GraduateCareers
October 2014
STEM paradox
Is there really a shortage
of STEM graduates in
the workplace?
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The UK is believed to suffer from
a shortage of scientists and
engineers, yet unemployment
rates for new graduates in these
fields are high. Does that mean
the skills shortage doesn’t exist,
asks Margaret Harris
It is a truth almost universally acknowledged that businesses in the UK are facing
major skills shortages in science, technology, engineering and maths. In March the
Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that
the country’s manufacturing industry is
being “starved of highly-skilled workers”
in these so-called STEM disciplines. Later
that month, the Financial Times picked up
the theme, repeating the UK business secretary Vince Cable’s claim that the shortage of
technology workers is “a massively serious
problem” that could harm the country’s economic recovery. In May it was the Independent’s turn to call scientific subjects “vital for
the economy”. And in June the BBC joined
in, reporting on its website that technology
firms are finding “too few graduates with
digital skills…for the jobs available”.
Reports like these – all of which were
based on studies by respected organizations – usually focus on areas that are
big employers of physics graduates. The
engineering, IT and scientific sectors, for
example, collectively attract around a third
of physics graduates who enter the workforce within six months of completing their
degrees. From the tenor of reports on the
STEM skills shortage, then, it seems like
employers ought to be falling over themselves to employ people with a physicist’s
numerical and technical nous.
Absence of evidence
Unfortunately, the economic data tell a
more complex story, one that calls into question the nature of the UK’s STEM skills
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The STEM
shortage
paradox
shortage, and perhaps even its existence.
Although there is no universally agreed
definition of what constitutes a skills shortage, in 2005 the economists Chandravadan
Shah and Gerald Burke articulated a useful
rule of thumb, writing that a shortage exists
when “the demand for workers for a particular occupation is greater than the supply
of workers who are qualified, available and
willing to work under existing market conditions”. So if a shortage does exist, economists generally expect to see low and falling
unemployment, high and rising wages, and
a large number of unfilled posts as employers compete (and struggle) to attract workers with scarce and desirable skills.
On these three measures, the evidence
for a broad, UK-wide STEM skills shortage is patchy. Take unemployment. Overall, prospects for UK graduates are good:
according to the UK Higher Education
Statistics Agency (HESA), which surveys
thousands of graduates each year, only 8%
of students who obtained their undergraduate degrees in the 2012/2013 academic year
were unemployed six months after graduation. For recent graduates in the physical
sciences, however, the picture is not quite
so rosy: their unemployment rate was a
shade higher than the average, at 9%, and
graduates in the mathematical sciences,
engineering and technology fared no better. Computer science graduates actually
had the highest unemployment rate of any
degree listed in the HESA survey: fully 13%
of the 2012/13 cohort said they were still
seeking work six months after graduation.
On salaries, the news for physics graduates and their STEM cousins is better,
but only in a relative sense. After analysing HESA data, the Complete University
Guide (a consultancy firm) found that
starting salaries for graduates in nearly all
subjects fell during the recent economic
recession. Physics graduates were no exception: between 2007 and 2012, their average
starting salaries fell by 6%. Mechanical
engineers did a little bit better, down by 5%,
but chemists were worse off, with a drop of
9%. These figures exclude the sizeable fraction of STEM graduates who enter occupations that do not require degrees, so the
true overall decline is likely to be higher.
They are also not adjusted for inflation,
meaning that salaries have fallen even further in real terms. However, as bad as these
figures are, they are generally better than
comparable data for non-scientific fields:
graduates with English degrees saw their
starting salaries fall by 16%.
Finally, there is the question of job openings. Data on vacancy rates can be tricky
to interpret (see box on p58). Nonetheless,
in November 2013 the UK Commission
on Employment and Skills (UKCES) published a detailed analysis entitled The Supply and Demand for High-Level STEM Skills
that included estimates of skill-shortage
vacancies in STEM and non-STEM jobs.
The report’s authors found that the available data “do not suggest a higher vacancy
rate” for jobs that require workers with
STEM skills. What is more, the authors
found that this was unlikely to change much
in the future: even under fairly optimistic
economic scenarios, their model predicts
an overall surplus of STEM graduates in
2020, not a shortage.
The idea that would not die
Some scholars have taken data like these
as evidence that the STEM skills shortage
is simply a myth. In March the economics
Nobel laureate (and New York Times columnist) Paul Krugman called skills shortages a “zombie idea – an idea that should
have been killed off by the evidence, but
refuses to die”. The reason it doesn’t, Krugman suggested, is that “everyone important
knows [it] must be true, because everyone
they know says it’s true”. The American
demographer and labour-market scholar
Michael Teitelbaum takes a similar stance,
arguing in his recent book Falling Behind?
P hy sic s Wor ld  Oc t ober 2014
GraduateCareers
phy sic s wor ld.com
Boom, Bust and the Global Race for Scientific Talent that the US is not experiencing a
shortage of scientists or engineers (August
pp38–39). Conventional wisdom to the
contrary is, he writes, “just the same claims
ricocheting in an echo chamber”.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the
debate about skills shortages also has a
certain echo-chamber quality. In 2012,
for example, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) predicted that the UK
economy will require 830 000 additional
scientists, engineers and technologists
by 2020. At current graduation rates, the
RAEng report noted, this equates to a
shortfall of about 10 000 STEM graduates
per year. Since then, similar figures have
cropped up elsewhere. In 2013, for example, the government’s Department for Business and Skills (BIS) cited the RAEng data
in its report on “The future of manufacturing”, but claimed that the manufacturing
sector alone would need around 800 000
more skilled employees by 2020, including
80 000 managers and other professionals.
In April 2014 a report by the manufacturers’ organization, EEF, gave the BIS figure
an upgrade, turning “around 800 000” into
“almost one million”. And in July this year,
the chief executive of the Institution of
Engineering and Technology (IET), Nigel
Fine, went even further, claiming that “we
need to find 87 000 new engineers each
year for the next decade”. Based on today’s
student numbers, this figure implies that
nearly 30% of university students ought
to be earning engineering degrees – more
than five times the current fraction.
