Filter results

47693 results

Electives TiSD 2018-2019

Electives TiSD 2018-2019 Students who want to obtain the sustainability annotation TiSD should contact their faculty referent in an early stage. Students can choose electives from a wide variety of Sustainability related courses at TU Delft or at other universities. The courses are divided in two clusters. You need to choose at least 10 ECTS, with a minimum of 3 ECTS per cluster. In between ( ) is the number of ECTS points applicable for this course regarding the TiSD graduation annotation and the total ects for that course e.g. (3 ECTS/5 ECTS) meaning 3 out of the total of 5 ECTS for that course count for the TiDS annotation. Other courses and courses at other universities must be approved in advance by your faculty TiSD referent. Cluster A - Design, analysis and tools AE4462 Aircraft Emissions and Climate Effects (4 ECTS) OE44075 Introduction to Ocean Energy (4 ECTS) AR0072 - Solar Decathlon - (12 ECTS) AR0074 - Geo-design for a Circular Economy in Urban Regions - (3 ECTS) AR2AP030 - Aesthetics of Sustainable Architecture seminar- (3 ECTS) AR2HA010 - Building Green: Past, present, future - (3 ECTS) ME45100 - Fuel Cell Systems (3 ECTS) MS43315 Recycling engineering materials (4 ECTS) AE4W02TU Introduction to Wind Turbines: Physics and Technology (4 ECTS) AE4T40 Airborne Wind Energy (3 ECTS) AE4W09 Wind Turbine Design (5 ECTS) AES1470 Geothermics (2 ECTS) AP3141 Environmental Physics (6 ECTS) AR0191 Urban Sustainability (TiDO) (3 ECTS) AR0092 Zero Energy Design (6 ECTS) AR0531 Innovation and Sustainability (6 ECTS) AR1U131 Sustainable Urban Engineering of Territory (5 ECTS) AR2A015 Delft Lectures on Architectural Sustainablility (3 ECTS) AR3B015 SWAT studio (15 ECTS = 6 ECTS – cluster B and 3 ECTS – cluster A) CIE4100 Materials and ecological engineering (4 ECTS) CIE4450 Integrated Water Management (4 ECTS) CIE5304 Waterpower Engineering (3 ECTS) CIE5560 Engineering and Development (4 ECTS) ET3034TU Solar Energy (3 ECTS) ID4175 Advanced Embodiment Design (2 ECTS) ID5356 Sustainable Design Strategies for Product Development (3 ECTS) LM3611 Microbial Community Engineering (3 out of 6 ECTS) LM3741 Fermentation Technology and Environmental Biotechnology (3 out of 6 ECTS) OE44120 Offshore Wind Farms Design (4 ECTS) 4413DOSTSY Design of Sustainable Technological Systems (6 ECTS) 4413RENESY Renewable Energy Systems (6 ECTS) 4413UEINFY Urban Environment and Infrastructures (6 ECTS) WM0804TU Project Safety Science (6 ECTS) CIE4510 Climate Change: Science & Ethics (4 ECTS = 2 ECTS – cluster A and 2 ECTS – cluster B) Cluster B - Organisation and society AR0097 - Climate proof sustainable renovation: energy use, envir impact, health and comfort, life-cycle cost - (4 ECTS) AR0054 Energy Friendly Renovation Processes (3 ECTS) AR3B015 SWAT studio (15 ECTS = 6 ECTS – cluster B and 3 ECTS – cluster A) EPA1133 Ethics and Impacts of Global Interventions (5 ECTS) ID4185 Strategic & Sustainable Design (3 ECTS) ID5565 Sustainable Business Models and Sustainable Product/Service Systems (3 ECTS) LM3311 Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology (3 ECTS) LM3561 Ethical, Legal & Social Issues in Biotechnology (3 ECTS) 4413SUISCY Sustainable Innovation and Social Change (6 ECTS) SPM9730 Sustainable Innovation and Transitions (3 ECTS) WM0353TU Climate Ethics (3 ECTS) WM0801TU Introduction to Safety Science (3 ECTS) WM0903TU Technological Entrepreneurship and Global Development (4 ECTS) WM0931SET Sustainable Energy Innovation and Transitions (4 ECTS) WM0944 TU Sustainable Innovation in Practice (5 ECTS) CIE4510 Climate Change: Science & Ethics (4 ECTS = 2 ECTS – cluster A and 2 ECTS – cluster B)

