Photcast - A podcast by the Master of Science in Photonics Engineering

PHOTCAST EP10 - Arash's Journey - Master Photonics

Welcome to Episode 10 of the PHOTCAST series — “Arash’s Journey”! In this episode, Sara sits down with Arash, a postdoctoral researcher at the Brussels Photonics Team (B-PHOT), to talk about his path from Iran to Belgium and the experiences that shaped him from photonics student to PhD researcher and beyond. Together, they explore how photonics can create real-world impact in healthcare: from fabricating nanostructures and using Raman spectroscopy, to building faster ways to identify bacteria — combining optical readouts with machine-learning classification. While conventional workflows can take 24–36 hours (or even longer) to get answers, the conversation dives into why speed matters and how research can move toward practical clinical and industrial solutions. Beyond the science, Arash shares the honest side of the journey: the ups and downs, what a “typical” postdoc life actually looks like, and the lessons he wishes he knew earlier — including advice for students considering studying abroad and navigating choices between academia, industry, and entrepreneurship. Timecodes: 00:46 - Meet Arash (postdoc at B-PHOT) 01:12 - Project overview question 01:17 - Rapid bacterial sensing: why speed matters 05:00 - Diagnosis timeline: bringing it under ~30 minutes 05:25 - Beyond the lab: the PhD journey isn’t always smooth 06:30 - Low moments: self-doubt & staying motivated 08:39 - Best parts of the PhD: support, wins, learning 12:31 - Growing as a researcher: resilience & soft skills 15:27 - Academia vs industry: why stay in academia 18:17 - Key skills gained (technical + soft) 23:59 - Typical postdoc day (research, supervision, teaching) 26:06 - Collaboration & networking: building opportunities 29:31 - Explaining photonics to non-experts 34:05 - Looking ahead: future plans & translating research to impact 36:49 - Studying abroad: master’s applications & practical tips 41:05 - Programme news + upcoming application period (Jan 2026) 42:08 - AI & “vibe coding”: using tools to build faster 45:01 - How to keep learning 46:21 - Where to find Arash + final thoughts - arashfeizpour.com PHOTCAST is a podcast from students, with students, for students. We discuss every aspect of photonics & engineering, studying photonics in Belgium, student life, and future job perspectives. Want to know more? Visit our website: https://studyphotonics.com or https://b-phot.org The Master of Science in Photonics Engineering is an English-taught 2-year master programme (120 ECTS) leading to a joint degree from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University.

PHOTCAST EP9 ⚡️ RUSH VERSION ⚡️ Trade Mission to Kenia with Fanny, Patrick and Arne - Master Photonics

⚡️ Welcome to Episode 9 of the Photcast series! This is the RUSH VERSION of the podcast episode, to give you a 10-minute summary of our 1-hour podcast. ⚡️ We are excited to bring you an engaging discussion featuring master students Patrick and Arne, who recently embarked on a fascinating journey to Nairobi, Kenya. Joining us for this episode is also Fanny, the coordinator of the elective course 'Trade Mission' at VUB, who played a crucial role in guiding our students through this unique experience. In the 'Trade Mission' course, students are given the extraordinary opportunity to represent a company or organisation abroad. This involves independently securing funding from companies, which helps them develop critical entrepreneurial and intercultural skills. These skills are then put to the test during the mission itself, where students conduct market research and engage with international business partners. Our discussion today will delve into Patrick and Arne's adventure in Kenya, exploring the challenges they faced, the skills they developed, and the insights they gained. The Trade Mission course, offered in collaboration with Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), enables students to discover new business opportunities for Belgian enterprises. This year, Patrick and Arne were part of a multidisciplinary team of future business engineers, international business specialists, economists, communicators, legal experts, and photonics innovators, all led by the experienced academic team of Professor Dooms. Over the past 33 years, VUB Trade Missions have successfully represented more than 400 companies in over 30 countries. With guidance from entities such as the Belgian embassy and the Foreign Trade Agency, our students gain invaluable experience that extends beyond the classroom, preparing them for a global career in their respective fields. Join us as we explore the highlights of their mission, the impact on their professional development, and the broader implications for photonics engineering and international business. Welcome to Episode 9 of the Photcast series – let's dive into the world of VUB Trade Missions and the exciting experiences of our students in Kenya! -- PHOTCAST is a podcast from students, with students, for students. We discuss every aspect of photonics & engineering, studying photonics in Belgium, student life and future job perspectives. Want to know more? Visit our website: https://studyphotonics.com or https://b-phot.org The Master of Science in Photonics Engineering is an English-taught 2-year master programme (120 ECTS) that leads to a joint degree from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University. We offer students a challenging engineering programme that combines core photonics courses with a wide range of photonics electives and multidisciplinary modules, e.g. Electronics and Information Technology, Physics and Materials, Business Engineering, Modelling, Measurement and Control and Life Sciences. You can study on campus in Brussels or Ghent OR follow the brand-new online track! This multidisciplinary approach, combined with high-level training in labs and a strong link with industry worldwide, has proven to boost the employment prospects of our graduates to a maximum in innovative industries and research domains such as biotechnology, health care, green energy and environmental monitoring, homeland security, aerospace, ICT and Industry 4.0.

