Description of the virtual activity
The virtual component is delivered through three online Teams sessions, supplemented by collaborative work between meetings. Students first introduce themselves, their universities, and their cities to establish an international learning community. The analytical tasks and assignments are then formally presented and allocated to the groups.
Working in subgroups, participants develop an experimental design for the validation exercise. They are introduced to the statistical principles underlying a validation procedure and use these principles to prepare a detailed plan for the experimental work. Before travelling to Antwerp, each group also prepares a shared online document for systematically recording and managing the measurement data collected during the physical component.
Description of the physical activity
During the physical week, students work in international laboratory teams at AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp. They implement the experimental plans developed online and validate an analytical technique using spectroscopy and chromatography. The central activity is to determine whether the selected protocol and instrument are fit for purpose and can generate reliable results with a high degree of accuracy and certainty.
The in-person period strengthens practical laboratory competence, supports direct international teamwork, and connects the technical programme with exposure to Antwerp and Belgium’s culture, architecture, history, and hospitality