Electives TiSD 2016-2017

Electives TiSD 2016-2017 Students who want to obtain the sustainability annotation TiSD should contact their faculty referent in an early stage. Students can choose electives from a wide variety of Sustainability related courses at TU Delft or at other universities. The courses are divided in two clusters. You need to choose at least 10 ECTS, with a minimum of 3 ECTS per cluster. In between ( ) is the number of ECTS points applicable for this course regarding the TiSD graduation annotation and the total ects for that course e.g. (3 ECTS/5 ECTS) meaning 3 out of the total of 5 ECTS for that course count for the TiDS annotation. Other courses and courses at other universities must be approved in advance by your faculty TiSD referent. Cluster A - Design, analysis and tools AE3W02TU Introduction to Wind Energy (3 ECTS) AE4T40 Kite, Smart Kites, Control and Energy Production (3 ECTS) AE4W09 Wind Turbine Design (5 ECTS) AES1470 Geothermics (2 ECTS) AP3141 D Environmental Physics (6 ECTS) AR0084 Sustainable Design, Time Based (TIDO) (9 ECTS) AR0190 Urban Sustainability (TiDO) (2 ECTS) AR0092 Zero Energy Design (6 ECTS) AR0531 Innovation and Sustainability (6 ECTS) AR1U130 Sustainable Urban Engineering of Territory (4 ECTS) AR2A015 Delft Lectures on Architectural Sustainablility (3 ECTS) AR3B015 SWAT studio (15 ECTS = 6 ECTS – cluster B and 3 ECTS – cluster A) CIE4100 Materials and ecological engineering (4 ECTS) CIE4450 Integrated Water Management (4 ECTS) CIE5304 Waterpower Engineering (3 ECTS) CIE5560 Civil Engineering in Developing Countries (4 ECTS) EPA1322 Continuous Systems Modeling (5 ECTS) ET4149 Solar Cells (1 ECTS) ID4175 Advanced Embodiment Design (2 ECTS) ID5356 Sustainable Design Strategies for Product Development (3 ECTS) LM3611 Microbial Community Engineering (3 out of 6 ECTS ) LM3741 Fermentation Technology and Environmental Biotechnology (3 out of 6 ECTS) OE5662 Offshore Wind Farm Design (4 ECTS) 4413DOSTSY Design of Sustainable Technological Systems (6 ECTS) 4413RENESY Renewable Energy Systems (6 ECTS) 4413UEINFY Urban Environment and Infrastructures (6 ECTS) SPM5610 Planning and Design of Multi-Modal Infrastructure Networks (5 ECTS) SPM9750 Environmental Sustainability in the Built Environment (4 ECTS) WM0804TU Project Safety Science (6 ECTS) CIE4510 Climate Change: Science & Ethics (4 ECTS = 2 ECTS – cluster A and 2 ECTS – cluster B) Cluster B - Organisation and society AR0054 Energy Friendly Renovation Processes (3 ECTS) AR0084 Sustainable Design, Time Based (TIDO) (3 ECTS) AR3B015 SWAT studio (15 ECTS = 6 ECTS – cluster B and 3 ECTS – cluster A) EPA1133 Ethics and Impacts of Global Interventions (5 ECTS) EPA1423 Decision making in networks (5 ECTS) ID4050 Internationalisation (3 ECTS) ID4185 Strategic & Sustainable Design (3 ECTS) ID5565 Sustainable Business Models and Sustainable Product/Service Systems (3 ECTS) LM3311 Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology (3 ECTS) LM3561 Ethical, Legal & Social Issues in Biotechnology (3 ECTS ) OE5662 Offshore Wind Farm Design (1 ECTS) SPM4110 Designing Multi-actor Systems (6 ECTS) 4413SUISCY Sustainable Innovation and Social Change (6 ECTS) WM0353TU Climate Ethics (3 ECTS) WM0801TU Introduction to Safety Science (3 ECTS) WM0903TU Technology and Global Development (4 ECTS) WM0930SET System Innovation and Strategic Niche Management (3 ECTS) WM0944 TU Sustainable Innovation in Practice (5 ECTS) CIE4510 Climate Change: Science & Ethics (4 ECTS = 2 ECTS – cluster A and 2 ECTS – cluster B)

