Center for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis

Master in Catalytic Technology - Industrial Internship

1. Goals and organisation

In view of a concrete industrial project, the internship provides experience with the daily work environment in an industrial framework.  Executing the internship project, de trainee will learn the methods used in the company, and will get insight in the practical aspects of the corporate culture.  The internship is making a bridge between the thorough theoretical education and the practice.  The trainee will gain some skills that are essential to the study Master in Catalytic Technology, 

• Development of sustainable catalytic processes
• Organize and follow-up production steps and develop new products and production procedures
• Quality control of intermediary and finished products
• Selection, execution and application of analysis techniques, following the desired information
• Expound an autonomic studied subject concerning catalysis in front of a public of engineers and chemists, and summarize it in written
• Function in team

he internship represents 15 study credits and half of the study credits of the first semester of the study Master in Catalytic Technology.  The internship takes 13 week and has a volume of 260 hours of practice (two and a half days a week, during 13 weeks). It will, in principal, take place from September till December, and it will be evaluated in the exam period of January.  The lessons of the Master in Catalytic Technology are planned in such a way that the student, who chooses the option industrial internship, should be available during two and a half days a week.  The exact time schedule has to be established together with the internship supervisor.

The trainee will be guided intensively by the K.U.Leuven internship supervisor and by the Industrial internship supervisor.

Evaluation will be done by a commission of 3 members (K.U.Leuven internship coordinator, K.U.Leuven internship supervisor, Industrial internship supervisor) based on three elements: the performance in the company, the internship report and the oral presentation of the report.
The internship is unsalaried.

2. Application

The industrial internship is part of the obliged study internship, defined by the legal department of the K.U.Leuven.  The basic information concerning this form of study internship can be found on:
http://www.kuleuven.be/juridische_dienst/studiestage/index.htm
under section: “K.U.Leuven studenten die een stage willen lopen bij een externe organisatie of instelling”.
Aspects of Insurance, legal determinations concerning risks for safety and health and social status of the trainee are discussed in that section.
We apologize that this site only exists in Dutch
The application contains the following documents:

• Traineeship contract (.pdf)
• Workplace checklist (.pdf) with risk analysis
• Scientific and technological goals (1 page)

and, when necessary:

• Confidentiality agreement: optional, when desired by the company. Written by the company and approved by K.U.Leuven R&D.
• Special agreement concerning the well-being law (in Dutch "welzijnswet")
• Attestation health appraisal

The internship coordinator makes a list of possible internship locations. The identification of internship locations will be done by a ZAP member, connected with the study Master in Catalytic Technology. The students who wish to do an internship, will inform the K.U.Leuven internship coordinator and give their preference of company. The internship locations will be assigned by the internship coordinator.
After assignation, the trainee will work up the assignment and will work out, together with the supervisors, an internship plan.  This plan has to be approved by the supervisors, before the start of the internship.  The student keeps a journal that will regularly be discussed with, and signed by, the supervisors.

3. Evaluation

The internship will be evaluated by the K.U.Leuven internship coordinator, Industrial internship supervisor and K.U.Leuven internship supervisor. In case the K.U.Leuven internship coordinator would also be internship supervisor, another ZAP member, connected to the study Master in Catalytic Technology will be added to the exams commission and oral presentation of the internship report     .

Quotas will be assigned on the basis of three elements of equal value:

• The performance on the internship location (evaluated by the Industrial internship supervisor and by the K.U.Leuven internship supervisor)
• Written report (max 15 pages with max 15 pages attachments) (evaluated by the K.U.Leuven internship coordinator, Industrial internship supervisor and K.U.Leuven internship supervisor)

The written report consists of (1) a short introduction, positioning the company and the internship, (2) the mayor part with description of the internship assignment, examination of the internship plan, used techniques and results, (3) conclusions and (4) the link between the internship and the study and an appreciation of the internship.
Figures, schemes and technical information can be added in the attachments.
A copy of the journal should be added to the report.

• Oral presentation of the course and content of the internship and content (15 minutes presentation and 15 min discussion) (evaluated by K.U.Leuven internship coordinator, Industrial internship supervisor and K.U.Leuven internship supervisor)

3. List with possible internship locations for 2009-2010 (.pdf)

dutch