IP Week 2016

Following a week of Introduction Programme (IP) activities, BSc and MSc students representing 92 nationalities were organised into teams bearing Dutch city names. The teams were tasked with creating a flag, mascot and building a bicycle-propelled parade float reflecting the city concept.

Patricia Martín, LR MSc student from Spain, was on the Lelystad team. As her team rushed to ensure their ship was ready to set sail, Martín noted that in addition to learning about the 1629 Batavia mutiny and shipwreck, of greater importance was “working with colleagues from EWI, BK, CiTG to achieve a common goal.”

Teams pitched their concepts to jury members in a simulated academic conference poster exhibition in the Aula’s Foyer. Rustam Alashrafov, an EWI MSc candidate from Azerbaijan, was dressed as a Friesian cow mascot to drum up enthusiasm for Purmerend. “The team is amazing and the new connections made this week are valuable. I now have lasting contacts in every faculty,” said Alashrafov.

Jury members across campus and from several embassies assessed projects against criteria including project results, innovation, sustainability, project process, teamwork and presentation techniques. Jury member Mark Lammerts, TU Delft Director of Communication noted the remarkable quality of city teams’ “collaboration in a fun and informal manner to realise such high quality project outputs.” Judith Hofstra, of the Central International Office, noted student delight at the hands-on project. “This is introduction to the TU way of working where intercultural skills, collaboration and multi-perspective analysis” will serve them well, said Hofstra.

On September 1, 2016 jurors announced the Schiedam team as IP Project 2016 winners with the coherence in the city concept and its execution in the mascot and float as the deciding factors.