S.A. Astatine

S.A. Astatine is the study association for students of the Advanced Technology (AT) and Nanotechnology studies or an ensuing master course at the University of Twente. The association's name is derived from the element Astate (At), which has the same abbreviation as the Advanced Technology study. Astatine is, just like Advanced Technology, growing quickly. The association has roughly 550 members, most of whom are active within the association.
Astatine supports Advanced Technology students in many ways such as with:

Educational activities
Via the education branch Astatine aims to lower the threshold for AT students towards the staff members and teachers, by functioning as intermediaries. The association also holds a book sale and organises an annual meeting where students can express their opinion on their course.

Periodical ATtentie
Five times a year Astatine publishes a magazine named ATtentie. The magazine contains scientific articles written by students, reports on excursions, columns and articles on lectures. With the publication of ATtentie Astatine tries to bring together interesting information from the students, the AT course and companies and share this effectively among the students and other interested people.

Excursions and symposia
Almost every two weeks, a colloquium is organised in cooperation with the course. During these events, an interactive presentation is given by a company, a professor or a research centre, keeping students widely informed on a range of topics. There are also monthly excursions, sometimes open to all students and sometimes restricted to students of a specific subject. Trips abroad and symposia are organised on a regular base, often in cooperation with another study association.

Career Orientatioin
In order to prepare students for the labour market, Astatine organizes training sessions and case studies in cooperation with companies. Students become familiar and more involved with the companies and learn about certain topics in an accessible way. Astatine also stimulates students to visit fairs and open houses with an eye on their future career.

Informal activities
To strengthen the bonds between students, the association organizes informal activities such as galas, paintball, laser quest, sports days and parties on a regular basis. Astatine also organizes a part of the introduction period for first year students at the start of the academic year. These activities reflect the good atmosphere within the association.