The event was organized by scholarship coordinator, Dr Shiju Raveendran, who introduced the students to the programme community. He is happy to explain about the programme: “The John van Geuns Fund aims to encourage talented secondary school students to choose the joint degree Chemistry programme at the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit. The scholarship helps support students financially by covering a significant part of their study-related expenses.”

During the meeting, Prof. Wybren Jan Buma, chair of the Board of Governors of the fund, spoke about the history of the foundation and the objectives of the fellowship. “We aim to support the ambition of our students to give their academic and professional careers in chemistry a strong start. We encourage them to actively contribute to the programme and support its goals during their studies. For example, they can return to their former secondary schools to promote our Chemistry programme, assist with masterclasses, or support trial study activities for high school students at UvA and VU.”

Dr. Jocelyne Vreede, programme director of the UvA/VU Chemistry Bachelor, provided an overview of the curriculum and highlighted the various activities and initiatives in which students can participate. The meeting also included an engaging interactive session in which students shared their outreach activities, experiences, and motivations for studying Chemistry. The event concluded with an informal lunchtime discussion.

See also

• Website John van Geuns fonds
• John van Geuns scholarships (in Dutch)
• Study Chemistry at UvA/VU
• Apply for a John van Geuns scholarship (in Dutch)