The echo-chamber effect tends to distort claims about skills shortages as well
as amplifying them. One source of distortion is that definitions of “STEM” vary,
with some groups limiting it to graduates
in STEM disciplines while others expand it
to anyone who uses scientific or technical
skills at work – including plumbers and auto
mechanics as well as skilled manufacturing
technicians and apprentices. Naturally, the
magnitude of predicted shortages depends
on which definition is being used. “STEM
is a very broad church,” agrees John Perkins, the chief scientific adviser to the BIS
and the author of a separate 2013 review
of engineering skills. “If you look at different parts of the spectrum, you come to
different conclusions about whether there
is a shortage, or indeed whether there are
too many graduates emerging with those
particular skills for employment purposes.”
Saying that the UK’s STEM skills shortage isn’t uniform is not, however, the same
as dismissing it as a “zombie idea”. While
Perkins acknowledges that the higher-thanaverage unemployment rate for STEM
P hy sic s Wor ld  Oc t ober 2014
The echo-chamber
effect tends to
distort claims about
skills shortages
graduates is a “counterfactual” that merits
further study, he is adamant that the shortage is real, and that data on unemployment,
salaries and vacancies are not telling the
whole story. Surveys of STEM employers
tend to support his view. For example, the
IET’s “87 000 more engineers per year” figure comes from a press release announcing
their own survey of 400 IT and engineering employers in the UK. Around a fifth of
these employers said they were having problems in recruiting engineering graduates.
A separate survey of 160 employers conducted by the EEF found evidence of rising
demand for graduates in technology and
computer sciences as well as engineering,
with more companies planning to recruit in
the next three years than have done in the
previous three. Even the UKCES report,
which found no evidence for a shortage
of STEM graduates per se, admitted that
“there appears to be a shortage of the right
candidates to fill specific roles”.
The leaky pipeline
The contrast between employer perceptions and economic data suggests that
something more complex than either a
zombie attack or an echo chamber is at
work. One important complication is that
the fraction of STEM degree holders who
take jobs in STEM fields is actually rather
small. In 2011, for example, data from
the UK Labour Force Survey cited in the
UKCES report indicated that only 45% of
all people with “core STEM” degrees were
working in sectors that required scientific
and technical knowledge (as opposed to
general numeracy and problem-solving
skills). As for recent graduates, HESA figures show that among students who earned
degrees in engineering, physical, biological, mathematical or computer sciences
in 2012/13, only about 12% of those entering the workforce found jobs that involved
“professional, scientific and technical
activities” within six months of graduation,
while fewer than 10% went into manufacturing. By comparison, 14% are working
in retail. And while those figures leave out
graduates who did higher degrees before
seeking work, the pull of non-science
careers remains strong even at the PhD
level: a 2010 report by the Royal Society
found that more than half of the UK’s PhD
scientists pursue careers outside science.
The fact that relatively few STEM graduates go into STEM jobs is something of a
double-edged sword for proponents of the
shortage theory. On the one hand, it could
explain why employers are struggling to
find people with the right skills even though
the number of people studying for STEM
degrees in the UK has been rising in recent
years – up 18% since 2002, according to figures published this year by the Higher Education Funding Council. But on the other
hand, it could also indicate that shortages,
where they exist, are not severe enough for
employers to offer salaries and benefits that
would tempt STEM graduates away from
alternative careers. The fact that many
STEM graduates do something else might
even be a sign of an oversupply – for example, graduates might be turning to other
fields after struggling to find jobs related
to their degrees. Lack of interest does not
seem to be a factor: a survey of final-year
STEM students conducted by the BIS in
2011 found that seven out of eight wanted
to work in related fields after they graduated. So what is keeping them out?
In Perkins’ view, part of the problem is
that STEM employers “aren’t being as cunning as they might be” at attracting graduates. At careers fairs, he says, students say
that representatives of banks and accounting firms are “all over you like a rash, trying
to convince you to come into their world”
whereas more traditional STEM employers
are “shy and retiring and not as effective
at persuading you that life could be exciting with them, too”. Many smaller firms
avoid careers fairs altogether, and they
are also less likely to advertise on “one
stop shop” websites for graduate jobs, says
Kirsten Roche, a careers consultant at
the University of Edinburgh who advises
physics and mathematics students. But the
problem is not only on the employers’ side.
“Sometimes there can be issues around
what students want and what’s realistically
available,” Roche says, noting that while
geology students often want to work in
renewable energy, a significant number of
graduate geoscience jobs are in the oil and
gas industry.
Not everyone, however, is convinced
that the leaky pipeline is responsible for
the “STEM shortage paradox” of relatively high graduate unemployment at a
time when industry is crying out for more
people with technical skills. Tom McLeish,
a physicist and pro-vice-chancellor for
research at Durham University, points out
that it has always been common for phys-
57
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phy sic s wor ld.com
Hard to fill, but not always a shortage
When employers struggle to fill posts that require a high degree of knowledge or technical ability,
skills shortages are a natural suspect. However, other explanations are possible. For example, a small
firm might not have the resources to advertise widely. A brand-new start-up might not be able to pay
a competitive salary. Geography can also be a factor, with companies in certain locations straining
to convince highly skilled people to move there, while in areas such as central London, posts may go
unfilled if the pay and working conditions are not good enough to balance out the high local cost of
living. For employers, an abundance of these “hard to fill” vacancies may well feel like a skills shortage
even when the labour market as a whole contains enough people with the right skills.
This graph – based on data from a 2013 UKCES survey of 91 000 employers across the UK – shows
how the different types of vacancies relate to each other. Of the 15% of employers who had vacancies
at the time of the survey, one in three reported that their vacancies were “hard-to-fill”. Within this
group, around four in five cited problems with applicants’ skills as a reason why the posts were vacant.
ics graduates to leave STEM, and “there
would need to have been a change in that
flow” for it to explain the current situation.
