Academic year opening: Speakers encourage students to reach high
Speakers at IHE Delft’s Opening of the Academic Year ceremony encouraged the 137 new MSc students, who had just days earlier arrived in the Netherlands from 46 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere, to realise their potential.
“For the newcomers: don’t worry about where you came from or how you got the opportunity to be here. Have the focus, have the commitment and push forward,” said Joy Nyawira Riungu of Kenya, the winner of the 2022 IHE Delft Alumni Award.
In an address after she received her award, she discussed her work to develop sanitation capacity in Kenya, where she has created a sanitation programme at the at Meru University of Science and Technology and serves as director of the university’s Sanitation Research Institute. She told the incoming students that her IHE Delft PhD strengthened her ability to make a difference, including by influencing policy.
Many of the students have worked in the water or sanitation sector in their countries, and come to IHE Delft to further strengthen their skills. Hector Garcia, IHE Delft Associate Professor of Wastewater, highlighted the global need for the expertise they will develop during their studies.
“You can play a key role in your country when you finish here, contributing to the water sector in your country,” he said, sharing how IHE Delft alumni from his native Uruguay worked with IHE Delft experts to develop a postgraduate programme in sanitation and sanitary engineering at the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC).
Senior MSc student Amancio Melad III, the head of the IHE Delft Student Association Board, urged the new students to listen actively not only to their teachers and mentors, but also to each other.
“Through intentional listening, you will grow your perspective of the world,” he said. “To share is to care. We are all here because we care about the future of water.”
IHE Delft Vice-Rector Charlotte de Fraiture encouraged the students – the first to take the Institute’s revamped MSc programme - to interact with fellow students from other countries, professional fields and focus areas.
“I hope you take this truly unique opportunity to get out of your comfort zone,” she said. “I hope you can disagree with each other and have a good debate and bring out different perspectives. That’s where the creativity comes from that we need to address these water challenges. ”
IHE Delft Rector Eddy Moors looked ahead at the March 2023 UN Water Conference, where countries are expected to make commitments for water-related development. He said he hoped the students would help their countries fulfil these commitments and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
“We need you very urgently,” he said in remarks that opened the 2 November event. “I am counting on you that you will join us in this commitment to the water sector.”
You can watch the event here.
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