Annebelle de Bruijn
news editor
Annebelle likes to dive into bulky research files for Delta and Delft Matters, but is also always up for reports or other articles. You can ask her anything about the best running routes or the nicest concert halls, podcasts or East Asian restaurants. As a provincial, she has a marriage of convenience with living in the Randstad.
An investigative article by Delta about the experiences of current and former TU Delft staff members of the lack of social safety leads to shocked reactions. Trade unions and the Student and Works Councils insist on measures that go beyond the plans published recently, and on real participation. The Minister also responds.
The victims of the lack of social safety at TU Delft get caught in a web of hierarchical uncertainty, a lack of action and unequal power relationships, reveals an investigation by Delta. This often worsens the situations of those seeking help. “TU Delft shattered me entirely.”
Despite the shortage of student rooms, this summer Delft has five student rooms less: the Lorna te George student house is no longer open. And this may make a beer bottle collection of almost 1,700 bottles homeless. Delta spoke to the first and last resident of the student house.
The secondhand bicycle sale has been a regular event on the Introduction Programme (IP), the introduction week for master students. “Is my bike not a touch expensive?” a lot of internationals wonder.
The beer tap stays firmly closed until 17:00 at OWee events, and for the first time all the major Delft student associations are requiring underaged OWee attendees to do a breath test before entering their premises. “We want to send a signal,” says DSB Board Member Tim de Vries.
The fine for taking a long time to finish their studies is causing a lot of stress, worry and is making doing a degree programme in higher education extra hard for students with disabilities, says Marissa van der Tol, Chair of Student Onbeperkt. “And that while we already are 3-0 behind other students.” She argues for students with a disability being exempted from the ruling.
The Executive Board will share the response of the Inspectorate of Education to TU Delft’s Plan of Change with the Works Council and the Student Council. Rector Magnificus and Executive Board Chair Tim van der Hagen promised to do so at the monthly meeting with the representation bodies.
National student organisations have announced demonstrations, the youth branches of political parties have signed an urgent letter to Parliament, and House of Representative members expressed their concerns. There is much resistance against the ‘langstudeerboete’ promoted by the coalition parties. TU Delft student political parties have joined the protesters. “This will damage a group of students that actually need extra support.”
It is a job that some people would kill for: university lecturer at TU Delft. Nevertheless, Volkert van der Wijk exchanged his highly desirable position to become an artist. And he does not regret his decision. “I now have more time for both art and science.”
Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen and the rectors of 14 other universities have decided not to break ties with Israeli academic institutions, they write in the Trouw newspaper. TU Delft pro-Palestinian activists respond with disappointment.
In legal proceedings, Cursor editor Bridget Spoor demands that the blacked out sections in an investigative report about censorship are made public. This was reported by Cursor, the journalism platform of TU Eindhoven. In the report, an investigative committee writes that the Executive Board stood in the way of ‘free journalistic operations’.
TU Delft is currently investigating who is behind the DDoS attack at the end of May. In the investigation, it is dependent on the cooperation of hosting companies and cloud services
Happiness and disappointment after the Student Council elections. While Lijst Bèta loses a seat, ORAS gains one. Dé Partij, the relatively new party, retains its one seat.
Despite repeated requests, the Supervisory Board did not share the draft report by the Inspectorate of Education about social safety with the representation bodies during the reappointment process of Rector Tim van der Hagen. The Supervisory Board claimed that there was nothing in the report that would jeopardise the reappointment.
During the consultation meeting of April, the Student Council and the Works Council again discussed social safety with the Executive Board. The Councils’ members agreed with the Executive Board that they could share an ‘80% version’ of the social safety plan of action with their constituencies.
Involve PhD candidates more in initiatives around improving social safety. The University PhD Council issued this call in a letter to the Executive Board on Friday 26 April. In the letter, the advocacy group shares its ideas on improving the social safety.
The Mira Mí mural is nominated for the Le Comte Prize 2023 for the best art work decorating the town of Delft. Alumni Parya Lotfi and Glenn Weisz worked together on Mira Mí.
During Democracy Day, TU Delft students and staff members can discuss how TU Delft is managed. A group of people from TU Delft is organising the event to see how TU Delft can be managed in a more democratic way.
On Monday 15 April, the Executive Board sent a Delta reporter away from an open meeting with three internal trade unions. The public and a Berenschot advisor were welcome. Both the FNV Government trade union and the Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten condemn their action.
Peter Gill, China Advisor at TU Delft, wrote West meets East. In this book he compares China, Taiwan and Singapore to Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark respectively.
The internal trade unions at TU Delft are critical about the composition of the social safety project team. They advise the Executive Board to reconsider the composition as quickly as possible and propose a solution.
Exhale, the ‘social living room’ has been on X’s grounds since January. It is hoped that this temporary facility will stimulate student well-being. “Everyone can be themselves and relax here.”
The monthly meeting between the Executive Board and the representation bodies, that is planned for Thursday the 28th, will be held largely behind closed doors. Only the last half hour of the two hour long meeting will be made public.
In an email to staff about the suspended court case, the Executive Board writes that socially threatening behaviour is not acceptable and should not be downplayed. Yet, in a response to the draft report of the Inspectorate of Education, the administrators cast doubts on the experiences of those reporting incidents, an analysis by Delta shows.
Despite repeated requests for support, the outgoing Minister of Education is still refusing international PhD candidates with scholarships a helping hand. Unjustly, believe PhDs with scholarships at TU Delft and PNN, the national advocacy body. “PhD candidates with scholarships add great value to the Netherlands.”
The central and local representation councils at TU Delft are not in agreement with the ‘highly unempathetic’ way in which the Executive Board responded to the Inspectorate’s report. ‘We expected more self-reflection’, writes the Works Council.
The four unions affiliated with TU Delft do not want the Executive Board to take the Education Inspectorate to court. In a statement to its members, the unions write that many TU Delft employees do not support the board’s view.
TU Delft is ‘determined’ to bring the Inspectorate of Education to court for its ‘defective investigation’. The Inspectorate is confident that its report will survive this test. In the meantime, the outgoing Minister of Education Dijkgraaf has informed the House of Representatives of his plan of action.
TU Delft accidentally put confidential information online while defending itself against the Inspectorate of Education’s report. Passages that had been blacked out were still legible. These passages suggest that TU Delft is mostly fearful about damage to the reputation of its administrators.
The people living around the Van Hasseltlaan feel wronged by student housing provider Duwo’s building and renovation plans. “I am having sleepless nights because of it,” says one of them.
Assistant Professor Alessandro Bombelli (Aerospace Engineering) is TU Delft’s Teacher of the Year. Delta asked him for exam tips. “Concentrate on the material rather than on the exam.”
Inflation is pushing PhD candidates with grants to the brink. As their position at TU Delft is so tenuous, they could be subject to misuse. TU Delft does little, found Delta.
It is unhealthily hot in spring and summer in the De Pauwmolen studios. “I fled to friends,” says one tenant. The owner of the flat, Plaza, responds slowly.
Through Student in de Zon, Sieb Rodenburg and Berend Krans are helping student houses in Delft install solar panels. “We want to give students the option to be sustainable.”
After several delays, Duwo is now certain that the building of the BalPol4 student flat will start this academic year. The flat is reserved for students aged 23 and older.
Duwo hopes to start building 660 student housing units on Heertjeslaan, on Campus South, next academic year. That is far from the city, but safety has been considered.
