Eindhoven hosts tomorrow’s international digital innovators at Masters School launch

Over 300 students from Europe, Africa, America and Asia will attend this year’s EIT Digital Master School launch – being hosted in Eindhoven from October 22 to 24 by Eindhoven University of Technology & EIT Digital.

The event is the start of students’ two-year programme of study at their choice of two universities selected from a list of 20 leading European institutions in nine countries, including Eindhoven University of Technology and Delft University of Technology is in the Netherlands.As a key part of the event programme, students will be challenged to work together under time pressure to develop and then pitch innovative ideas to an expert panel.

Willem Jonker, CEO of EIT Digital said: "The EIT Digital Master School is unique in that it enables our students to fulfil their ambitions by developing their digital and entrepreneurial skills in a top quality pan-European education programme. This will bring Europe the people needed to drive digitisation throughout society."

“We want to help create the next generation of entrepreneurs who will drive innovation - whether that’s in roles in large corporates and research institutes or adding to the growing community of digital start-ups based in Europe. It’s important that we nurture talent in order to help fill the skills gaps we know exist in this sector, and to remain competitive internationally. We want our students to have robust technical skills but also be flexible, creative and innovative to compete and succeed in a dynamic global market.”

Prof. Anders Flodström, Education Director of EIT Digital Education said:
“We’re very pleased to have students from over 50 countries and four continents enrolled on this year’s programme. This diverse student base and the growth we have seen year on year – including a nearly 30 per cent increase this year - demonstrates the need and demand for the blend of technical and entrepreneurial skills our Master School offers. We see this two-year programme as the start of lifelong learning and development to support individuals throughout their career.

“Bringing students together at the beginning of the course sets the tone we want them to follow: to learn how to connect and work collaboratively, explore ideas and new thinking and ultimately develop their skills to be the digital entrepreneurs of the future.”

EIT Digital also runs a Doctoral School and a Professional School which provide a programme of learning for digital entrepreneurs and IT professionals throughout their careers.

Applications for Master School places for the 2016/17 academic year will open on 1 November 2015.

Master School student Charlotte Kortbeek completed her first year in Technical University Delft and is now studying in Helsinki:

"I started looking for master’s degrees and found the perfect fit in EIT Digital. It is unique in the way it combines academic knowledge with the more practical courses in entrepreneurship. EIT Digital offers an education package that at first sounded too good to be true; getting a double degree from two of the top universities in Europe, a minor in entrepreneurship, the extra summer schools and the possibility to get a scholarship. But what I like the most about the Master School are my fellow students. Their continuous stream of energy and their incredible urge to create inspires me every day. I love creating business plans and working on projects with them. Taking the step to become a real entrepreneur is something I and a lot of my fellow student are now considering."

Notes to editor: Journalists are invited to attend the opening session of the Master School Kick-off from 12.30pm at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven.

Please contact Else Embregts on +31 646144052 for further details. Images and interviews available on request.

Testimonials from Master School graduates are available here: http://www.masterschool.eitdigital.eu/education/what-our-students-say/