Yan Vogel

Yan Vogel I was raised from immigrant family in the countryside of the southmost part of Spain. In 2009 I moved to the city to pursue my universities studies, and graduated from the University of Seville, Spain, with a B.S. in chemistry and a M.S. in electrochemistry (2014, advisors Manuela Rueda and Francisco Prieto). In 2015 I moved to Australia to start my PhD studies under the guidance of Simone Ciampi at the University of Wollongong. The year after we relocated to Curtin University, graduating in 2020 (top 1%). After completing my PhD, I worked for one year as a postdoc in Ciampi’s group. In 2021 I joined the NCfun group here at Delft University as a postdoc with a fellowship (Postdoc.Mobility) from the Swiss National Science Foundation to study electron transfers within quantum dot-molecule complexes. My research background focuses on the study of electron transfers at interfaces, processes ubiquitous in nature and industry. For example, I studied proton-coupled electron transfers, essential steps of the respiratory chain that keep us alive. During my PhD I developed a new concept to localise chemical reactivity by inducing electron transfers at the semiconductor/liquid interface with the use of a focused light beam. I also ventured into the field of triboelectrochemistry, electron transfers at insulating interfaces such that of liquids with plastics, oils and gases, which are still rather unknown but might have wide implications to our understanding of environmental chemistry, chemical catalysis, and industrial hazards. A list of my works can be found here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=70ZqMPsAAAAJ&hl=en During my spare time I like to read about science and philosophy. I also love cycling so I think Netherlands will be a nice place for me. I find cooking enjoyable and entertaining, sometimes as much as eating. Finally, I try to put my grain of sand in making a better world outside science; specifically, I am active in social movements that aim for greater freedom and democracy for everyone. Yan Vogel Y.B.Vogel@tudelft.nl Van der Maasweg 9 2629HZ Delft Roomnumber: D1.143

Arjan Houtepen

Prof. Arjan Houtepen Full Professor +31 (0)15 27 82157 A.J.Houtepen@tudelft.nl www.tudelft.nl/cheme/NCFun Building 58, D1.140 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Adinda Kohler +31 (0)15 27 82937 A.V.Kohler-1@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Arjan Houtepen is full professor in the Chemical Engineering department. His research group, called NCFun, studies the FUNdamental properties of semiconductor nanomaterials, develops FUNctional nanomaterials and has FUN in the process. To this end, the group combines synthesis, advanced spectroscopy and electrochemistry. Research group Academic background Arjan (born 1979) received his PhD from Utrecht University in 2007, under supervision of prof. Daniel Vanmaekelbergh and prof. John Kelly. He then joined Delft University of Technology as tenure track assistant professor. In 2020 he was promoted to full professor of Colloidal Nanomaterials at TU Delft. Arjan spent time as a visiting scientist at LMU Munich (2008-2009) and was guest professor at Ghent University (2014-2019). He is currently board member of the Young Academy (DJA) of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (KNAW). +31 (0)15 27 82157 A.J.Houtepen@tudelft.nl www.tudelft.nl/cheme/NCFun Building 58, D1.140 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Adinda Kohler +31 (0)15 27 82937 A.V.Kohler-1@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Keywords Colloidal Nanomaterials Spectroscopy Electrochemistry Google Scholar Educational Activities Coordinator: 4052LEON3 Chemical Product Design Responsible teacher: CH3632 Chemistry and physics of solar cells Lecturer: CH3513 Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy Lecturer: CH3162A Design and Synthesis of Advanced Chemical Products (DSP) Lecturer: Energy Transition: Photon power (Minor Sustainable Chemistry and Biotechnology) Ancillary Activities Board member of the KNAW Young Academy.

Hua Chen

Hua Chen I am from Wuxi, which is a historic and beautiful city in the eastern part of China. After receiving my B.E. degree in Electronic Packaging from Harbin Institute of Technology in China, I also obtained my M.E. degree in Materials Science and Engineering there in 2022. My master thesis focuses on the formation mechanism of Cu-In-S quantum dots and we developed a UV-assisted method to improve the size distribution. In December 2022, I joined Prof. Dr. Houtepen’s group as a PhD candidate, working on quantum dots-based light-emitting electrochemical cells (QLECs). We aim to investigate if QLECs can be used as a much simper but efficient light emitting devices with high colour purity and wide colour tunability by characterizing and controlling the p-i-n junction in the device. Hua Chen H.Chen-4@tudelft.nl Van der Maasweg 9 2629HZ Delft Building 58, Room D1.143

Maarten Stam

Maarten Stam After obtaining my BSc degree in Molecular Science and Technology at Leiden University and TU Delft, I studied Chemistry at Leiden University. During my master thesis I worked on the oxygen reduction reaction catalysed by a cobalt complex fixed on an electrode surface. For this project, I combined several electrochemical methods to study the designed catalyst. In January 2020, I started as PhD candidate in the group of Prof. Dr. Houtepen as part of the InP team. We aim to develop next generation InP based quantum dots for high intensity lighting applications. My contribution to this project is to study the stability of our quantum dots upon charging. In our group, the charging and stability are studied by combining spectroscopy and electrochemistry allowing us to see the changes in optical properties after charge injection. Maarten Stam m.stam-1@tudelft.nl Van der Maasweg 9 2629HZ Delft Roomnumber: D1.100

