I did the bachelor Future Planet Studies,
which focuses on sustainability issues.
And I want to continue
making the world a better place.
That's why I decided to continue studying
here at the University of Amsterdam.
I studied a biology bachelor's
in Germany before...
and now I chose this track as it has
an interdisciplinary approach...
which I find very important,
because it looks at the same topic...
from different perspectives.
It gives you the freedom to choose
from diverse courses.
And it lets you specialize in the field
you are interested in.
Future Planet Ecosystems Science
is a field...
at the cutting edge
of earth sciences and ecology.
It's a field in which we educate
our students to 'system Earth'...
and to use that understanding to devise...
creative new ways
to sustainably manage our planet.
For instance to mitigate climate change...
provide enough food for a growing world
population or maintaining biodiversity.
We need people that are willing
to take up this responsibility...
and serve as ambassadors
for a healthy future for our planet.
The aim of my research project is
to develop a methodology...
that makes it possible to extract
the 3D spatial patterns of bird migration.
Hopefully, this will make it
eventually possible...
to predict where bird migration
is going to take place...
and whether that migration will take place
within the vicinity of a wind park.
If it does, then it's possible to
shut down the wind park temporarily...
to let the birds pass through safely.
We all come from diverse backgrounds
in my master's, some are biologists...
others are earth scientists, others come
from a management background.
There are diverse courses in this track.
Some of them train you in the hands-on
methodology, like the empirical cycle.
Others give you a broader overview...
on topics you can study
in your master's thesis.
The teachers in our track really
encourage us to take our own initiative.
For instance, we organized a skills lab
on open science.
Of all the grand challenges
that society faces...
our students can improve the knowledge
society needs to tackle them.
With a degree in Earth Sciences
Future Planet Ecosystem Science...
students can advise
government agencies, NGOs...
or companies like Shell, for instance
to make solid science-based decisions...
for a sustainable future for our planet.
I really like the flexibility
of this program...
because it allows you to do the kind of
research that you want to do...
in close collaboration with
experienced staff members.
After I finish this program...
I want to do research on albatrosses
that are living close to the South Pole.
But for now, first I just want to finish
my master's.
From now on, I will work
on my first master's thesis...
which is in the field of
island bio-geography.
I will study how arthropods distributed
and dispersed...
between islands of two archipelagoes.
After I finish my master's studies
I'd like to either go on in research...
or practically apply my knowledge
as a conservationist or consultant.
