GRE!

Indeed, a very vibrant setting for personal growth, and an opportunity to learn from the myriad experiences of other people. We all made our way to Delft from places far and diverse. Almost all of us had the qualities for not just coping in this entirely different environment, but also for emphatically proving ourselves in our selected niche. But having done so, how prepared are we to move further in other directions, be it within the EU or beyond?

Almost every Dutch national who was educated in the Netherlands speaks a collection of very useful business languages. The most commonly spoken languages are German, French, Spanish and of course English. Yet, when I was looking to learn German owing to a possibility of having to deal with a design team in Hamburg, I found that the infrastructure for foreigners to learn German anywhere in the Netherlands is non-existent! For that matter, I found the same holds true for any other foreign language . notwithstanding the advanced English courses given at the university. People ask me, “Why do you want to learn German or French before mastering Dutch?” I’ve had a tough time convincing them that I feel handicapped when I have to build a solid rapport with people across borders (especially France and Germany), because I lack even a rudimentary exposure to their language.

If I consider studying for the globally accepted qualifying examinations – like GRE (Graduate Record Examination), or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) – I again find a total lack of study material and infrastructure. While I was in India, our university had an administrative office to help university students with such exams, which are required for international applications. This office helped us research opportunities for studying in universities abroad and offered information about the research these universities conduct various fields. How else could I have come to know about TU Delft while in India?

Although the TU can pride itself on being an internationally renowned university, it severely lacks the facilities needed for helping foreign students continue on their international track . be it in equipping students to fit perfectly into the European setting, or for preparing to study or work elsewhere. It doesn’t take too much of an investment to make such facilities available to students. The complete absence of even self-study material in the central library for the GRE or TOEFL speaks volumes about the TU’s ‘international infrastructure’. The only language course taught in English is the Dutch course, and the country wherein international students target internships is the Netherlands.

Reasoning that helping students become international is counterproductive to Dutch interests is a very parochial mentality. By providing a helping hand to the more enterprising among us in achieving our global dreams, the TU’s international brand recognition can only get better!”

Ramesh Chidambaram is from India. He is a recent MSc micro-electronics graduate of TU Delft and currently works for Philips Semiconductors in Nijmegen.

“The Netherlands is a great place to be for many reasons. As an international student at TU Delft, you get to drink from the melting pot of various cultures and backgrounds. Indeed, a very vibrant setting for personal growth, and an opportunity to learn from the myriad experiences of other people. We all made our way to Delft from places far and diverse. Almost all of us had the qualities for not just coping in this entirely different environment, but also for emphatically proving ourselves in our selected niche. But having done so, how prepared are we to move further in other directions, be it within the EU or beyond?

Almost every Dutch national who was educated in the Netherlands speaks a collection of very useful business languages. The most commonly spoken languages are German, French, Spanish and of course English. Yet, when I was looking to learn German owing to a possibility of having to deal with a design team in Hamburg, I found that the infrastructure for foreigners to learn German anywhere in the Netherlands is non-existent! For that matter, I found the same holds true for any other foreign language . notwithstanding the advanced English courses given at the university. People ask me, “Why do you want to learn German or French before mastering Dutch?” I’ve had a tough time convincing them that I feel handicapped when I have to build a solid rapport with people across borders (especially France and Germany), because I lack even a rudimentary exposure to their language.

If I consider studying for the globally accepted qualifying examinations – like GRE (Graduate Record Examination), or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) – I again find a total lack of study material and infrastructure. While I was in India, our university had an administrative office to help university students with such exams, which are required for international applications. This office helped us research opportunities for studying in universities abroad and offered information about the research these universities conduct various fields. How else could I have come to know about TU Delft while in India?

Although the TU can pride itself on being an internationally renowned university, it severely lacks the facilities needed for helping foreign students continue on their international track . be it in equipping students to fit perfectly into the European setting, or for preparing to study or work elsewhere. It doesn’t take too much of an investment to make such facilities available to students. The complete absence of even self-study material in the central library for the GRE or TOEFL speaks volumes about the TU’s ‘international infrastructure’. The only language course taught in English is the Dutch course, and the country wherein international students target internships is the Netherlands.

Reasoning that helping students become international is counterproductive to Dutch interests is a very parochial mentality. By providing a helping hand to the more enterprising among us in achieving our global dreams, the TU’s international brand recognition can only get better!”

Ramesh Chidambaram is from India. He is a recent MSc micro-electronics graduate of TU Delft and currently works for Philips Semiconductors in Nijmegen.