Reinout Ubbink

Reinout Ubbink I obtained my MSc degree in materials science and engineering at the TU Delft. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. A.J. Houtepen I performed my master thesis on light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) based on colloidal quantum dots. In this project I combined the production of physical devices and drift-diffusion simulations of LEC systems. In October 2020, I joined the group of Prof. Dr. A.J. Houtepen as a PhD candidate, working on InP quantum dots for lighting applications. The goal of my project is to obtain detailed structural information on InP quantum dots using sophisticated analysis techniques. Reinout Ubbink R.F.Ubbink@tudelft.nl Van der Maasweg 9 2629HZ Delft Roomnumber: D1.143

Supervising PhD Candidates

Are you a PhD supervisor or mentor? This page will provide you with specific information and documents on supervising PhD candidates. Supervisory and Support Team PhD Mentor Role Description ME General Information PhD Development Cycle PhD agreement (within the first 3 months of your PhD track) Code of Good practice Shortcuts Login to DMA DMA Manual Supervisors PhD Development Timeline Supervisor Timeline PhD Timeline Role of the phd mentor ME Quick reference cards Go/No go Supervisors

Programming on the GPU with CUDA

Planned courses Nowadays the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a mainstream hardware component in high-performance computing. For affordable budgets anyone can harness supercomputer performance. However, realizing efficient parallelism combines three knowledge areas: firstly, on the architecture and compute capabilities of the GPUs; then, on special constructs for programming a GPU-equipped computer; finally, on the special algorithms for performing logical and mathematical operations in parallel. What is CUDA? CUDA stands for Compute Unified Device Architecture. It is a software-development tool kit for programming on the GPUs maintained by the mainstream manufacturer Nvidia. CUDA provides language extensions for C, C++, FORTRAN, and Python as well as knowledge-specific libraries. A single source code is then able to instruct the CPU and GPU alike. Also, CUDA-extended codes keep pace closely with the rapid developments in the underlying technology. Goals and prerequisites To guide you in this development niche, the Delft Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (DCSE) offers a CUDA course every quarter. We will explain basic principles and advanced topics on GPU programming with CUDA. You will apply these notions in our labroom with hands-on examples. After this course you will be able to get simple CUDA programs running on a GPU-equipped computer. As prerequisite, a rudimentary understanding of programming languages like C++ or Java is ideal; that of Fortran or Python will be helpful too. Some interest in linear algebra and iterative solvers is a little advantage. Programme Day 1 Day 2 HPC variant 09:15 - 09:30 Arrival with coffee and tea 09:30 - 10:30 Parallel computing on GPU’s Prof.dr.ir. C. Vuik 10:45 - 11:30 GPU’s design and architecture Ir. C.W.J. Lemmens 11:45 - 12:30 Lab 1: CUDA introduction Ir. C.W.J. Lemmens 12:45 - 13:30 Lunch 13:30 - 14:45 Lab 2: Using CuBlas, CuFFT Ir. C.W.J. Lemmens 15:00 - 17:00 Lab 3: Debugging and Profiling Ir. C.W.J. Lemmens 09:15 - 09:30 Arrival with coffee and tea 09:30 - 10:30 Lab 4: Shared memory, streams, atomics, Ir. C.W.J. Lemmens 10:45 - 12:30 Lab 5: Optimising code: Innerproduct , Ir. C.W.J. Lemmens 12:45 - 13:30 Lunch 13:30 - 14:30 Lab 6: Parallel solvers on GPU's, Dr. Matthias Möller 14:45 - 16:30 Lab 7: Solvers on GPU, Dr. Matthias Möller 16:30 - 17:00 Lab 8: Solvers on GPU (continued) Dr. Matthias Möller Two day course 25 max. participants Teachers: C. Vuik C.W.J. Lemmens M. Möller Costs: €200,- / 1 day €350,- / 2 days TU Delft staff: €50,- / day €100,- / 2 days Free for DCSE members including lunch and course materials Location: Penguinlab, EWI B36.HB.2.130 More information C.W.J. Lemmens +31 15 27 87224 C.W.J.Lemmens@tudelft.nl Administrative details Frederieke Brands f.brands@tudelft.nl

Half Height Horizontal

The Educator Newsletter | September

Discover inspiring stories, developments, (training) activities, and other reads about Education.

