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Max ‘OWee’ van der Laan passed away

Last Saturday, Klaas Max van der Laan passed away at the age of 86. In 1973 he set up the Reception Week (OWee) and last year he attended the fiftieth edition.

In an interview in Delta from last year he said: “In 1973 the University of Applied Sciences’ Council (TU Delft was called the Technical University of Applied Sciences at the time) decided that the introduction period for new students should be expanded. Previously it consisted of two days that included a speech by the Rector Magnificus and collecting your student card and timetable. The new introduction was for students and organised by students. Eight students were appointed to organise it and I was asked to be chair. I was 36 years old at the time and Secretary of Applied Physics.”

Although the OWee committee made him best known, Van der Laan held numerous other positions in his 50-plus years at TU Delft, including first chair university council, Secretary of Applied Physics and director of the University Fund.

In their obituary, Rector Tim van der Hagen and Dean of Applied Sciences Paulien Herder called Van der Laan “a gifted administrator and an enthusiastic person, who did everything for ‘his’ students and colleagues”.

The farewell ceremony will take place in the auditorium of Iepenhof crematorium, Hoflaan 18, Delft on Tuesday 6 February at 15:45.

Interview with Max van der Laan and Hans van der Knegt, founders of the Reception Week (OWee) on 30 January 2023. (Dutch spoken)

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