At the festive event, the TU Delft’s blue was accentuated with red: the colour that represents the lifelong bond that TU Delft pursues with its students and alumni.
After two years with restrictions, the opening could finally take place again according to protocol. (Photos: Marjolein van der Veldt)
Lifelong – it doesn’t sound pleasant, but it is well-meant. The TU Delft for life campaign was the leitmotiv at the festive opening of the 2022-2023 academic year on Monday afternoon, 5 September. The previous two openings had been virtual or restricted. This time, coughing freshmen, professors in robes, employees and dignitaries could all take their seats freely in the Auditorium for a festive programme of short speeches, live music, and multi-screen video projections.
In his opening speech, Vice-Rector Magnificus Rob Mudde emphasised the long history (since 1842) and solid foundations of TU Delft. Much has changed since then, but not the can-do mentality in tackling problems (‘challenges’) and making the world a better place. As an illustration, a video was shown of a grandmother, mother and her two children who had all attended TU Delft; the TU Delft DNA flowing through their veins.
Research
There were also examples of research. Dr Yasemin Vardar of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE) related her efforts to convey fingertip sensations through haptic displays. She was inspired by the baby hands of her new remote cousin in Turkey during Covid. This spring, she received a Veni grant for her research.
Other fine research followed in a duo presentation by Professor Wouter Serdijn (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science) and Dr Christos Strydis (Faculty EEMCS and Erasmus MC). They took the audience into the unfathomable depths of the human brain and talked about their attempts to gain greater insight into the mechanisms of epilepsy.
Lifelong and worldwide
In his ‘Lasting Connections’ speech, Mudde completed the circle by emphasising the importance of meetings and networks. “More than 100,000 TU Delft engineers worldwide make lifelong use of the knowledge and connections they have gained on campus to build better societies.”
The first-year students began to realise what a huge network they were entering with their first steps towards a lifelong connection with TU Delft.
Ducktape
The opening was graced by TU Delft student big band Ducktape. For an impression, watch their performance on King’s Day. Party time!
Networking and meetings are important factors in the TU Delft For Life programme.
- More about the Opening Academic Year 2022-2023
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