The tendency for graduates to leave STEM
has actually become somewhat more pronounced over the past decade or so, but
McLeish, who is also the vice-president
for science and innovation at the Institute
of Physics (IOP), which publishes Physics
World, isn’t sure that’s a bad thing. The fact
that STEM degrees open doors in many
occupations is, he says, “one of the ways we
advertise STEM to potential students. We
say, look, it’ll leave you numerate, it’ll leave
you articulate, it’ll give you group working
skills and interdisciplinary skills and an
ability to solve problems.” STEM graduates going into other fields, he argues, “cannot be both a bad thing and a good thing at
the same time”.
Mind the gaps
Another possible explanation for the
STEM shortage paradox is that universities are not giving students the skills they
need. This explanation is popular among
58
employers and it appears prominently in a
recent report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), a London-based innovation
charity. In the report, NEF chief executive
Sa’ad Medhat notes that “there is a profound disconnect between what STEMbased companies require in terms of skills;
the technological changes that they see on
the horizon and what many further and
higher education institutions currently
provide”. For some employers, it is “soft
skills” such as communication and problem solving that are lacking. One software
entrepreneur quoted in the NEF report,
for example, complains that “students are
too frequently ‘spoon-fed’ with information and are unable to break down problems into manageable chunks and solve
them on their own”. Other employers focus
on gaps in technical skills. Jo Lopes, the
head of technical excellence at Jaguar Land
Rover, told the NEF that she sees a growing demand for employees who can work
with virtual reality software to create prototypes, something that requires “a strong
grounding in maths and physics along with
data modelling and analytical skills”.
For universities, comments like these
are a challenge, and some are working with
industry representatives to adapt their
courses accordingly. Kate Lancaster, a
physicist and industry liaison officer at the
York Plasma Institute, says that York and
Sheffield universities are setting up a new
industrial physics academy to address both
the “leaky pipeline” and employer concerns
about specific skills, such as computer programming. While undergraduates in theoretical physics are usually required to take
a programming module, for experimentalists it is frequently treated as an optional
“extra”. That is a problem, Lancaster says,
because “unless it’s credited and part of
your course, students won’t really engage
with it.”
McLeish agrees that universities can
and often should do more to equip graduates with industrially relevant skills. While
developing plans for a new doctoral training centre in soft-matter physics, he and his
collaborators at the universities of Leeds
and Edinburgh asked employers to list the
attributes they’d like to see in the centre’s
graduates (see box opposite). Communication skills were seen as the most important.
“Employers want graduates who can walk
into a boardroom one day and explain the
science to executives, and then go straight
away to the production plant and explain to
an experienced technician why they need to
change the cherished settings on the equipment,” McLeish says.
If you think that sounds like a lot to expect
of a brand-new PhD graduate (never mind
someone with a BSc or MSc), McLeish is
sympathetic. “Some employers want the
Archangel Gabriel on a good day,” he
agrees. Small businesses can be particularly
demanding, adds Steve Wood, project manager of Graduate to Merseyside, a careers
programme based at the University of Liverpool. “A lot more is expected of individuals, particularly in terms of flexibility and
general work experience,” Wood explains.
Sometimes those high expectations are fair,
he says, but “we do see some organizations
that think, ‘Oh, we’re going to bring in a
graduate and pay them 16 grand a year and
they’re going to turn us around’. They’re the
ones that generally we can’t help”.
When applicants do fall short of requirements, employers are increasingly reluctant
to train them up to a higher level. In the
UK as a whole, UKCES figures show that
investment in employer-provided training fell by 17% between 2011 and 2013. In
essence, McLeish argues, employers are
asking universities to provide skills that
companies used to take care of themselves.
For Perkins, the BIS science adviser,
there is a drawback to asking universities
to fill that gap on their own. A university
education is, he says, just that – an education – and it cannot possibly meet the needs
P hy sic s Wor ld  Oc t ober 2014
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of every graduate employer. “There’s a
responsibility of employers to enhance the
skills of people they take on and train them
in the specifics of their particular organizations,” he says. “It’s always going to be the
case that graduates are not fit for particular
employers immediately on day one. That’s
just a fact of life.” Perkins also downplays
the idea that ill-prepared graduates are a
major contributor to the STEM shortage
paradox. Criticisms of employee preparedness have been “a constant observation by
some employers ever since I was a lad”, he
says, and universities are getting better at
providing training in soft skills.
Data from a much wider survey of
employers tend to support the view that
in terms of preparation, the kids are, in
general, alright. A 2013 UKCES report on
skills found that in England, 84% of the
17 770 employers who had taken on graduates in the past year regarded their recruits
as “well” or “very well” prepared for their
roles. Employers in Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland reported similar levels of
satisfaction, and throughout the UK, only
5% said that graduates lacked “required
skills or competencies”. Poor literacy or
numeracy skills were cited by just 1%.
The wrong kind of STEM
For physics students, the STEM shortage paradox is personal in a way that raw
numbers cannot capture. Earlier this year,
the IOP asked current physics undergraduates to answer questions about their future
employment plans, including the companies and sectors that interest them. More
than 300 students responded and the full
results of the survey are still being analysed.
A section for “free-form” responses, however, yielded some illuminating comments
about challenges that physics students are
facing in the current job market.
One common concern was that many of
the jobs on offer are not suitable for new
graduates. “The roles [I see on websites]
look far more advanced than the level that
I feel I will be when finishing university,
which makes them seem unappealing,” one
student wrote. Another student expressed
frustration at being misled by claims of
skills shortages. “When we go into physics,
we are told that there are loads of jobs that
want our skills,” they wrote. “We are not
told that these will probably require a postgraduate qualification.”
The IET’s survey of employers provides
some backing for the impression that senior
vacancies are indeed more common than
graduate-level ones. While almost 80% of
employers surveyed said they had struggled
to recruit senior engineers, only around
40% had experienced difficulties finding
new graduates. However, HESA data suggest that if higher-level shortages exist on
more than an anecdotal level, they take
some time to materialize. In June 2014 the
P hy sic s Wor ld  Oc t ober 2014
agency reported that unemployment rates
among those who had graduated in 2008/9
had fallen to 3.4% by the winter of 2012/13,
well below the UK’s overall rate of around
7%. But while physical science graduates
were doing a little bit better than average,
with 3.1% reporting that they were unemployed, computer scientists and engineers
had some of the highest unemployment
rates in the study, with 5.4% and 5%, respectively, seeking work at the time of the survey.
