AIO
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AIO is a general word for most education after one is finished with a
univerity. The first split that can be made is that into two-year and four-year
AIO's: AIO-2 (or TWAIO) and AIO-4 (or just AIO). AIO's are usually paid by the
university they are studying at, and those get their funds from the government,
usually after the AIO succeeds.
An AIO-4 education usually consists of research and the writing of a thesis, and, when finished succesfully, gives you the title of `doctor'. Apart from research an AIO needs to do a lot of other things, including teaching. I don't think a title would be very beneficial to get a job at a company: they rather like cheap (i.e. young) and world-wise (i.e. not being immersed in research for four years) engineers. However, when I finished by studies at the TU-Delft I was invited to the TU-Eindhoven to get informed about their education at the `ontwerpschool' (design school). They pointed out some serious flaws in my previous education and this made me give up the job I had in mind, and go to them instead. Another advantage of this switch was the fact that I didn't have to go into military service when I went to this `ontwerpschool'. People studying at the `ontwerpschool' are also called AIO's, but only study two years, do a project (for a company) instead of research, get educated in designing rather than researching and do not get a title (though they are recognized as having an advantage by companies). Recently it was decided that these people do get the title "Master Of Technical Design". There are several organisations for AIO's in the Netherlands, like the Landelijk overleg AIO's en OIO's. |