Participants

Hello All! My name is Sinan Amcaoglu, I am 21 and have lived in Amsterdam my whole life. I am of Turkish descent but consider myself to be Dutch. Some of my hobbies include playing piano, listening to all kinds of music, reading manga and socializing. Some of my (niche) interests include marine animals (especially orcas) and diving deep into the story and lore of One Piece (best manga). The reasons I joined the Study Tour are because of my role in guiding the committee and my interest in visiting a new continent, one with a diverse culture and history. A few fun facts about myself: I used to be on the junior national debating team, I have an obsession with sour candy, and I hate pigeons. Excited to get to know you all!

Hello everyone, my name is Marten, I am 23 years old, and I am currently still a bachelor’s student. By the time of the study tour, I hope to have started my master’s at the TU/e and therefore I look forward to seeing what the study tour can offer in giving me insight into possible future jobs after I am done. Originally I am of Dutch and German descent, but as I have lived in Belgium all my life before starting my studies, people tend to call me Belgian.

In my free time I love to play video games, go for a craft beer with friends, or eat delicious food from all around the world. For me, food is a great way to experience different cultures, which is why I am really looking forward to tasting a lot of different dishes during the study tour. Beyond that, I am also excited about exploring new places, meeting inspiring professionals, and bonding with fellow participants. I believe this trip will not only broaden my perspective academically and culturally, but also give me lasting memories. Overall, I am truly enthusiastic about the opportunities this study tour will bring and I cannot wait to experience it together with all of you!

Hii! My name is, I’m Elin a first year master student in the cpt track. Im from Drunen (in North Brabant (close to the efteling)). My hobbies mainly include travelling, watching series my housemates (gossip girl right now) and trying new sports. So you can find me in SSC a lot doing anything from Zumba (especially after the Thursday drink) and spinning to squash. With some new additions being climbing and surfing. To learn how to surf I combined both traveling and trying sports over the last summer. Because to be honest only Portugal had the right combination of vibes and waves. Before my over a month long trip there I did an attempt at learning Portuguese in Duolingo, my Portuguese streak has now ramped up to a good 315 days. Hopefully this is useful when ordering some drinks in Brazil.

I joined this studytour because I am interested in what south America has to offer in terms of culture and new foods. Experiencing this with some of my friends and a group of people from the same study is such a fun opportunity. Also seeing the big Jesus statue in real life seems cool.

Hello, my name is Patricija, but feel free to call me Patri. I come from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Currently I am in my first year of masters following the CPT track.

In my free time I love to lay in the sun, read books, watch movies or tv series and work out. I am always excited to hang out with my friends, whether we go out, try new activities or just talk. After a stressful week I relax by cleaning my room and shopping for next week’s groceries. I also love baking whenever I am back home in Lithuania, since it reminds me of the past times when me and my siblings would make something for family celebrations – lots of chaos with most new recipes going wrong, but always a good time nonetheless.

I joined this trip because I want to visit South America (obviously). I love traveling and I have never been in that side of the world. I am very curious to see the culture, architecture, and, of course, the nature. A study tour is a great way to travel without having to worry about any technical details, just show up and enjoy:)

¡Hola a todos! My name is Tymen, I’m 23 years old and currently in my second year of the MSMC master’s track. I am from a small village in Brabant, however in my second year I moved to Eindhoven and decided to fully embrace the student life.

Outside of studying, I really enjoy staying active. Gymnastics, climbing, and cycling are some of my main hobbies, and they keep me moving and motivated. I also like cooking when I get the chance, and every now and then I’ll grab a good book to relax. Being active is kind of a theme in my life—it’s something I also bring into my travels. Hiking, outdoor adventures, and generally pushing myself in nature are things that I really enjoy.

That’s also why I’m really looking forward to the study tour. For me, it’s not only about the academic side, but also about getting the chance to explore new places. I think it will be an amazing opportunity to experience new cultures, new environments, and hopefully do some cool mountaineering and outdoor activities along the way.