Levels of unemployment in other STEM
disciplines might surprise some of the
physics students in the IOP survey, several
of whom seemed envious of their counterparts in other fields. “Most graduate
schemes have few details on how they apply
to physicists specifically, with many seeming to focus on engineering and materials,”
one wrote. “It isn’t always clear what roles
a physicist could adopt within the scheme.”
In part, this is due to the relative rarity of
physics graduates, but there is also some
evidence that employer demand skews
towards engineering and technology –
more of a sTEm shortage, if you will.
The UK Migration Advisory Committee,
which advises the government on whether
foreign workers with in-demand skills
should be allowed to enter the country,
includes a large number of “engineering”
jobs in its 2013 list of “shortage” occupations. In the physical sciences, though,
only a handful of occupations made the
cut. Among them are specialists in radiotherapy and nuclear safety, geophysicists
working in the oil and gas industry, and
secondary-school teachers in physics and
chemistry – all important professions, but
fairly specific ones, and hardly an indication of an across-the-board shortage.
Squaring the circle
Five ‘soft’ skills in demand
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When Tom McLeish and his colleagues at Leeds
and Edinburgh universities asked employers of
soft-matter physicists about the non-technical
skills they would like job applicants to have, the
requests coalesced around five basic skills:
1. Communication. This was seen as the most
important skill.
2. Breaking a complex problem into simple parts.
3. Working in an interdisciplinary environment.
Employees need to understand how people from
different technical backgrounds can contribute
to a solution.
4. Working at multiple sites with non-local
collaborators. This is something that larger
companies, in particular, are demanding of
their employees.
5. Being aware of the business context. While
scientific answers are important, in an industrial
setting they are only one part of the picture.
skills between now and 2022. Among industry leaders, though, such assurances do little to allay concern. “Inevitably, when you
look to the future you have to make a guess
about what it’s going to look like,” Perkins says. “One guess is, well, the future’s
going to look like today. But I think a more
sophisticated guess would be that technology is becoming more and more important,
the world is becoming a more global place,
and therefore the skills requirements of the
future are going to look different from the
skills requirements of today.”
Another important consideration is
that the job market is not static. Because
STEM graduates take a long time to train,
the authors of Skills for the Future concede
that it would be hard for universities and
employers to react quickly to a sudden
uptick in demand. After all, if the number
of STEM graduates continues to grow, the
economy may adapt by creating new jobs
and even new industries to take advantage
of their skills. On that basis, efforts to prevent a “STEM skills shortage” may not be
in vain. But that is little comfort to today’s
physics graduates, who must seek work in
the economy we have, and not the economy
we’d like to have in the future.
So far, this article has considered four
distinct explanations for the STEM shortage paradox. One is that the UK’s shortage of STEM skills is not as severe or as
widespread as the conventional wisdom
suggests. Another is that the shortage
exists among STEM workers in general
rather than graduates in particular. The
third theory posits a mismatch between
what employers demand and what graduates offer. And the fourth suggests that
the shortage is tilted towards experienced
workers or specific areas within the “broad
church” that is STEM. The true explanation is likely to be a combination of the four,
but it is also worth noting that much of the
rhetoric on this subject is actually referring
to future shortages – ones that will materialize a few years or decades down the line,
unless we do something about them now.
Concerns about the future are nebulous
by nature, and for what it’s worth, a July 2014
report by the UKCES on Skills for the Future
reiterated that the UK is not predicted to Margaret Harris is the reviews and careers editor at
experience shortages of higher-level STEM Physics World
59
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Wherever you join us, you will be involved in a range of varied and challenging
projects. In return, your hard work is rewarded. With 35 days annual leave and
many more employee benefits on offer, we aim to help you achieve your best.
So take a closer look, and see the Bank differently.
To look further into what we can offer and
apply go to www.bankofenglandgraduates.co.uk
Patent Examiner Recruitment
Patents help companies benefit from their R&D and innovation by protecting
new technology for both products and methods of manufacture.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is seeking to recruit 50 Patent
Examiners to start in September 2015.
Patent Examiners help companies to innovate and grow by granting high
quality, valid patents. They scrutinise both the technical and legal aspects
of a patent application, comparing the new invention against those found in
patent databases, before considering whether or not to grant a patent.
Patent examining offers an unusual opportunity to combine your scientific
and technical knowledge with legal skills. We are seeking people with
highly developed analytical and critical skills and the communication skills
necessary to express complex technical and legal arguments along with
strong oral communication skills to communicate effectively with colleagues
and customers. We require candidates who are self-motivated and willing to
take responsibility for their own decisions.
The Intellectual Property Office - Career Opportunities for Engineers,
Scientists, Computer Scientists and Mathematicians
We play a key role in helping innovative companies to grow. The UK’s
economy thrives on innovative products and services, the use of intellectual
property rights protect, define and reward creativity. We are an Executive
Agency of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). As part of
BIS we are the United Kingdom’s principal authority on intellectual property
(IP) with responsibility for granting patents, registering trademarks and
designs, and developing IP policy.
The office deals with a wide range of subject matter, from chemical
compounds to smart phones; we endeavour for each examiner to work in
areas appropriate to their qualifications and interests.
Associate Patent Examiners currently start from £26779 with benefits such
as flexible working, non-competitive promotion, generous holidays and an
excellent pension scheme.
We welcome applications from people who have obtained or are expected
to achieve at least a 2:2 degree in engineering, science, computer science or
mathematics, or from people who have equivalent experience in industry.
Online recruitment will open in shortly. Apply online at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/
careers-patentexaminer or contact us on [email protected]
Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office
Advertising feature
Who switched you on to physics?
The i2i Partnership would like to know
With the number of students going
on to take physics at university rising
in the UK by 44% in the five years
to 2013 and at a time when schools
need more specialist physics teachers
than ever before, the i2i Partnership
and Weydon School are asking, ‘Who
switched you on to physics?
