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Name

Joseph Schuyt

PhD in Physics student

Pull quote

The lecturers are great researchers that contribute hugely to many fields, so there are excellent facilities and insights available here.

Story

Experimental detective work

I spent my Honours year doing research on the development of better radiation detectors. This was amazing. It was a very hands on, experimental project where plenty went wrong, and solving those issues is where a lot of the fun lies. I often found things that were baffling. These would rattle around in the head and I would play detective, searching for clues about what could be going on. If it worked, fantastic. If something contradictory was found then another explanation would come to me eventually and it would begin again. A lot of patience was required, but when everything clicked together it was wonderful.

The magic of physics 

Learning physics we often come across ideas that are weird, counter-intuitive and may appear outright paradoxical. But experiments confirm that this is the reality we live in. Many things initially appear as magic, but once understood the wonder never really fades. Plus, many of the quirky aspects of physics are accessible and interesting to most people, making for decent party trivia.

Excellent faculty and facilities

I chose Wellington initially because I’ve always been here and love this city. It was definitely VUW that has made me stay though. The lecturers are great researchers that contribute hugely to many fields, so there are excellent facilities and insights available here. Studying post-grad really cemented my ideas for what I want to do professionally—to continue contributing to the global scientific community, producing knowledge and devices that will help others.

If you're thinking of doing a research project you can check the [academic staff list - link to People tab] to see the research interests of staff.

 Research grants

If you’re doing a Master’s or PhD you can apply for a research grant of up to $2,000 per year from the faculty Joint Research Committee (JRC).