PHOTCAST EP9 - Trade Mission to Kenia with Fanny, Patrick and Arne - Master Photonics

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Photcast series! We are excited to bring you an engaging discussion featuring master students Patrick and Arne, who recently embarked on a fascinating journey to Nairobi, Kenya. Joining us for this episode is also Fanny, the coordinator of the elective course 'Trade Mission' at VUB, who played a crucial role in guiding our students through this unique experience. In the 'Trade Mission' course, students are given the extraordinary opportunity to represent a company or organisation abroad. This involves independently securing funding from companies, which helps them develop critical entrepreneurial and intercultural skills. These skills are then put to the test during the mission itself, where students conduct market research and engage with international business partners. Our discussion today will delve into Patrick and Arne's adventure in Kenya, exploring the challenges they faced, the skills they developed, and the insights they gained. The Trade Mission course, offered in collaboration with Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), enables students to discover new business opportunities for Belgian enterprises. This year, Patrick and Arne were part of a multidisciplinary team of future business engineers, international business specialists, economists, communicators, legal experts, and photonics innovators, all led by the experienced academic team of Professor Dooms. Over the past 33 years, VUB Trade Missions have successfully represented more than 400 companies in over 30 countries. With guidance from entities such as the Belgian embassy and the Foreign Trade Agency, our students gain invaluable experience that extends beyond the classroom, preparing them for a global career in their respective fields. Join us as we explore the highlights of their mission, the impact on their professional development, and the broader implications for photonics engineering and international business. Welcome to Episode 9 of the Photcast series – let's dive into the world of VUB Trade Missions and the exciting experiences of our students in Kenya! -- PHOTCAST is a podcast from students, with students, for students. We discuss every aspect of photonics & engineering, studying photonics in Belgium, student life and future job perspectives. Want to know more? Visit our website: https://studyphotonics.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnl4QS1Eek9fSENEOWdQV084OVZudEQxQ1J3Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuV3dvbWJ1R3NfQXlfUERYc0RRampac2lOb2xnMk9OZlNldVpNWUdERjVGTnI2QWdCYXZ6djFYZGRqSjRtR04wYzNDV2ZhWWp4VlF6LTM1YjFINTVNXzNyRUxVYXd2TVZVZmNaYzh1UHU5eTJ1TFN2cw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fstudyphotonics.com%2F&v=8NLHKZZ4lMw] or https://b-phot.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbW5saGZGRDlSUGRvMnNJTkFaUTJlbU9pV2tIZ3xBQ3Jtc0trNmMxM1VER3gzQlBuN1J1cVgxU3VHeGRZVGZsYkZ5eU9FTzZpdjZTY0FUSXNWUkFFRlU0cFdpMTJ0X0U4YVpReEhLYmtkdjdOdUk5dzdxbFFaTFh2MUoweXJSaGlIekNwdmxnQ0Y3M0xrR294a2lpTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fb-phot.org%2F&v=8NLHKZZ4lMw] The Master of Science in Photonics Engineering is an English-taught 2-year master programme (120 ECTS) that leads to a joint degree from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University. We offer students a challenging engineering programme that combines core photonics courses with a wide range of photonics electives and multidisciplinary modules, e.g. Electronics and Information Technology, Physics and Materials, Business Engineering, Modelling, Measurement and Control and Life Sciences. You can study on campus in Brussels or Ghent OR follow the brand-new online track! This multidisciplinary approach, combined with high-level training in labs and a strong link with industry worldwide, has proven to boost the employment prospects of our graduates to a maximum in innovative industries and research domains such as biotechnology, health care, green energy and environmental monitoring, homeland security, aerospace, ICT and Industry 4.0.

PHOTCAST EP8 - Alejandra and Alamghir on studying abroad - Master Photonics

PHOTCAST is a podcast from students, with students, for students. We discuss every aspect of photonics & engineering, studying photonics in Belgium, student life and future job perspectives. Arash hosts Alejandra and Alamghir in episode 8. Both master students talk about their adventures far away from home. Studying abroad can be challenging, but both find comfort in their co-students, neighbours, professors and environment. Learn what living and studying in Belgium means being a foreign student! Want to know more? Visit our website: https://studyphotonics.com or https://b-phot.org

Photcast EP7 - International Women's Day SPECIAL: Diversity at the Research Group

PHOTCAST is a podcast from students, with students, for students. We discuss every aspect of photonics & engineering, studying photonics in Belgium, student life and future job perspectives. Episode 7 is a special one in honour of International Women's Day. We recorded this session in collaboration with B-PHOT Brussels Photonics and the B-PHOT Student Chapter. Host Sara Abbasi welcomes her colleagues Pablo Marin-Palomo (postdoc), Alejandra Gomez (master student), Jürgen Van Erps (professor), Natalia Gutierrez (PhD student) and Ben Gellaerts (master student) to discuss the diversity at B-PHOT's research group. We not only discuss gender balance and the importance of International Women's Day, but also other diversity aspects of being in an international research group. Want to know more? Visit our website: ⁠https://studyphotonics.com⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk4yaTRBQVMwcHlvYTFYbkJjaE11dmVINXRwd3xBQ3Jtc0tsUDFuOUpUbUc0RnJMNzN6b0o3S0xtSzEtT1BRUnNIVS1VT0U3TklXYUFnZGU2SWt6dkctM0N3cFZnMkQ3dU4wSFNQLTZCTWN5NndRU3NESXBDcUxGT3F3Q2cyaEU0Z2tHai1Eamp1b1pjUVdZbGZudw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fstudyphotonics.com%2F&v=LXrQP_ssvkk] or ⁠https://b-phot.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDNVQXg1cW5WemsxbEV0SFJLUW9YTTY1bWREd3xBQ3Jtc0tsQ0VpWUdmd25aVXB4RDRTYzRCVG96QUxXRGE1WXJscFE3X3J6ZnlMRmFMRnlRQWl1SWxpbGE0dGRjdWR4Znp0U21lM0pKdjNscmt1S2FGeVQtdkJEWGJyX1VtSW9BazhOVjRJSGV6Q1ZwYU5aZWM0aw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fb-phot.org%2F&v=LXrQP_ssvkk]