Hey all! I’m Casper Vermeulen, 23 years old and I’m originally from Alphen aan den Rijn. I moved early in my life to Hulst (which is in the Netherlands and not in Belgium) and eventually took the plunge to study in Eindhoven. I love to go bouldering, skiing, listening to and talking about music, cooking and generally just goofing about. My friends will describe me as loud and unfiltered, but I like to believe that I’ve got some charm to back it up too.

I’ve been a student for some time and have done loads of committee and volunteering work thus far, and have thus enjoyed my time at Japie immensely. I’ve met some amazing people whom I can call friends and some of these people are organizing the study tour of 2026. Naturally, I’ve always been interested in traveling outside of Europe, as I have never visited further than Barcelona before. With these people, these friends, organizing a trip to such an amazing location, I have to join them. Of course, I’m also interested in seeing what the industry or academic community looks like outside of Eindhoven, but I’m glad I get to experience that with the others who will be joining!

 

Hello Everyone!! My name is Piotr Bardzinski. I am coming from Poland and I am very happy to join this trip to South America.
As a chemical engineer there are many reasons why South America might be interesting… For me it is the opportunity to observe, learn about technology and industry as well as discover
the culture, approach to life and challenges. I enjoy sport like chess, and more extreme like running,
badminton or responding to the Netflix button ‘’Are you still watching’’. I am very happy to discover and analyze sciencefiction stories. Although they require a lot of effort to be realistic, they tend to grasp the human emotions and dilemma’s better than any other genre.
I also like to consider themes beyond our understanding simply stating: What is infinity? Or
what is the limit of our understanding, although I reflect on them as a pure amateur.
Lastly, as a personal story: I participated in Polish Run competition unprepared and got 12th
place. Back then I decided to achieve the 1st place. It took me one year of hard preparation
of 4 days a week no matter the weather or circumstances to finally arrive at 43th position (;.

Hey all, my name is Stijn, I am 22 years old and I am currently in my second year of the Molecular Systems and Material Chemistry masters. I was born and raised in Eindhoven 20 minutes away from the TU/e campus. In my spare time I like to do sports. I for example still play football at my local club in the south of Eindhoven. Besides that I like to go running. I also like to do water sports. Over the last year, I have become increasingly fanatical with windsurfing also becoming a member of the windsurfing association Weth. Where it first was a pure summer activity, has now led to more and more sessions every year and hopefully many more to come.

I joined the study tour as I always wanted to go on a big trip during my studies. However, knowing myself I know that I would not do that on my own, So I see this as the perfect opportunities to visit a different continent for the first time in my life. I am really looking forward to seeing perhaps a totally different world and see how life is in South America.

Olá a todos or Hola todos! I’m Anvitha Erini, your one and only! I’m 21 years old and currently a first-year master’s student in the Chemical Process Technology track.
I was born in India, and growing up, I lived in and traveled to multiple cities and countries around the world, which sparked my love for traveling and exploring. South America is one of the two continents I still need to tick off my travel list, and I’m very excited to go there—not only for the cultural experience but also to see what industries in my field of expertise are based there.
 
In my free time, when I’m not stressing about my studies or sleeping, I enjoy slow, easy long runs, playing ultimate frisbee, trying something new, and, of course, I’m a true tea lover—if you know what I mean ;). I’m really looking forward to this trip and can’t wait to share the adventure (and maybe a good cup of Mate/Chimarrão) with all my dear Japies!

Hi, my name is Sabine! I’m 22 years old and I’m from Nuenen. In my free time I like to try out new recipes both cooking and baking. I of course mostly like to eat the result of this. Recently I have made my own sourdough starter although baking with it has proven to be quite a logistical challenge. To make sure I stay in shape despite eating all of my cooking I also like to do sports. After years of gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics I have now taken up running to try something new. You will also occasionally find me in the gym or following a SSCE group lesson. I want to join the STC because I think it’s a great opportunity to not only see a country far away but also learn a bit more about the work and study life there. It a nice way to have a little look into the lives of chemical engineers in a completely different culture. I want to see more of the world and this trip fits in that plan very well!

