News

The Ministry for Education, Culture and Science has awarded a Gravitation grant for large-scale research on quantum software. This grant of 18.8 million euro unites researchers from QuSoft, CWI, Leiden University, QuTech, TU Delft, UvA and the VU in pursuing state of the art research programmes in this new field. Project leader is Harry Buhrman, who is also PI of the NETWORKS programme. 

In 2014 much effort was spent on setting up the programme’s scientific and organisational structure, whereas in the second year, attention shifted to building up the scientific activities of the programme. By now, the programme is at full speed, with a solid organisation, and we are entering a new phase. Last year's results are presented in the Annual Report of 2016.

Recently two popular scientific books appeared containing a contribution of Johan van Leeuwaarden.

In ‘Hoe zwaar is licht?’ (What is the weight of light?) van Leeuwaarden answers a question about π. In ‘Wetenschappelijke parels’ (original title: Know This: Today's Most Interesting and Important Scientific Ideas, Discoveries, and Developments) he tells about sphere packing in mathematics.

Sem Borst (TU Eindhoven and Nokia Bell Labs) received the 2017 ACM SIGMETRICS Achievement Award.

Science Park Amsterdam runs an interview series with scientists and students associated with institutes and businesses at Science Park Amsterdam. In the last edition an interview with Harry Buhrman about QuSoft, the new Dutch research centre for quantum software, and quantum computing.

PhD student Clara Stegehuis, affiliated to NETWORKS, has been chosen as one of the twelve new ‘Faces of Science’. These young talents, chosen by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), will relate about their daily ins and outs as a scientist in movies and blogs.

On Thursday 15 December, Frank den Hollander was appointed Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion. The adornments were pinned on Den Hollander by Mayor Emile Jaensch of Oegstgeest, where Den Hollander resides. The ceremony occurred during a congress at TU/e honouring the 60^th birthday of Den Hollander. 

On 2 November 2016, Dr. Viresh Patel was awarded a TOP Grant by the 'Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek' (NWO). This Grants was awarded in the TOP Grants Science round 2016, compartment 2.

Madelon de Kemp (UvA-NETWORKS) won the ASML Graduation Prize for Mathematics. This prize consists of an amount of €5000.- and will be awarded to her on 28 November 2016 by the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW).

The second edition of the NETWORKS interactive PhD colloquium took place in Amsterdam. A total of 27 participants enjoyed lectures by four speakers on a wide variety of topics. The day was a great success that concluded with a social activity and dinner.