Fight for your objectives and dreams: IHE Delft's 2023 academic year opens with inspirational messages
The 150 students from 52 countries who just started their MSc in Water and Sustainable Development are in for a difficult – but fun and memorable - year, IHE Delft Rector Eddy Moors said in a ceremony that celebrated the opening of the academic year and the winner of the IHE Delft 2023 Alumni Award, César Alvarado Ancieta from Peru.
The event included remarks in which speakers captured the spirit of IHE Delft, where a blend of academic rigour, hands-on experience and a culturally diverse environment paves the way for innovative solutions to global water challenges.
Akosua Boakye-Ansah, Lecturer/Researcher in Water Services Governance and an MSc and PhD alumna of IHE Delft, called on the students to be open to different perspectives in their water journey.
“Define your own interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary knowledge to know and understand the different challenges you will encounter,” she said.
Embrace diversity
Henry Amorocho-Daza, an IHE Delft PhD Candidate and MSc alumnus, drew upon his own experiences to inspire the new students as they embarked on their academic journey. He noted that IHE Delft students are joined in their wish to contribute to the water world: "In some way, water brought you here, and you are expected to give back something to water after coming to IHE Delft," he said.
Encouraging the students to embrace diversity, Amorocho-Daza noted that the ceremony was like a “small United Nations meeting” and invited the students to engage in a dialogue with their fellows and learn about their cultures, religions and worldviews. He also emphasized the importance of cooperation: "In such an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment, your skills can benefit other people but you will also need the expertise of others along the way. Share generously and receive gratefully."
Principles and honesty
The ceremony also honoured César Alvarado Ancieta, a hydraulic engineering expert from Peru who is the winner of the 2023 Alumni Award. In his acceptance speech, he shared lessons and insights from a career that has included – so far – assignments in more than 30 countries. A main point, he said, was “keeping your principles and honesty, which are the most important things in life."
"I would like to encourage you to believe in yourselves and fight for your objectives and dreams and for your countries, achieving the targets for the development of your countries, bringing prosperity and benefits for your people, in the field of water engineering – that is the reason why you are here," he told the students.
IHE Delft Vice Rector Charlotte de Fraiture underscored the importance of active learning, urging the new students to embrace the challenges that lay ahead: “Water issues are complex and can't be solved by just one discipline alone. This requires an active learning mindset and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone,” she said.