Gal Raz, Class of 2016

The educational philosophy of University College Utrecht shaped me.

Major: Science (Cognitive Neuroscience and Cell Biology), Minor: Humanities (Philosophy) and Methods (Statistics)

Further education: MSc Psychological Research at University of Oxford

Current position: PhD student in Brain & Cognitive Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

What do you like most about your current study? 

I get to work with and learn from some of the best scientists in my field. My department has a broad focus, ranging from people interested in molecular neuroscience all the way to computational congnitive science. This makes the people around me and their interests very diverse. I am enjoying being able to learn something new every day. Also, I live right across the river from Boston, which is a fun and buzzing but reasonably-sized city. 

How did University College Utrecht prepare you for the life after graduation? 

It is primarily the educational philosophy that shaped me. At University College Utrecht I learned that the boundaries between academic disciplines can be quite arbitrary, and that many of the same questions reappear again and again. Being comfortable with that fact has given me both a unique angle on many of the questions I am trying to answer in my research, as well as an ability to contextualise my results in conceptual frameworks that range beyond just my particular area of expertise. 

What is your best memory of University College Utrecht? 

An amazing Pink Floyd-themed party in the Wall (one of the student apartment blocks - red.). 

Do you have any advice for current or future students? 

You get a lot of freedom at University College Utrecht. Be responsible with it.