Graduation Day for the water ambassadors of the future
It’s a day they will never forget. Dressed up in their smartest outfits, some in national costume, the IHE Delft class of 2023 graduated in style. On Wednesday 11 October, 115 students from 45 countries graduated with an MSc in Water and Sustainable Development.
The graduates were the first to complete IHE Delft’s new 12-month master programme. They worked hard to achieve a high level of expertise in their chosen field of water-related issues, while also sharpening their interdisciplinary and professional skills. Now many of them will return to their home countries to tackle water challenges faced by their countries and regions.
New water ambassadors
IHE Delft Rector Eddy Moors hailed the Class of 2023 as the new water ambassadors, welcoming them to the IHE Delft family, and stressed the responsibility their new degrees bring. He underlined the urgency of water issues, noting that more than a third of the global population live in water-scarce areas, and that climate change is worsening the global water crisis. He lamented that violent conflicts are diverting global resources and attention needed to address water, climate and environmental challenges.
He told the graduates that “the world is crying out for new managers and water leaders” and urged them to ensure that water challenges are tackled so that they don’t become sources of conflict. He added: “Water is one of the best ways to find cooperation.”
Memorandum of Understanding
In his graduation speech, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers, told the graduates that he was heartened by their motivation to make a difference for their communities and for the world.
“The world needs you more than ever,” he said. “The world needs your ideas and ambitions to treat water better.”
He called on the graduates to treasure the network they and other IHE Delft alumni form, calling it “a worldwide water-community ready to put water at the centre of our decision-making, for a safer, healthier and more prosperous world.”
The minister affirmed the Dutch government’s commitment to the work of IHE Delft and concluded his remarks by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with IHE Delft, on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Department of Waterways and Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat).
Water leaders of the future
MSc graduate Nikita Purty of India, who was the chairperson of the Student Association Board, noted that the students had worked hard during their intensive study period. It was tough, she said, but in the end, it paid off: “I can proudly say that the batch of 2022-23, each one of us has got what it takes to be an inspirational water leader of the future.”
MSc graduate Andrea Camargo Holguin of Colombia, also a member of the Student Association Board, noted that the year brought the students much more than academic skills. “This year was about much more than lectures and exams. It was about our minds' evolution, our horizons' expansion, and the solidification of our spirits,” she said.
Photos: IHE Delft/Chris Gorzeman
“We discovered the power of collaboration and strength in unity, transcending language and cultural barriers. Within these walls, we truly became the 'generation of change'."
Do you want to be a future graduate?