pool of names, which we can call on to join a
committee or support their work. <a href="mailto:mscphanda@list.uva.nl" target="_blank" class="ContentPasted0">Please contact us!</a>**</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">Physics & Astronomy in Amsterdam has undergone tremendous changes in the past decade. Entire new institutes emerged, we digitized large parts of our teaching
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">(nudged by the need to deal with Covid),</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> and we expanded our reach in terms of topics and staff
members. In addition, the world around us is rapidly changing</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> and this places new demands on
us</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">, both</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> as scientists and teachers.
<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">The impact of this on our teaching and on the joint degree MSc program Physics & Astronomy has become a recurring discussion topic in various corners of Amsterdam Physics.<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">After our newsletter in June 2021 we had several meetings with a small study group, and after further discussions between the track coordinators and the program director we would like
to follow up on this. Before the summer</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> the management teams of VU Physics & Astronomy, IoP and
API expressed their wish to start a process </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">of
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">careful reflect</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">ion</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">
on the state of the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">joint degree MSc</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> program</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">,
leading to suggestions for</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> change</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0"> where necessary, to
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">bring the program in better alignment with the expectations, interests and wishes of
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">both
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">our staff and
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">our
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">students.
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">Similar</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> efforts have
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">already been started during</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> recent years</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">
for</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> individual tracks</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">
and the experience obtained from these will be used as blueprint for </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">the current</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0"> review of the
MSc program. <o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">In consultation with the program director, Ivo van Stokkum, a core team has been appointed to steer this process.
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">T</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">he</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0"> initial</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">
focus will be on </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">the largest scale</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">: a review of
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">the (educational) v</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">ision, the exit qualifications, and the examination strategy</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">
of the MSc program. Building on those, we will then gradually shift focus to the organisation of tracks and curricula.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">We aim to gather and include input from all corners of Amsterdam Physics & Astronomy (staff and students) and therefore hope that you will attend brainstorm, information, and feedback
sessions</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0"> which we will be organising throughout the coming year</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">. In addition, we are looking for
interested lecturers willing to take part in small committees that will </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB" class="ContentPasted0">focus on targeted aspects within the review and help to deliver concrete proposals. With these efforts,
we hope to further improve our successful program.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US" class="ContentPasted0">If you are willing to contribute to this effort, please reach out to us at this email address:
</span><a href="mailto:mscphanda@list.uva.nl" target="_blank" class="ContentPasted0"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">mscphanda@list.uva.nl</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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Best regards,<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></p>
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Erik van Heumen, Oscar Versolato, and Jasper van Wezel.<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></p>
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