A moment for rest, coziness, and Christmas spirit: the Cursor editorial team is closing their laptops for a short break to enjoy the holiday season.

For ten years now, Mohammed Nagy Elagroudy has been unbeatable in his sport: the lightning-fast game of speed-ball. And he manages to do so while also pursuing a PhD at TU/e. His secret is simple, he says: discipline and a routine.

By now, it has become a cheerful tradition: Winter University brings life to the otherwise quiet TU/e campus between Christmas and New Year’s. Students and PhD candidates who stay in Eindhoven during the holidays are welcome to join a wide range of cozy activities.

Following damage related to a protest earlier this month, TU/e will more strictly enforce compliance with existing regulations governing the use of TU/e buildings. Anyone who fails to comply risks a warning or a fine, or may be temporarily denied access to TU/e buildings.

We see it. We know it. And yet we do nothing. In this contribution on climate change, emeritus professor Niek Lopes Cardozo shows that we ourselves are the elephant in the room.

The United Kingdom will rejoin the European exchange program Erasmus+ starting in January 2027. To take part, the UK will have to pay around 650 million euros.

Sham Moodliar will begin his role as @tue.nl Chief Transformation Officer (CTrO) on January 1. He will also remain in his current job as managing director at the department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry until May 1.

@tue.nl will discontinue the math test that has been mandatory since 2021 for students from universities of applied sciences enrolling in a pre-master's program.

@tue.nl researchers Isabelle Reymen en Joaquin Vanschoren have been awarded funding from the national organization Open Science NL, for three projects that aim to strengthen the infrastructure of open science.

To ensure that more bachelor’s students stay in Eindhoven for their master’s degree, @tue.nl has hired four retention officers. Growth is primarily needed in the four “Beethoven departments”, that aim to supply Brainport with more semicon talent.

Decluttering is Cursor columnist Annemarie van Malsen's New Year's resolution for 2026. The storage room of the @tue.nl Department of Industrial Design is overflowing with boxes of printed sweaters, mugs, T-shirts, and other goodies. “This could be done more sustainably.”

Nearly one hundred students at TU/e can call themselves student ambassadors. They represent the university online, on campus, and at (inter)national fairs. “As a student I can explain way more about the study and student life than a regular staff member.”

During winter more small campus residents like mice also make their way into buildings. “That’s a normal phenomenon at this time of year. We don’t have any buildings where there is an infestation,” says Annelien Besijn of Campus and Facilities. Measures have been taken to keep them out.

During the COVID period, many secondary school students passed their final exams, partly thanks to relaxed rules. In higher education, these “leniency-aided” students are said to run into difficulties more often, according to various media outlets. That is only partly true.

Rents—including for student housing—may increase by a maximum of 4.1 to 6.1 percent as of July 1, the cabinet announced. One piece of good news is that young people with self-contained housing will be eligible for housing allowance more often starting in 2026.

Cursor columnist Boudewijn van Dongen is not very pleased with the centralized support services at @tue.nl. ‘I have to approve my PhD candidates’ travel expense claims multiple times in a row, because in the workflow I am simultaneously labeled as project leader, supervisor, and budget holder.’

Abolishing interest on student debt would cost the government 660 million euros a year. One of the issues: students would then borrow as much as possible and earn interest themselves by putting the money in a savings account.

The results of the @tue.nl University Council elections have been announced. A striking number of staff members were replaced by new members. Turnout was 37 percent, which is significantly higher than in recent years.

Science boring? Twelve @tue.nl scientists pitched their research in an engaging way during Talking Science. Only three of them walked away with prizes though.

@tue.nl professor Philip de Goey has been appointed Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion.

@tue.nl researcher Marrit Tholen makes the invisible visible using a super-resolution microscope. Her PhD research shows how to deliver nanomedicines and vaccines more precisely and reveals that real patient cells differ completely from standard laboratory cell lines

The Netherlands should invest many billions of euros in knowledge, innovation, and infrastructure, advises former ASML CEO Peter Wennink. He also wants to welcome international students: “We urgently need global talent.”

University fund UFe thanked its major donors today during a gathering on the @tue.nl campus. The guests were alumni who personally donated at least 10,000 euros over the past year. Around thirty donors attended, some of whom contribute an average of 50,000 euros annually.

You’ll run into Sam Lifka on campus whenever you attend a reception or join an organized lunch. “Serving drinks, collecting empty glasses, refilling them, loading and unloading the dishwasher, frying snacks, assembling platters, making sandwiches, cleaning up — I enjoy all of it.”

Protests lead to riots and vandalism too often, some parties in the House of Representatives believe. But according to a new report, there is no need to restrict the right to demonstrate.

The search for alternatives to American IT services is intensifying as geopolitical unrest grows. TU/e and ICT cooperative SURF are also looking for replacements for Microsoft and Google.

“We want their talent, but not their problems — that’s not how a university should treat its students.” In her new column for Cursor, Edith Snelders highlights the fragile position of international students, who often face crises without the safety nets Dutch students rely on.

