What is or should a university be in the 21st century? Is it just a factory of knowledge, delivering professionals to the market? Or is it an institution of social and cultural value with a responsibility towards its students and society?

Our society seems trapped in a system that on the one hand builds fantastic new technologies, and on the other hand destroys its own environment with great violence. Why do we thrive in so much conflict and not in peace? Are these conflicts somehow linked, and is there a way out?

What are the chances of a war between China and the West? What would such an open conflict look like, and how would it impact us in Europe, sandwiched as we are between the two global superpowers of China and the US?

Humans have survived and thrived around the world for tens of thousands of years, using various ingenious technologies suited to their environment. What sort of traditional knowledge is still available to us?

Can an algorithm be racist? If a self-driving car causes an accident, who is responsible? These are the kinds of questions that will be discussed at our brand new philosophical café Prometheus’ Problems! At this monthly event, students, professors and external experts will exchange thoughts about philosophical and ethical themes related to engineering, modern technology and its impact on society.  Importantly, the themes are based upon questions put forward by students themselves. A discussion in a comfortable setting, with a drink at hand.

Student wellbeing is dwindling fast in lockdown. By now, the figures are alarming at TU Delft: students massively feel depressed. The easiest way to boost your life quality, might be meditation. It’s free and you can do it every day and almost everywhere.

At the turn of the 20th century approximately one-third of all engineers that finished their studies in Delft went to the Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia) to pursue a career in the Dutch colony. In this way they became part of the Dutch colonial context. Why were these engineers so well-fitted to the Dutch colonial project?

War and technology have always been intertwined. But our high-tech age is drastically changing the landscape and the rules of warfare. 

Dutch-Congolese author Alphonse Muambi provides first-hand knowledge and experience of the past and present conflicts in resource rich countries like Congo, Niger, and Mali. 

Als het over de effecten van klimaatverandering gaat klinkt vaak de roep om veerkracht. Op het eerste gehoor klinkt dat plausibel – wie wil er nu niet veerkrachtig zijn – maar is het wel altijd zo wenselijk?

De Verkiezingen komen er weer aan, de campagnes zijn begonnen. Momenteel is het vooral corona dat de klok slaat, heel begrijpelijk. Dat neemt niet weg dat er andere belangrijke thema’s de aandacht verdienen. Welke koers gaat het land varen op het gebied van werk, zorg, veiligheid, en niet op de laatste plaats, het klimaat?

Applying the perspective of decoloniality to design and engineering provides a way to rethink the Western model of how we shape and give meaning to our world.

For better or worse, Western European culture has managed to impact and dominate much of the world for centuries. In this introductory lecture, learn about the decolonisation movement and the peoples and cultures it seeks to empower.