Exchange at CERN
Martin Dehli (to the left) and Øyvind Dahle Lauten wanted to get the most out of their engineer degrees at Gjøvik UC and went on exchange to CERN in Geneva.
CERN is one of the most prestigious research institutions and have a close cooperation with researchers and students at approximately 500 universities, university colleges and research institutes in more than 80 countries. Students at GUC have had the opportunity to go on exchange to CERN over the last five years.
-This is a unique opportunity to try to be an engineer. After arrival you need some time to readjust yourself because there are no lectures, but you will be placed in a project as an integrated part of a project group. We enjoy it here and there is a high academic level on everybody who works at CERN, says Martin and Øyvind. The project they work on will be their bachelor thesis: course description for bachelor thesis at CERN .
Martin and Øyvind have been in CERN in respectively six and twelve months. They recommend students who go to CERN to start looking for a place to stay as early as possible. –There is a great demand for apartments here; Geneva is a city with many international organizations that need accommodation for their employees. That’s why you should start as early as possible. There is also an opportunity to stay at a hostel close by CERN for the 60 first days after your arrival. After that you have to find your own place.
Students who goes on exchange to CERN has a good salary; they earn approximately 3000 CHF per month (about 18 000 NOK) without paying tax. Geneva is an expensive city to live in, and the prices for a room or an apartment varies between 600 CHF to 1100 CHF per month. Øyvind takes up residence on the French side, while Martin has found an apartment close to CERN. –A good tip is to check out the marked in CERN, say the two students.
- To be on exchange at CERN, you must want to work, because it will be long days. But you will get many academic challenges and learn a lot. It’s great fun and nice to be here, Martin and Øyvind points out.
The application deadline to apply for CERNs technical study programs for spring 2012 is 15th of September 2011. Send the application to International office at GUC.