Philip de Goey says goodbye to @tue.nl after 25 years as a full professor, including 10 years as dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. De Goey is known for his research on metal powder as a sustainable energy carrier. On Friday, December 12, he will mark his farewell with a symposium.

#Eindhoven will be home to a branch of the #Rijksmuseum, as announced today. The museum building will be located right next to the @tue.nl campus: between the Dommel and Kennedylaan, opposite the Bunker. The ambition is for the Rijksmuseum in Eindhoven to open in 6 to 8 years.

The @tue.nl master’s program Human-Technology Interaction has an exchange semester incorporated into its curriculum, and Floor van der Velden is spending hers in Trento, Italy. In the country of great food, slow-paced living, and, in this area, beautiful mountains.

How to deal with global warming? 140 thinkers, including 5 @tue.nl scientists, explored this question posed by platform Beste-ID. Emeritus professor Barry Koren seeks the solution in mathematics: “For protection against flooding, the Netherlands has been using a computational model for many years.”

TU/e has announced a full renovation of the façade of the Flux building. The reason: shifting glass panels. The building is only ten years old and is already showing defects. The university has held contractor BAM liable.

If the Dutch House of Representatives agrees, Rianne Letschert will soon lead coalition negotiations between VVD, CDA, and D66. Letschert, president of the executive board at Maastricht University, has openly expressed political ambitions.

Starting January 1, 2026, the Eindhoven Student Sports Center will be administratively transferred from General Affairs to Education and Student Affairs. Manager Max van Veen and ESA Director Daisy van der Schaft see it as a logical step. “Cardholders shouldn’t notice any difference,” they say.

Solar Team Eindhoven is set to build an ambulance that runs entirely on solar energy and can power all onboard medical equipment. The vehicle must also withstand harsh conditions so it can be deployed worldwide. The team announced this on Tuesday afternoon.

More than seven thousand students, lecturers, and researchers gathered in Amsterdam on Tuesday to protest planned budget cuts to higher education. There was widespread distrust of the direction taken by D66. “Stop the cuts!”

The Helix building, home to the Chemical Engineering & Chemistry department, is experiencing a shortage of space. Office occupancy is too high. Some labs are now being used as offices and vice versa. Dean Mark Boneschanscher indicates that this must and will change.

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a consolidator grant of roughly 2 million euros to 40 researchers at Dutch institutions. Only the United Kingdom and Germany secured more grants. Three applications from TU/e have been approved.

For those in search of a good read, the Studium Generale (SG) Mini Library is now at your service. The light blue cabinet is located next to the SG office in Auditorium 2.02. Anyone at TU/e who wishes to take, borrow, or exchange a book is welcome to visit.

Many students take longer to complete their degree. In higher vocational education (HBO), only one in three students earns a bachelor’s degree within four years. At research universities, where a bachelor’s program takes three years, roughly the same proportion finishes on time.

The elections for the @tue.nl University Council take place today and tomorrow. Two years ago, Cursor already wrote about the limited choice of candidates. Since then, little has changed, and co-determination remains a relatively unpopular ancillary activity.

How can we help every student find the right place as quickly as possible? That is the key question of project Wisselstroom. The last two years, staff members from Avans University of Applied Sciences, Fontys and @tue.nl explored ways to improve the transition of students between their institutions.

The Cybersecurity Act will be adopted in the second quarter of 2026 and is the Netherlands’ transposition of European legislation. The new rules are intended to make organizations more digitally resilient. What will the introduction mean for @tue.nl?

Anton Pijpers en Sylvia van Es are joining the @tue.nl Supervisory Board. Pijpers, former President of Utrecht University, will succeed Peter Wennink as chair. Van Es, President of Philips NL and Chief Privacy Officer of Philips worldwide, brings expertise in areas such as cybersecurity and data.

Three out of ten full professors at Dutch universities are women, according to the latest figures. In the Executive Boards women now form the majorities. At @tue.nl, the proportion of female full professors is lower: just above 25 percent.

Miners used to take canaries into the coal mines. When the singing stopped, they knew toxic gas was leaking and it was time to head back up. Those small birds saved lives. At @tue.nl, participation plays a similar role, say Gabriël Nusselder and Martijn Klabbers of the University Council.

The library in MetaForum is once again organizing a Christmas gift drive for @tue.nl students who can’t go home during the holidays. Anyone can donate books or games and place them under the tree. The staff hopes to fill it with plenty of unexpected presents.

The Equipment and Prototype Center (EPC), currently an independent service, will become part of the department of Mechanical Engineering (ME). TU/e aims to make the EPC more efficient and ensure its continuity. The University Council was critical of this move but has approved it.

Climate change cannot be solved by consuming less and giving up our comfort, but through innovation, writes Carlo van de Weijer in Cursor. He calls it ‘sustainable hedonism’: continuing to pursue a good life, but in a fully sustainable way.

The digital encyclopedia about TU/e is accessible again. For a while, this online reference work was out of service due to outdated software, but anyone interested can now once again browse through its entries. They cover key moments, people, and events from the university’s history.