Every two years the Kleine Buitenlandse Excursie (KBE) committee of the study association FMF organizes a study trip to a foreign country. In 2020, taking place from 14.-23. of April, the excursion will head to Stockholm, and Helsinki. The intent of this study trip is to allow members to experience different cultures and get an impression on the state of affairs of science, research and education all over Europe and the world. The program will therefore be packed with visits to universities, research institutes and companies as well as cultural activities. The trip will be open to 26 people, with 20 spots for members, 4 for the members of the organizing committee, and 2 for staff members of the University of Groningen. Signups will open shortly through this website, as well as at the NSFW.

The name chosen for the KBE of 2020 is "ÄNGSTRÖM", which stands for "Åland Nearing Groninger Student Trip Reaching Öihin Menacingly".
The excursion is traditionally named after a significant scientist from one of the destination countries. This time the honour is given to Anders Jonas Ångström (1814 - 1874), a Swedish physicist.

Ångström was born in Medelpad, and went to school in Härnösand. Later he moved to Uppsala to attend the university there. After having been a docent in physics at Uppsala University since 1839, he moved to the Stockholm Observatory to pursue astronomical work in 1842. Ängström carried out research concerning terrestrial magnetism, and later in heat conduciton, as well as spectroscopy.

Ångström played a significant role in the early developments of the field of Spectroscopy. Most notably, Ångström noted that an incadescent gas emits luminous rays of the same refrangibility as those it absorbs.

Stockholm

The beautiful capital of Sweden prides itself on being open to anyone and everyone. A curious city, eager to try anything that is new, anything that’s different.
Stockholm is the second most prolific tech and start up hub in the world, second only to Silicon Valley. Stockholm attracts the most innovative people from all corners of the world and what meets them is a capital known for its beauty and closeness to nature.

Helsinki

Situated on the Baltic Sea, Finland’s capital, Helsinki, is a modern city of over half a million people, and is the second most northern capital in Europe. Surrounded by an archipelago of hundreds of tiny islands, and culturally influenced by both the East and West, Helsinki is a vibrant seaside city of great green parks. The city’s rhythm is laid back yet at the same time refreshingly active in terms of both the number and quality of restaurants and nightclubs.

Helsinki’s climate combines characteristics of both a maritime and a continental climate. The proximity of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic creates cold weather, while the Gulf Stream brings in warmer air. Spring arrives in Helsinki usually sometime in April. The days grow rapidly longer and warmer, attracting people to the city while the nature blossoms all around.

The Kleine Buitenlandse Excursie (KBE) committee is a committee of the Fysisch-Mathematische Faculteitsvereniging (FMF) and is responsible for organizing a study trip to within Europe every two years. The KBE committee is monitored by the Stichting GBE-FMF which is a foundation consisting of members of the FMF who have previously organized a study trip for the association. On the trip itself, the committee is joined by two members of staff from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Usually these staff members are picked in a way such that they have connections to the destination, and therefore will also help the KBE committee with the planning of the study trip. Furthermore, the KBE committee is supported by a Board of Recommendation.