A group of around 10 TU Delft employees has been working on a ‘moral deliberation’ on the ties with Israeli institutions since March. They will issue advice before summer. Until then, the position of the Executive Board will remain unchanged. Meanwhile, a memorial tree on campus was vandalised for the second time.
Professors also retire, but there are exceptions. Such as Johan Molenbroek (1951), the Ergonomist and human measurer, who is still working.
Donald Trump’s hostile actions against academia are having serious consequences for Dutch researchers. This was the finding of an investigation by the HOP press agency, NU.nl, the Investico platform and De Groene Amsterdammer. Several scientists no longer have access to their research data. This is also the case at TU Delft.
In collaboration with the offshore industry, TU Delft researchers are developing a system that can remotely monitor the condition of anchor chains. With the increasing number of floating energy platforms, this is becoming more important than ever.
Academic freedom is under pressure in the Netherlands, according to KNAW. The organisation warns that researchers’ autonomy is being undermined by budget cuts, intimidation and two new bills.
At the Reactor Institute Delft, researchers uncover the internal structure of centuries old museum artefacts by scanning them with neutrons. “From the radioactivity that the objects briefly absorb during this process, we can determine what materials were used hundreds of years ago,” says PhD student Yueer Li.
Rowing and universities have gone hand in hand for over 150 years. Yet only now do we have the tools and knowledge to examine exactly which muscles drive the rowing stroke. “Thus we can analyse the rowing stroke in detail,” says postdoc Tom van Wouwe.
From the moment he started studying, Frido Smulders was fascinated by innovation. Fifty years on, his enthusiasm is burning brighter than ever. On 9 May, he reads his valedictory lecture. “Innovative organisations need to offer safe spaces for expression.”
According to the jury, he is an advocate who inspires students and alumni to make their time as a student count. What else is Bas Buchner, former director of MARIN, who’s being presented the Alumnus of the Year award on Tuesday?