Development, engagement, motivation
Whether you are an astro-physicist, a
weather forecaster, a nuclear physicist or
a computer games designer, your physics
insights will have brought benefits to your
career. Like those in the i2i Partnership,
your teachers developed your early interest
in science, engaged and motivated you,
challenged and encouraged you and had
the ability to communicate with you in
a way that made physics accessible and
exciting.
Your teachers were engaged in a
profession that is creative, challenging
and fulfilling as well as being part of
the most exciting long term project of
all – developing and nurturing a passion
for science in students and scientists of
tomorrow. Just like the i2i Partnership, for
them, life was about ‘inspiring minds’.
The i2i Partnership shares a great
responsibility to ensure that the teaching
of physics is amongst the best in the world
and to turn around the downward trend in
physics education. We believe that people
like you, who have already had a successful
physics career, bring a practical perspective
to physics teaching and many of the
skills you have already gained are highly
transferable. Our PGCE programme is led by
Weydon School which is rated ‘Outstanding’
by Ofsted, has science specialism and
is one of the highly successful teaching
schools in the UK.
Training and benefits
By training with the i2i Partnership, you
would be likely to be eligible for tax free
training bursaries and scholarships,
we offer a competitive salary and you
benefit from the teachers pension
scheme. Once qualified, we deliver highly
effective and bespoke professional
development programmes to maximise
your opportunities for career progression
through leadership and management.
If you would like to post your views on
how the challenges of teaching physics
might be approached for the future, please
do comment on our blog. Or if you are
interested in training to become a teacher
and would like to find out more about our
outstanding PGCE programme, please do
contact us for further information. For those
of you who are yet to make your mind up,
but are intrigued about the possibility
of inspiring the next generation, we
regularly host School Experience Days and
recruitment events. We would welcome you
at one of these events and details can also
be obtained via the contact (right).
i2i Partnership
Weydon School,
Weydon Lane,
Farnham,
Surrey GU5 9PE, UK
E-mail [email protected]
10 fully funded places
available in Applied
Photonics
The Centre for Doctoral Training in
Applied Photonics is offering 10
fully funded places to exceptional
candidates.
The CDT offers a 4 year
programme with an emphasis on
research and development in a
commercial environment. Most
research in the Centre takes the
form of EngD projects but some PhD
projects will be available.
The Engineering Doctorate (EngD) is
an alternative to the traditional PhD
for students who want a career in
industry. The programme combines
PhD-level research projects with
masters-level technical and MBA
courses, and the students spend
about 75% of their time working
directly with a company.
Funds are also available to support
company employees who wish to
study for an EngD whilst remaining
in employment.
Centre for
Doctoral Training
in Applied Photonics
Centre for Doctoral
Training in Applied
Photonics
Funding
Fee plus stipend of a minimum
£20,226 for EngD researchers
and £15,226 for PhD researchers.
Entry Qualifications
1st class or 2.1 degree at
MPhys or MEng level in physical
sciences, particularly physics and
electrical engineering graduates.
Exceptional applicants from a BSc
or BEng programme are also to be
considered.
www.cdtphotonics.hw.ac.uk
Further Details
For further details and list of current
projects and eligibility criteria
please visit
www.cdtphotonics.hw.ac.uk
or contact
Professor Derryck Reid
e: [email protected]
t: 0131 451 3792
Application deadline
6 PhD Scholarships in the Natural Sciences
The Hamburg-based PIER Helmholtz Graduate School (PHGS),
in cooperation with the Joachim
Herz Foundation, offers excellent conditions for PhD training:
research opportunities using
unique technologies, a global and
interdisciplinary network, and
courses developing key technical
and transferable skills. PHGS is a
graduate education program of
Universität Hamburg in cooperation with DESY, a national research
center in Hamburg, Germany.
PHGS covers the areas of
→ Particle and Astroparticle
Physics
→ Nanoscience
→ Photon Science
→ Infection and Structural
Biology.
Students with an excellent Master’s degree in physics, chemistry,
biology, mathematics, other
natural sciences, or medicine are
invited to apply for a three-year
1-12-14
scholarship from the Joachim
Herz Foundation, in order to
pursue a PhD within the PHGS
program. In addition to a monthly
allowance, the scholarship
provides a start-up allowance and
covers expenses for travel, workshops, and conferences. Successful applicants are committed to
social causes or to related topics
of relevance to society.
PIER Helmholtz Graduate School:
graduateschool.pier-campus.de
Application deadline:
1 December 2014.
Joachim Herz Foundation:
www.joachim-herz-stiftung.de/en
PIER is a cooperation between
Universität Hamburg and DESY.
Contact:
PIER Helmholtz Graduate School
Stefanie Tepass
Phone: +49 40 8998-5502
E-mail:
[email protected]
Laser Engineer
PhD Studentships in the Science & Technology
of Fusion Energy
A doctoral training programme in fusion energy, including materials,
A doctoral training programme in fusion energy, including materials, instrumentation
instrumentation and plasma science
and plasma science.
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the Culham Open
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For more information on research
areas
and
visit:
in November, register here: www.culhamphd.org.uk.
www.york.ac.uk/physics/fusion-cdt
Laser Engineer
Due to the expansion of our business, we have opportunities
for self motivated individuals to join our Laser Group designing
Solid-State and CO2 lasers and associated systems. The
ideal candidates should be qualiﬁed to graduate level
or above and have previous experience in Optics and
Photonics. Knowledge of RF matching networks and optomechanical design with an appreciation of mechanical and
electronics engineering would be an added advantage.
( Ref LE 08 )
The company offers a lively environment, an excellent
beneﬁts package and competitive salaries commensurate
with experience. Dual career paths in engineering and
management and recognition for design excellence allow
talented engineers to realize their earnings potential.
ROFIN is one of the world’s leading designers and
manufacturers of industrial lasers for machining and marking
applications. For more company information view ROFIN’s
Internet site at www.roﬁn-sinar.com. The company offers a lively
environment, an excellent beneﬁts package and competitive
salaries commensurate with experience. Interested candidates
should apply in writing quoting the relevant reference given
above, with a full C.V. to: Personnel Department, Roﬁn-Sinar
UK Ltd., York Way, Willerby, Kingston upon Hull HU10 6HD
or e-mail jobs@roﬁn-uk.com.
