I am a prospective masters student in chemical engineering.
I want to know the scope of chemical engg at KU Leuven and NTNU. I had also applied to Politecnico di Milano , but dropping the plan to join there.

My selection will be based on

1) Post M.S scenario- PhD vs Job
2) Chemical industry- I have heard that Antwerp is a hub of Chemical Industry in Belgium. Also Norway and Belgium are close to the North Sea. So there must be reserves of Oil and Natural Gas.
3) Language - Is Dutch and Flemish language essentially the same ?
4) Any possibilities of Visa extension after completing the Masters , to look for a job ?

Seniors in these universities or the ones in EU might be able to help.

http://edulix.com/unisearch/user.php?uid=266597

Tagging seniors
krazzycool
Rogue

http://edulix.com/unisearch/user.php?uid=266597

Firstly, for post MS prospects don't compare PhD and jobs. The reason I say so is PhD positions are completely dependent on the funding of the professors and it is not affected so much by the market because research in academia will always continue to happen. Positions open round the year and you can, after your MS, move to any place in Europe for a PhD depending on the position available. Additionally, your mentality shouldn't be such that you want to do a PhD because the job market is not very great. As I always keep telling, PhD is a very big commitment for a period of 4-5 years and if research is not your thing, you shouldn't pursue a PhD at all.

Now, coming to jobs, Belgium along with Netherlands and Germany, they call it the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine area is the biggest Chemical hub in Europe. Therefore jobs prospects if not excellent will surely be good. There are numerous chemical companies here so you shouldn't have a problem in finding jobs there.

Now, I am not so sure about the reputation of Chemical Engineering program at KU Leuven but the one in NTNU is very good from what I have heard. It would be good to get in touch with someone from NTNU rather than going by hearsay only to get more information.

Dutch and Flemish are essentially the same with slight differences I believe. But language is not mandatory in Belgium/Netherlands for a job in the Chemical industry. However, it can be an advantage ofcourse when you are working in a plant with operators who are usually locals.

I am not sure about the visa extension rules in Belgium or Norway.

PhD, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie(HZB)
ChemE|UG internships|Profile|EU Visas

I don't know much about chemical engineering at KU Leuven. I have heard that the univ has good pharmaceutical research.

Regarding chemical engineering at NTNU,
1) PhD options - The department on an average has 15-18 PhD admissions every year. A few years ago, it was as high as 25. Department has good funding and has collaboration with industries and academic partners (other universities, Sintef, IFE, etc).
2) Job - It depends on the economy and job market when you are about to graduate. Norway is heavily dependent on oil and gas industry. New job creation in this sector has been sluggish recently due to low crude price.
4) Visa extension - Yes, it is possible for 6 months after graduation under job seeker visa. Details can be found in the immigration website (UDI)

Tag me only for European universities...
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