To address the growing shortage of ICT professionals in the Netherlands and to strengthen the country’s digital and sustainable future, 4TU.NIRICT launched a special funding call to raise awareness of ICT challenges in high schools. The aim is to inspire students to explore Computer Science and Electrical Engineering subjects and to support teachers in integrating these topics into their lessons.
As part of this initiative, two innovative projects have received funding to help connect high school education with the world of ICT.
The IC Tycoon team has been developing an educational computer game that teaches circuit design to university students. Players take on the role of an engineer at a chip design company, completing missions that simulate real-world challenges in electronics and semiconductor design. The team’s next goal is to make IC Tycoon accessible to high school students by adding foundational electronics content and running pilot programs in schools. These pilots will help identify the most effective ways to teach circuit design through play, making STEM learning more engaging, interactive, and fun.
In collaboration with Mathness, this project will create two professional educational videos that show how mathematics and computer science connect to artificial intelligence (AI)—focusing on neural networks and supervised learning algorithms.
These freely available videos will be suitable for mathematics, ICT, and NLT classes and will be supported by short lesson materials for teachers and guest lectures by researchers from all 4TU institutions. The project builds on earlier NIRICT initiatives and already has a network of around 40 teachers ready to pilot the materials.
🎉 Congratulations
Congratulations to both project teams on receiving funding! Their efforts will play an important role in inspiring high school students and teachers to explore the exciting world of ICT.