Hello! My name is Tessa Spierings, and I am a second-year master student in the Chemical and Process Technology track. I come from Boekel, which is a wonderful little village little ways down the A50. In my spare time, I work as a swimming instructor, I both play handball and am an official, I hang out with friends and I play many games. This (hopefully) last year of my studies I have decided to try some new things before going into professional life. For example, I will be walking the Kennedy March with my mother, and most importantly I am joining the Study Tour. This will be my very first trip outside of Europe, and I was not even expecting to be going in the first place. I never felt like exploring the world that much, because it is generally expensive and candidly quite scary. When this trip came on my path, I was hesitant to join. However, I came to realize this might be one of the last chances I have to go on such an enlightening trip, where it is not only about “turbo tourism” but also about discovering universities and companies in my field in a completely different part of the world. I am very grateful to join the STC, and I already can’t wait!
Hey, I’m Emma, a fourth-year bachelor student in Chemical Engineering, and I’m very excited for the trip! In my spare time, I like hanging out with my friends, going to SSC, and watching some bad shows/movies (have you seen the summer I turned pretty??). I’m from Utrecht, and I personally think it’s the best city in the Netherlands (I’m always open to argue about this). I’m really looking forward to visiting Brazil, because I’ve been on Duolingo for almost three years studying Portuguese and I would love to put it into practice. Of course, only in the moments where I actually know the words, like the occasion when I’d have to tell someone that my mom is an apple. A minha mãe é uma maçã! Beyond practicing Portuguese, I joined this trip because I love the idea of exploring a new culture, trying new foods, and making memories with people I might not know yet but will get to share this experience with. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all better and having an amazing summer together!
Hello, I am Micha van Gerwen, 21 years old, and now in my first year of the master’s CPT. The most interesting subjects during my studies are physical simulations of any kind, but more focused towards the macro scale, because that is easier to visualize. I am from a small village called Uden, which is 30 minutes away from Eindhoven by car. I have an older brother and sister. During the week and on weekends, I play water polo at my local club, Zeester-Meerval. During my free time, I mostly hang out with friends and play trading card games like Pokémon and One Piece. However, in the winter, I go skiing as often as I can. Skiing from the first lift right to the last and then going to the bar parting. Another passion of mine is to cook, especially dishes that I ate on holidays that are not commonly made at home in the Netherlands. I hope to get to eat a lot of new, delicious foods on the study trip, as well as to see beautiful nature and learn about companies outside of Europe.
Hey all. My name is Vico, and I am currently finishing up my bachelor. I am really looking forward to the study tour. In my daily life I keep myself busy by reading, watching DnD sessions (For all the D20 fans out there), playing board games and procrastinating. I also keep a part time job as delivery driver, and will furthermore keep myself busy upcoming year as board of the FSE-DB.
I really hope to learn a lot during this tour, but also hope to see the sights. I am really looking forward to my first time traveling outside of Europe.
Hello everyone! My name is Irmak Uzun and I am a 5th year student who will soon turn into a Master student (hopefully). I am from Izmir, Turkey but I went to high school in Istanbul. During my time in Istanbul, I stayed at the school’s dormitory until Covid hit and I had to relocate to Datca as my parents wanted to self quarantine in what I would describe as a ghost town. One of the things I used to do back then to spend time was to go outside and take photos in the empty streets, which was a nice way of practicing one of my hobbies. Other than that, I like to do random arts and crafts projects (I recently started making necklaces with dried flowers and epoxy resin) and I love anything that has something to do with flowers. The reason why I wanted to join this tour is because I wanted to travel with other Japies which I know will be a lot of fun, and I think this experience will make me gain different perspectives. More than anything though, I am really excited to visit somewhere that is not in Europe!
Hellooo! My name is Winnie Ye. I’m from the beautiful town of Weert, just across the border in Limburg. You might know me as the 37th committee F.O.R.T. ‘Pie Debye’, from other less prestigious Japie committees, or as part of the current board of Wervingsdagen. I like to fill as many of my evenings as possible with fun activities, talks, and drinks with my friends. In my other free time, I enjoy really relaxing and doing nothing. I love (re)watching a good series, reading books, playing the piano, sleeping, and listening to Taylor Swift.
South America is, of course, a beautiful place, but not one that usually fits into my average summer vacation plans. Luckily, there was a perfect opportunity to explore this area with the study trip! Everything this trip has to offer, the history, culture, nature, stories, experiences, art, traditions, adventure, and beauty sound absolutely magical. Experiencing the rich culture and technical innovation together with a group of friends sounded like a unique opportunity I couldn’t let pass me by!

