⚡️ Welcome to Episode 9 of the Photcast series! This is the RUSH VERSION of the podcast episode, to give you a 10-minute summary of our 1-hour podcast. ⚡️ We are excited to bring you an engaging discussion featuring master students Patrick and Arne, who recently embarked on a fascinating journey to Nairobi, Kenya. Joining us for this episode is also Fanny, the coordinator of the elective course 'Trade Mission' at VUB, who played a crucial role in guiding our students through this unique experience. In the 'Trade Mission' course, students are given the extraordinary opportunity to represent a company or organisation abroad. This involves independently securing funding from companies, which helps them develop critical entrepreneurial and intercultural skills. These skills are then put to the test during the mission itself, where students conduct market research and engage with international business partners. Our discussion today will delve into Patrick and Arne's adventure in Kenya, exploring the challenges they faced, the skills they developed, and the insights they gained. The Trade Mission course, offered in collaboration with Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), enables students to discover new business opportunities for Belgian enterprises. This year, Patrick and Arne were part of a multidisciplinary team of future business engineers, international business specialists, economists, communicators, legal experts, and photonics innovators, all led by the experienced academic team of Professor Dooms. Over the past 33 years, VUB Trade Missions have successfully represented more than 400 companies in over 30 countries. With guidance from entities such as the Belgian embassy and the Foreign Trade Agency, our students gain invaluable experience that extends beyond the classroom, preparing them for a global career in their respective fields. Join us as we explore the highlights of their mission, the impact on their professional development, and the broader implications for photonics engineering and international business. Welcome to Episode 9 of the Photcast series – let's dive into the world of VUB Trade Missions and the exciting experiences of our students in Kenya! -- PHOTCAST is a podcast from students, with students, for students. We discuss every aspect of photonics & engineering, studying photonics in Belgium, student life and future job perspectives. Want to know more? Visit our website: https://studyphotonics.com or https://b-phot.org The Master of Science in Photonics Engineering is an English-taught 2-year master programme (120 ECTS) that leads to a joint degree from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University. We offer students a challenging engineering programme that combines core photonics courses with a wide range of photonics electives and multidisciplinary modules, e.g. Electronics and Information Technology, Physics and Materials, Business Engineering, Modelling, Measurement and Control and Life Sciences. You can study on campus in Brussels or Ghent OR follow the brand-new online track! This multidisciplinary approach, combined with high-level training in labs and a strong link with industry worldwide, has proven to boost the employment prospects of our graduates to a maximum in innovative industries and research domains such as biotechnology, health care, green energy and environmental monitoring, homeland security, aerospace, ICT and Industry 4.0.
