The Da Vinci Programme 2024

Become a changemaker, contributing to innovative sustainable solutions. Get outside your comfort zone and work on real-life problems in an interdisciplinary environment.

The Da Vinci Programme is a profile (30 EC) that offers you an immersive learning experience that enables you to become a changemaker, a connector, and an innovator that contributes to the transition towards a sustainable world. In collaboration with private and public partners you will tackle real-life sustainability challenges.
In an interdisciplinary student team, you will work part time at a stakeholder’s (partner organization) location. All teams will be mentored by supervisors from the partner organizations and by a coach from university. During the programme you will be offered weekly workshops, supporting you in the process for solving the challenge. Through the workshops you will be trained in design thinking, systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. The coach will support you on a personal development journey.
There will also be additional educational activities, such as field trips, showcasing inspiring real-life examples of sustainability innovation.

For more information about the Da Vinci Programme download here the Da Vinci brochure (PDF).

A PROGRAMME WITH CHOICES

In collaboration with external partners the Da Vinci Programme offers challenges to choose from. When you sign up for this programme, you are required to submit a motivation for one of them.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

  • Start: September 9th, 2024
  • End: February 7th, 2025
  • Study load: 30 EC
  • Language: English
  • Master students from all disciplines are welcome to join
  • Dates live events will follow.

DURING AND AFTER THE DA VINCI PROGRAMME YOU:

  • Will be equipped with knowledge, soft and hard skills, and mindset to tackle sustainability challenges.
  • Will get experience on interdisciplinary research, stakeholder management and other leadership skills.
  • Will practice with creative thinking, building and testing prototypes and critical reflection.
  • Will discover how you can add value to an interdisciplinary environment to solve complex problems.
  • Will have gained in-depth knowledge on a specific sustainability issue.


REGISTRATION IS OPEN

To register send a email to: mdavinci@uu.nl
Registration ends on the 26th of August. We urge you not to wait, as the number of places is limited!
Note: The Da Vinci programme starts on September 9th 2024 (as opposed to September 2nd 2024, as mentioned on the registration form).

We accept a maximum of 30 students In case the number of applicants exceeds the maximum, a selection will be done by the coordinators of the program, based on three aspects:

  1. We aim to create interdisciplinary student teams, which means ideally an equal representation of alpha, beta, and gamma sciences. Some challenges require certain disciplines and for some challenges particular disciplines are more desirable than others.
  2. Students must submit a video with their motivation when they register for the program.
  3. Students that have registered and submitted a sufficient quality motivation video will be invited for an interview and will be asked to perform an assignment. Based on the criteria of composing the best interdisciplinary teams, the quality of the motivation, the interview and the assignment, the coordinators retain the right to reject students.

Contact

Hannah Thuijs