A taste of ICT innovation during Night of the Nerds
Night of the Nerds
Fontys has been a partner of Night of the Nerds since 2014, an annual event where young people can learn about the world of creativity and technology in a low-threshold and attractive way. Jacqueline Pijcke of organizer FutureBites is glad that the event now also takes place at the Fontys ICT InnovationLab (next to locations Enversed, MU and Popei): "A great location for the youth event Night of the Nerds. Two birds with one stone: get inspired by creativity and tech and experience live where you could be studying in a few years' time. How nice is that?" For Fontys, it is also a great opportunity to give students a taste of a modern, hybrid learning environment, explains implementation manager Suzanne van Kuijk of the InnovationLab: "As an institute, we owe it to the ICT talent of tomorrow to inform them and show them the way to work. Getting to know technology in an environment where professionals, students and researchers work together on innovation, but also learn together, fits in perfectly."
Applied games
At Fontys, visitors get to work with games and software, among other things. They will test games, learn to program a 3D game, but also discover how games can be used for serious applications. Wouter Sluis-Thiescheffer, researcher at Fontys Hogeschool ICT, specialises in games. These play a prominent role, but not only as entertainment: "Visitors learn in a playful manner about technology that can make the world a better place. Games open the door to what digital technology can do and what applications are possible. We will show that on this day." The youngsters will also visit the UX Lab, a room that is fully equipped for extensive testing of user experiences with technology and other applications. They will also get to know the complex technology that can recognise emotional triggers during video calls. In short, young people discover the possibilities of ICT.
Inspire and let inspire
It is important to introduce and inspire students with technology. There is a great demand for professionals in ICT and other disciplines. But in an environment such as the Fontys ICT InnovationLab, this works both ways, according to programme manager Sandra Verhoeven: "In an InnovationHub like this, meeting people is important. Night of the Nerds is a wonderful opportunity to inspire future talent, but they also bring in enthusiasm and questions, which in turn inspires us. In an ever faster developing economy, that kind of interaction is essential for knowledge sharing and development."
Night of the Nerds takes place on 12 October. There are still places available, but space is limited at the venues. During the event, visitors to the Fontys ICT InnovationLab can also learn more about studying at Fontys. Night of the Nerds is an initiative of the FutureBites foundation and is supported by ASML, Cultuur Eindhoven, Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, Fonds 21, Barbant C, VSB Fonds, Hack the Planet, Fontys and Dutch Technology Week. All information can be found on www.nightofthenerds.com.