Fully FundedPWOct14Cl_Rofin_13x2.indd
PhD Program1in Physics
The Okinawa Institute
of Science
22/09/2014
10:25 and Technology Graduate University (OIST)
oﬀers talented students full funding to study for a PhD in cutting edge
laboratories in a unique environment. The PhD program is customized for
each student and offers a strong core curriculum covering topics such as
Condensed Matter, Advanced Optics, Quantum Mechanics, Fluid
Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory and Ultrafast Spectroscopy with many
interdisciplinary opportunities. Enthusiastic students wanting to do
research in an exciting and innovative setting should apply.
PWOct14Cl_UnivYork_13x2_reset.indd 1
23/09/2014 11:01
✓ Generous support package with secure funding for up to 5 years, covering
stipendium, housing allowance, and travel allowance
✓ Individual student aspirations catered for in basic and advanced courses,
with the possibility of one-on-one tutoring by OIST faculty to extend students in
particular topics
✓ Unparalleled access to state-of-the art research facilities
✓ Full freedom to cross disciplinary boundaries, encouraging innovation and excellence in science
✓ Laboratory rotations providing diverse experience in research and exposure to methods of other disciplines
For more information, check our website: https://groups.oist.jp/grad/
What is OIST?
Send your questions to [email protected]
OIST is a graduate university in Okinawa, Japan, leading cutting-edge,
ufundamental research in science and technology. All activities are
conducted in English. We are searching worldwide for future scientists
h creative, innovative, and not afraid to take risks, students who
rwho are
Ewill
g push the frontiers of knowledge.
i
OIST Graduate University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action
of
educator and employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of
its faculty, students and staff. The University strongly encourages
women and minority candidates to apply.
Interested in doing a Research Internship at OIST?
https://groups.oist.jp/node/154
Some
scientists
make
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Claudenia Williams
Teaches: Science
Just 62% of young people
eligible for free school meals get
a Science GCSE grade A*-C.
Change their lives.
Change yours.
Apply now for our Leadership Development Programme
teachfirst.org.uk/graduates
Charity No 1098294
The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Additive Manufacturing
and 3D Printing is seeking talented individuals from Physics,
Chemistry, Engineering, Biological and Computer Sciences for
the research, development and analysis of the newest generation
of Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing systems, software and
materials. This enhanced PhD programme has been specifically
tailored to allow exploring the whole space of AM, ranging from
new processes to new concepts in materials and design. It will
equip you with the broadest experience and specific knowledge in
3D Printing for you to be part of this manufacturing revolution.
This Centre for Doctoral Training is based at the UK’s foremost
research institutions in AM and 3DP, led by the University of
Nottingham in partnership with the Universities of Liverpool,
Loughborough and Newcastle, with industrial partners in
numerous manufacturing sectors, including automotive and
aerospace.
For more information please see our website: http://nottingham.
ac.uk/additivemanufacturing or email to [email protected].
Joining this Doctoral Training Programme will give you the
opportunity to:
l
l
Receive the training needed for a professional career in 3D
Printing in a four-year course
Work with leading academics and industrialists
Earn up to £20,000 p/a tax free
t
our next career move
l
To be eligible for studentships with the CDT, students should possess a
minimum 2:1 in a Physics, Chemistry, Engineering or Biological Sciences
discipline. Studentships are currently available for UK and EU students only.
Department of Physics
The University of York is in the elite Russell group of universities, ranking in the
top 10 in the UK for research, and in the top 100 in the Times Higher Education
World University Rankings.
The Department of Physics is growing vigorously, with an investment package
that has resulted in a 72% increase in academic staff in the past eight years,
plus major new laboratories and facilities including the York-JEOL Nanocentre,
Biological Physical Sciences Institute, York Centre for Quantum Technologies,
the York Plasma Institute, High Performance Computing and Astrocampus.
In addition to a dynamic and internationally renowned research environment,
we offer an active programme of post-graduate training including skills and
professional development, and an attractive campus environment 2 km from
the centre of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Postgraduate opportunities
Research in the Department of Physics at the University of York spans a wide
range of exciting fields in fundamental, cross-disciplinary and applied physics.
Our internationally recognised research is organised into three groups with
strong ties to industry:
n Condensed Matter Physics: nano and low-dimensional systems, photonics,
magnetism and spintronics, quantum theory and applications and
biophysics and organic systems
n Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics
n Laser-Plasma Physics, Low Temperature Plasmas and Fusion energy
We offer PhD and MSc research degrees, as well as a four-year PhD in the
Fusion Centre for Doctoral Training, a one-year taught MSc in Fusion Energy
and a nine-month Graduate Diploma in Physics.
PhD studentships
are currently available with funding from the EPSRC/STFC,
hysics and
engineering
the Fusion CDT, industry sponsorship or the University of York. Some funding is
also available for the MSc in Fusion Energy. Scholarships are also available.
For more information visit www.york.ac.uk/physics/postgraduate or email
the Graduate Admissions Tutor, Dr Yvette Hancock ([email protected])
The jobs site for physics
and engineering
Fully-funded* 4-year PhD studentships
► Plasmonics and graphene photonics
► Natural photonics
Applications are invited for PhD studentships starting in
September 2015 at the UK’s new centre of excellence in
metamaterials, exploring fundamental physics through
to material engineering.
► Microwave and THz metamaterials
► Magnonics and magnetic metamaterials
► Acoustic metamaterials
Visit our website for application details.
► Spatial transformations
www.exeter.ac.uk/metamaterials
► Nanomaterials and nanocomposites
* UK and EU students receive stipend and fees, non-UK/EU students receive fees only.
Background credit: www.studiotwentyeight.com
University of
Southampton
University of
Hertfordshire
University
of Surrey
The Open
University
World-class knowledge.
World-class facilities.
Universal perspective.
University of
Portsmouth
University
of Sussex
Royal
Holloway,
University
of London
Queen Mary,
University
of London
University
of Kent
Take nine world-class University Physics Departments.
Bring together their research, knowledge and resources.
