Evert
Westerhuis
University of Groningen
IEM Alumni
Why did you choose
to study Industrial
Engineering and
Management and
why the University of
Groningen?
I chose Industrial Engineering and
Management because I wanted to
finish a technical and challenging
study in which I could identify
application in reality and in which
I hoped not to lose interest due
to scientific isolation. I chose
the University of Groningen as
it has the studies I ambitioned. I
felt much less for the technical
universities in our country as they
appeared unsocial and narrow
minded. Groningen University is
a high quality scientific institute
with a free mind.
What did you
particularly find
challenging about IEM
in Groningen?
I found the parts where different
disciplines and scientific methods
are combined particularly
challenging. For example a combination of statistical model
fitting, computer programming
and strategic planning or the
mathematics of Markov processes
for caching in IT systems. These
combinations of disciplines are
quite unique for IEM and make
the study more interesting.
What were the pitfalls?
I had a hard time framing my
bachelor and master thesis. I
have the impression that other
studies give more specified (or
more constrained) problems or
subjects, allowing an easier,
more straightforward and more
complete application on a
specific scientific technique than
on “application in reality”. The
difficulty of applying science in
reality is frustrating in an IEM
Master Thesis research takes
much more time. I think it is
a pitfall that the Master thesis
easily takes too long.
What specialisation
did you choose and
why?
I chose the IT specialization as
it was a much more challenging
curriculum at the time.
How was student life
in Groningen?
Great, I had much fun and
opportunity to develop my nonstudy
related talents.
Where did you carry
out your Master’s thesis
project? What was the
content?
I did my Master’s thesis at Shell
International Exploration and
Production. The content was about
the theoretical explanation of the
improvement in decision-making
by intensifying communication in
groups of people through organizing
them as collaboration centers.
How do you see the
career perspectives of
an IEM student?
Since the IEM program is relatively
new, IEM students sometimes have
difficulties explaining what their
study is about. Some people neither
understand the content nor value
the curriculum.
A big advantage of the IEM
engineer is the great financial and
strategic insights learned during the
education combined with a welltrained
mathematical and technical
mindset. This is very useful when
growing to managerial positions
and often people miss either the
insight or the structured mindset.
Did you have any
trouble finding suitable
employment? What is
your current job?
I had no problems finding suitable employment. I am currently Project
Manager at Shell Global Solutions
International. I manage engineering
projects with very challenging
capital values.
What would you advise
new IEM students?
Remember the structural thinking
after your graduate; it is embedded
in many courses, but usually not
explicit. There are many similarities.
Don’t be afraid to use and explain
the scientific techniques at your
work (like trending, programming,
heuristics, strategic models).
the IEM Masters Program
contact:
Industrial Engineering Management
Nijenborgh 4
9747 AG GRONINGEN
Tel: +31 50 363 8430
Fax: +31 50 363 8498
E-mail: sectbk@fmns.rug.nl
Master’s Coordinator:
Dr H Kloosterman
Tel: +31 50 363 8489
E-mail: h.kloosterman@rug.nl
Web: www.rug.nl/tbk/index
How to design a fraud-resistant electronic toll collection system? How can an automobile production plant minimize production costs without compromising on quality and safety? How to design a new complex consumer product (e.g. cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical formulation) and implement it in an exciting production facility?
Master Industrial Engineering And Management
These are typical questions that
an IEM Engineer can address. In
an ever-increasing technological
society, IEM engineers will
- in turn - increasingly become
leaders of technological
innovations and design.
IEM Master’s Program
The IEM Master’s program is a
new engineering program within
the University of Groningen.
Started in September 2002,
its emphasis is on learning
how to deal with practical
problems in business and how
to obtain solutions driven by a
technical and scientific design perspective.
The general aim
of the IEM Master’s program
is to train engineers to acquire
a thorough overview of the
entire primary and secondary
business processes, especially
with respect to design aspects of
technological product or process.
IEM at the University of Groningen is organised as an autonomous interfaculty situated between the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science and the Faculty of Business and Economics. IEM exploits and employs the innovative power of the parents’ faculties, that both have an outstanding international scientific reputation.
More than its nearest competitors, the IEM Master’s program of University of Groningen focuses on technology: in general the curriculum consists of 65% technical courses and 35% management courses.
There are three specializations within our program:
- Discrete Technology and Production Automation (DT)
- Information and Communication Technology (IT)
- Product and Process Technology (PT)
Right from the start of the program one of these specializations has to be chosen.
Career Perspective
Career Opportunities are
abundant for IEM engineers.
Career-market analyses
consistently show that there is
a strong need for professionals
with a combined technical and
managerial background.
IEM Engineers with a DT
specialization can start a career
as a product manager, involved
in the development of new
innovative products within the tight boundaries of technical,
market and product-related
constraints.
An IT specialized IEM engineer is able to design independent complex information systems used, for example, by financial institutions, or governments, but also information systems used to enable control of industrial processes, or used for quality management. He or she is able to architect an information system adjusted to the needs and the strategies of the company in which it has to function.
Determining how a company can effectively use information technology is typically a question that an IT-specialized IEM engineer can address. PT-specialized IEM engineers can become a member of product and process design teams, enter a career as a production manager in a process industry, or occupy leading positions in business activities with the product to costumer value chain.
