THU’s Process & Food Technology programme is giving a Romanian student the right balance of theory and practical experience.

Attracted

Ever since her high school days in Romania, Andreea Toderascu (20) has wanted to study a

Andreea Toderascu

chemistry-related programme abroad. Now she is. She’s approaching the end of her first year of The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THU’s) Process and Food Technology (PFT) programme, and enjoying everything about it. “One of the aspects that attracted me the most to the PFT was the collaboration with Dutch companies that gives you so much hands-on experience.”

Well organised

The contrast with the Romanian education system has been a pleasant surprise for Andreea. “I can approach the lecturers when things get difficult and the ‘open door policy’ really closes the gap between generations. The programme is also well organised and characterised by a pleasant atmosphere and a good balance between individual work, lectures and group work, which can sometimes be a bit demanding.”

Practical

Andreea finds the PFT a fascinating and well-balanced combination of theory and practice. “Before putting anything into practice you need a solid theoretical grounding. In each of the PFT blocks we have to do a project that must be approached both theoretically and practically. Moreover, the subjects in each block are correlated to the practical projects in such a way as to help you.”

Lab practice

Although she also likes the maths and chemistry classes, lab practice is what Andreea is enjoying the most about the PFT. “We also get to spend at least one day a week in the lab, performing experiments relevant to what we are learning. It’s where you learn by trial and error; the smallest mistake means it can all go wrong. But being given the freedom to experiment is what makes it so interesting.”

Fascinating projects

During the PFT Andreea has been involved in some fascinating projects. In a water management project, for example, she learned about purification methods. “Water is an essential commodity that we often take for granted, yet many people in the world suffer because they don’t have enough of it. We’ve been learning how various sources of water can be transformed into potable water.” Another project, related to the subject of heat transfer, involved collaborating with a company producing heat exchangers. “We were given an assignment for which we had to calculate properties, choose the design and the appropriate equipment for the given process.”

Different cultures

According to Andreea the PFT’s international character is a great asset. At first, she concedes, it took her a while to get used to having classmates from every corner of the world. “But we soon learned to cooperate, accept our differences and become friends. Increasing globalisation makes it likely that I’ll be collaborating with people from all walks of life when I start work. The PFT is giving me a head start by exposing me to new cultures and thereby helping me improve myself personally and professionally.”

Making a difference

With three years of the programme still to go Andreea pretty much knows what she wants. As the PFT progresses she’ll probably gravitate more towards the chemical processing rather than the food side, and afterwards she’d like to continue with a master’s degree at a technical university. Then when she starts work, in the chemical processing sector, it will preferably be for a company that respects and appreciates its employees, and in a job she enjoys. “You have a better chance of succeeding if you like what you do. And I’d love to have a job in which I can make a difference and change the world for the better.”