The result is SEPnet.
SEPnet offers PhD programmes focused on the future
of physics with scholarships to match. Find out more
including how to apply and learn about other postgraduate
study options at www.sepnet.ac.uk/pw
Physics World
October 2014
69
EPSRC CDT in Science and Applications of Graphene and Related
Nanomaterials (Graphene NOWNANO)
Multiple 4-year PhD studentships
MSc in
Neuroimaging
Join a one year Master programme
at King’s College London’s Institute
of Psychiatry, Psychology and
Neuroscience (IoPPN), one of the
world’s largest post-graduate teaching
and research centres for studying the
brain in health and illness.
• Alllecturesaregivenbyexpertsin
theirfieldprovidingstudentswithindepthknowledgeacrossthespectrum
ofneuroimagingspecialisms.
• King’sCollegeLondon’s
Neuroimagingdepartmenthas
pioneeredworkinfunctional
MRI,diffusiontensorimaging,
pharmacologicalMRI,EEGand
advancedphysics&image
analysistechniques.
• Fromimagingphysics,studyingrare
patientpopulationsandrunning
scanningsessionstoanalysing
Formoreinformation
andinterpretingdata,thisMSc
providescomprehensivetraining
inthescienceandmethodology
ofneuroimagingtechniquesand
theirapplicationtoneuroscience,
psychology,psychiatry,neurology
andbeyond.
• Thecourseisaimedatapplicants
withagoodfirstdegreefromawide
varietyofbackgroundsincluding,
mathematics,physics,engineering,
computerscience,biomedical
sciences,neuroscience,and
psychology
www.msc-neuroimaging.com
[email protected]
t
s
e
t
t
ho
s
Applications are invited for up to 12 fully-funded PhD places. We welcome
applications from graduates with a good degree (first or high upper second)
in science, engineering or bio-medical disciplines. Places are available to UK
and EU nationals resident in the UK for >3 years. A small number of funded
places are also available to EU nationals not currently resident in the UK.
THE PROGRAMME
• 6-month training in fundamentals of 2D materials and core research
techniques, including 2 mini-projects in a choice of labs
• Cutting-edge research where you will develop interdisciplinary skills
• Choice of experimental, theoretical and computational projects
• Topics include:
H Fundamental science of graphene and other two-dimensional materials;
H Experimental and theoretical physics of nanodevices based on 2D
materials;
H 2D heterostructures: materials on demand;
H Synthesis, fabrication, characterisation and modelling of 2D materials;
H Applications of graphene and other 2D materials in electronics,
photonics, electrochemistry, composites, spintronics, filtration and
separation, drug delivery, regenerative medicine.
How to apply:
Applications should be made online at:
http://www.graphene-nownano.manchester.ac.uk/
how-to-apply/
Visit www.graphene-nownano.manchester.ac.uk for details
or email [email protected]
Visit
for your next career m
The
duate
a
r
g
r
obs fo
Graphene NOWNANO is a recently established Centre for Doctoral
Training (CDT) based at the University of Manchester in partnership with
Lancaster University. It builds on the world-leading expertise in the science
and technology of graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials
at Manchester and Lancaster to offer a broad interdisciplinary CDT. PhD
students will receive initial state-of-the-art training in fundamentals of
graphene/2D materials, their applications, and key techniques. This is
followed by a 3½ year research project you will select from up to 40 available
projects in 30+ top-rated research groups across 9 disciplines/university
departments (Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Chemistry, Chemical
Engineering, Computer Science, Materials Science, Electrical & Electronic
Engineering, Pharmacy, Biomaterials, Medicine). The CDT is run jointly with
the doctoral training centre in nanoscience (NOWNANO, established in
2009, currently 62 students in the two Centres) thus extending further the
opportunities for sharing expertise and exchange of ideas. Extra opportunities
on offer: student conferences, innovation and commercialisation training,
joint events with other CDT’s, outreach events. These contribute to building
a group of outstanding scientists that will help to lead world research in
graphene and other nanomaterials and development of their applications in
the future.
FR
ENTREE
Y
& su
tran bsidised
spor
t*
National Graduate Recruitment Exhibitions
10 & 11 October | Olympia, London
7 & 8 November | NEC, Birmingham
Visit
More than just a jobs fair...
Top science and
engineering recruiters
Presentations and
workshops
CV Clinic
Mock Assessment Centre
Advice Clinic
GradJobs High Flyersʼ Club*
!
w
o
n
r
e
t
s
i
g
Re
All information correct at time of press
NGR2014_130x94.indd 1
*See website for details. Terms & conditions apply
The jobs site for physics and engineering
12/09/2014 17:24
Ph.D studentships in Atomic, Molecular, Optical
and Positron (AMOPP) Physics at UCL
The AMOPP group in Physics & Astronomy at University
College London conducts world-leading research
covering a wide range of topics such as:
l
Register at the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester or Sheﬃeld for the
Ultracold Gases and Molecules
Attosecond, Strong Laser and FEL interactions with
matter
Nuclear Science & Technology
MSc, PG Diploma, PG Certiicate & CPD
l
Whether you’re already working in the nuclear industry or looking to move
into this rapidly growing sector, enhance your career prospects on a unique
programme that will improve your personal and professional skills on a diverse
range of reactor technology and decommissioning modules.
l
Quantum Information
l
Mechanical systems in the quantum regime
l
Antimatter, Positron, Positronium, Electron Collisions
l
Biological Physics and Laser Tweezers
Part-time courses available in taught and distance learning format.
To discover more, contact Jo Chesters
Tel: 0161 275 4267, Email: [email protected]
or visit www.ntec.ac.uk
Course delivered by:
l
Theoretical Physics of Molecules and Quantum
Systems
Fully-funded 3 and 4 year Ph.D studentships are offered
for UK and EU students while scholarships are available
for overseas students. Join us for an Open Day on
December 3, 2014.
For application details and more information, see
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/phys/amopp and e-mail Dr.
Agapi Emmanouilidou at [email protected]
The internet now touches nearly
every aspect of our lives, and is
viewed as indispensable for an
immense array of applications
government administration, entertainment and social
networking. Unfortunately, a victim of its own phenomenal
success, transport of internet traffic across the globe now
accounts for around 2% of a developed nations energy
consumption.
