IHE Delft Graduation Day: 128 water professionals receive MSc diploma
During the annual Graduation Day of water education institute IHE Delft, this year a total of 128 water professionals from over 40 different countries received the striking blue tube that contained their diplomas.
The students were cheered on by over 200 guests, including family, friends, the Dutch families and IHE Delft staff. The celebration took place in the historical Old Church in Delft, the Netherlands, on 25 April.
Contribute to SDG goals
On the occasion Rector of IHE Delft, Professor Eddy Moors, addressed all participants and said: '’Water crises are a severe risk in the world and we need your help to share the knowledge to enable the water sector to make a step forward to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
Moors concluded by urging the graduates to keep in touch with IHE Delft, "so we can learn and improve ourselves from your experiences in the future. With the group that is here, we will make a next step in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is now time to put into practice what you have learned". The graduates join the IHE Delft alumni family of over 23,000 alumni across the globe.
Important qualities
Prof.dr.ir. Hubert H.G. Savenije, Honorary Fellow of IHE Delft, recalled the opportunities for him having been a student at IHE Delft: "I am quite sure that when you are ten years further on you will look back on your time at IHE Delft and realize that it helped you to make an additional step and opened the world to you".
Savenije: "IHE Delft has in my opinion three important qualities: It is the capacity building institute in the world; at IHE Delft you study your own environment/societal context, which is unique; you are now part of a unique network of people. I wish you a very fruitful career."
No boundaries
The ceremony concluded with an address by student representatives, Karelia Martinez Zambrana from Nicaragua and Parth Kamath from India, who told the audience about their study journey, with many new social and cultural experiences.
"We all experienced and realized at some point in our personal or professional life that water was an issue that should be addressed. IHE Delft became the venue where cultures collide, and water became the binding element", said Karelia Martinez Zambrana.
Parth Kamath mentioned the challenge to look at water from different perspectives. "Engineers struggling with social science, social scientists struggle with calculations. We have been challenged to see beyond our field of studies."
"We have learned that water does not have boundaries and that we cannot find solutions alone, that cooperation and an interdisciplinary approach are required to face and overcome present and future water challenges", concluded Kamath.