My name is Robert and I am studying in my master chemical process engineering and I am currently becoming a high school chemistry teacher, which is also very fun. 24 years ago I was born in the beautiful city of Sittard in the south of the Netherlands. My hobbies consists of cooking, brewing beer and playing some handball. I am currently still an active part of the student handball association, as a player, referee and coach. 

I joined this tour since I saw it as a great opportunity to discover the world, travel to a place where I will not travel by myself any time soon. I am also very much looking forward to the food and different culture.

Only 200 words?? The Lord of the Rings has 455.125 words and takes 16 hours. At that rate I only have 23 seconds to describe myself! That was the hook, guys, are you still reading this? I’m Mihai from Romania and I’m a third year double bachelor student here. When I have free time I go climbing, I read, knit, take cool photos. My favourite book is Hunger by Knut Hamsun and my favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I also cook for the chefcie. We once poisoned everyone with too much garlic. From that perspective, pineapple on pizza really isn’t the most terrible thing.
I’m not Scarface, but, as a chemistry student, I think contacts in South America are very exciting. These countries have very different research challenges from what we’re used to. But honestly, I just like travelling and bossanova, and I took the chance to connect with my fellow Japies better.

Hi! My name is Renze, I’m 22 years old and originally from Terneuzen (a small town in the south of the Netherlands). I am currently in my second year of the Molecular Systems and Material Chemistry master’s program. Before starting my studies, I lived in both England and Germany, so know what it’s like to live outside of the Netherlands. Over the years, I’ve also had the chance to visit amazing places around the world, including Indonesia, Hawaii and many countries in Europe. However, I’ve never been to South America, so joining the Study Tour 2026 felt like the perfect opportunity. I’m really curious to learn more about life and culture there, and I’m also hoping to improve my Spanish during the trip. I studied the language for five years in high school, so this seems like a great way to put it to use. In my free time, I enjoy playing football with the university team Pusphaira and occasionally play guitar. I’m also looking forward to meeting new people and making the most of this trip.

I am Mateusz Lorek, come from Poland (more precisely from the so-called city of kings, the most touristic city in the country – Kraków). I am a 3rd year going for CPT and I am very much passionate about airplanes and music. I spent a big part of my life playing the guitar and now I play a bit in the free time. I love listening to astrophysics and quantum physics podcasts, and I really like cooking. Mostly I do Asian cuisine but recently I started cooking polish food too.  I joined this trip because I really love discovering our cultures (big geography nerd too), however I have never had many opportunities to do so.  This year, me and my good friend Rashad did a whole trip together. We had so much fun and this trip will be our last memory before we part for masters.  I know that in my life at one point I would plan a trip to east Asia (Japan, Korea etc.), but was not sure when I would actually decide to plan a trip to South America, so this trip is such a good opportunity for me to actually go there and have it well organized, so I am extremely grateful for that.
Looking forward to explore South America with you all.

My name is Jochem, I am 22 years old, and I come from a small town called Meteren. You might already know me from my board year or my F.O.R.T.-cie year or one of the various other committees or jobs I have done within Japie and the department. Currently, I have started my master graduation project, which I should have finished before the trip begins.

 

Last STC to Asia, I also joined and this made me even more excited to join this STC as well! In the mean time I have also spent 4 months in Australia, so exploring South America with the rest of you seemed like a logical next step. In my spare time I like to do some sports such as playing volleyball and going for a run. Therefore, you can expect me to also want to go for runs or hikes during our trip, so feel free to join!