The project PEACE seeks to address both
energy consumption and total fibre capacity
by adding signal processing functions in
the optical domain. In line optical signal
processing greatly reduces signal distortion,
and allows simplification of transmitter and receiver electronics.
l
The two PhD fully funded projects associated with this
projects will (quote R140186) design and test advanced
optical devices to enable and enhance the cancellation
of nonlinearity including phase conjugation, and (quote
R14085) develop energy efficient transponders based on
advanced photonic integrated circuits optimised to exploit
reduced distortion transmission.
The successful applicant should have a first class honours
degree or equivalent qualification in Electronic Engineering,
Applied Physics or a related discipline, or an MSc in a
photonics related discipline.
Please see jobs.aston.ac.uk for details of eligibility and
application requirements and closing date.
MSc Nanotechnology
The MSc in Nanotechnology and the Postgraduate
Diploma in Nanotechnology are designed for
graduates from the physical sciences and from
relevant engineering disciplines who wish to enter
this exciting arena, either as industrial researchers,
technical managers or academic researchers.
Entry Requirements:
A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor’s
degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or
an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.
Further Info:
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/masters/msc-nano
Visit
for your next career move
FREE
RY
ENTISTE
R
REG
NOW!
Are you looking to deepen your
knowledge of physics?
28 & 29 November 2014
NEC, Birmingham
Discover our range of Master’s courses taught in the
Department of Physics, at one of the world’s leading
scientific universities in the heart of London.
Engineering physicists wanted
MSc in Physics
Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT)
With streams in Nanophotonics
and in Shock Physics.
We lead several EPSRC sponsored
CDT offering one-year Master’s
courses and four-year Master’s plus
PhD training.*
MSc in Physics with Extended
Research
MSc in Optics and Photonics
and the MRes in Photonics*
at the UK’s leading engineering recruitment exhibition
• Jobs with leading employers
• Women in Engineering Forum
• Inspirational careers seminars
• CV and Interview Clinics
• Professional Development Hub
• Free Careers Advice Lounge
• Controlled Quantum Dynamics
• Theory and Simulation of Materials
Recruiting companies include*:
• Plastic Electronics
*Funding for Home and EU students available.
MSc in Quantum Fields and
Fundamental Forces
In association with:
Supported by:
For more information go to
www.imperial.ac.uk/physics
*All information correct at time of press
Register NOW at www.engineerjobs.co.uk
A Major in Engineering Physics at Aalto University, Finland
NECR_SEE_130x94.indd 1
15/09/2014 17:17
Physics of Advanced Materials
Application period: December 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015
Degree: Master of Science (Technology), 120 ECTS
Duration: 2 years, full-time
Eligibility: B.Sc or equivalent qualification
Tuition fee: No
Students in the major focus either on experimental or
theoretical/computational aspects of materials physics,
nanotechnology and related fields. An integral part of the
M.Sc studies is participation in high-level research, with
significant amounts of hands-on training in materials
physics research methodologies.
Financing studies. Possibilities for part-time research
assistant positions (full-time work during June-August).
Highly qualified applicants will be offered positions in the
Honours programme, entailing an incentive of 1900 € per
semester (minus tax).
For further information
http://www.aalto.fi/en/physics_msc/
Department of Applied Physics and related separate
institutes in the School of Science house currently over
30 research groups and three national centers of
excellence in research. The main focus areas of the
department are condensed matter physics, energy
technologies, computational and theoretical physics,
nanophysics, optics, and quantum phenomena.
http://physics.aalto.fi
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel. +358 50 571 4097
Aalto University, situated in the Helsinki
metropolitan area, is Finland's leading university
in the fields of technology, business and arts.
Division of Imaging Sciences and
Biomedical Engineering
fully-funded graduate study
Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine
The Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering is at the forefront
of research, development, education and training in all aspects of Medical Imaging.
A qualification from the Division will equip you to join the next generation of
interdisciplinary scientists and clinicians taking medical imaging forward. Students
will undertake both academic and practical study in an environment of excellence,
learning from the best scientists and clinicians from around the globe.
The Division offers four postgraduate degree programmes and also hosts an
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging
This joint centre between King’s College London and Imperial College London
offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary postgraduate research training programme
with PhD studentships available for graduates in:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
Physics
Computer Sciences
Biology
Chemistry
•
•
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Pharmacy
Biochemistry
Biomedical Engineering
Other engineering-related
disciplines
For further information on our Centre of Doctoral Training and Masters
programmes please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 7188 7188 extn 52503
for British citizens at
HARVARD
&
MIT
For full details & to apply online:
www.kennedytrust.org.uk
www.frankknoxfellowships.org.uk
awards application deadline:
29 October 2014 for Fall 2015 courses
Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/imaging
Major themes pursued by researchers in
SUPA are:
Astronomy and Space Physics
Condensed Matter and Material Physics
Energy
Nuclear and Plasma Physics
Particle Physics
Photonics
Physics and Life Sciences
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance PhD Studentships
The Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) opens a single door into all Physics PhDs in Scotland. When
you apply for a SUPA PhD Studentship, you will also be considered for all other funded places available in Physics
departments in Scotland.
Applications should be made at http://apply.supa.ac.uk by 31st January 2015.
All Physics PhD students in Scotland are considered SUPA Graduate School students and are eligible to attend all educational and training activities.
If you are graduating
this year then your IOP
membership will lapse
after you graduate.
Graduating
this year?
Don’t forget
to regrade
your IOP
membership!
Regrade your student
membership today to
continue with IOP.
Choose from three options:
• Associate Member – for early career
physicists (including postgraduate students)
wanting to maintain their professional
membership.
• IOPimember – this digital membership is
perfect for anyone with an interest in physics.
• Still an undergraduate? – if you are
continuing your undergraduate studies please
let us know so we can extend your
free membership.
Regrading is easy!
All you need to do is go to www.myiop.org,
log in and then follow the instructions.
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GraduateCareers
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E-mail [email protected]
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