TU Delft helps Maastricht air traffic controllers make safe choices

In March 2024, the EUROCONTROL air traffic control centre MUAC in Maastricht launched a new software tool that allows their air traffic controllers to make faster and more intuitive decisions about air traffic in their area. The tool was developed by MUAC , but is based on research into ecological interfaces by colleagues Clark Borst, René van Paassen and Max Mulder at Control & Simulation.

New ‘captains’ in the cockpit of Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport

On 1 September, Jos van den Boom, Lennard Verhoeff, and Victor Rijkaart joined the new executive team of Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport (RHIA).This trio is preparing to usher in the next phase of RHIA. A period in which, community-driven, privately led and publicly supported, they want to make visible and where possible accelerate the transition to a cleaner, quieter and smarter future of aviation.

Systems Workforce Summit 2024 at TU Delft

As the need for systems engineers is rising, TU Delft and NXTGEN Hightech are organising a unique global event on systems engineering on October 8 and 9, 2024. Thoughtleaders from organisations such as Airbus, ASML, MIT and NASA will discuss the future needs of the Systems Engineering workforce tackling the major transformations in society.

The Systems Workforce summit

TU Delft and NXTGEN Hightech will organize the unique worldwide Systems Workforce Summit at the TU Delft on October 8 and 9, 2024. Reserve your spot now to attend this unique summit! This global summit will address the future of systems engineering in industries like energy, health, aerospace, semicon and transportation. Skilled systems engineers are scarce and in high demand by enterprises worldwide. Cooperation between the diverse organizations participating in this Summit could significantly advance the needed 'Workforce of the Future'. This Summit is open to: Professionals from various industries: junior, senior or potential systems engineers/systems architects, less or more experienced; Scientists of knowledge institutes working in the discipline of systems engineering, management, technology or policy; Talents/students from engineering disciplines interested in systems engineering/system thinking. From universities and universities of applied sciences. Date: 8 & 9 October 2024 Location: TU Delft Aula Conference Centre Click here to register

First-ever imaging of pathogens on lettuce leaves in real-time

Met een groeiende wereldbevolking van meer dan 8 miljard mensen is voldoende voedsel produceren een uitdaging. Nederland is ‘s werelds tweede exporteur van voedsel en verbouwt enorm efficiënt allerlei gewassen. Plantenziektes zoals valse meeldauw zijn echter een veelvoorkomend probleem dat de oogst van de boer flink kan bederven. Delftse wetenschappers hebben voor het eerst een manier ontwikkeld om de infectie in planten real-time te volgen, zonder de plant te hoeven doden. De hiermee opgedane kennis helpt om nieuwe resistente gewassen te kweken met een hogere opbrengst en minder gebruik van pesticiden. Het onderzoek staat nu in Nature Communications.

New LDE trainee in D&I office

Keehan Akbari has started since the beginning of September as a new LDE trainee in the Diversity and Inclusion office. What motivated him to work for the D&I office, what does he expect to achieve during this traineeship? Read the short interview below! What motivated you to pursue your LDE traineeship in Diversity and Inclusion office of the TU Delft? I completed both bachelor's and master's degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University. Within these studies, my main area of interest was in themes of inclusion and diversity. After being hired as a trainee for the LDE traineeship, and discovering that one of the possible assignments belonged to the Diversity and Inclusion office, my choice was quickly made. I saw this as an excellent opportunity to put the theories I learned during my studies into practice. What specific skills or experiences do you bring to the D&I office that will help promote inclusivity on campus? I am someone who likes to connect rather than polarize, taking into account the importance of different perspectives and stakeholders. I believe that this is how one can achieve the most in fostering diversity and inclusion. You need to get multiple parties on board to get the best results. What are your main goals as you begin your role here, and how do you hope to make an impact? An important goal for me this year is to get students more involved in diversity and inclusion at the university. One way I will try to accomplish this is by contributing to the creation of D&I student teams. By establishing a D&I student team for faculties, it will be possible to deal with diversity- and inclusion-related issues that apply and relate to the specific department. How do you plan to engage with different (student) communities within the university? Since I am new to TU Delft, the first thing I need to do is expand my network here. Therefore, I am currently busy exploring the university and getting to know various stakeholders. Moreover, I intend to be in close contact with various student and study organizations to explore together how to strengthen cooperation on diversity and inclusion. Welcome to the team Keehan and we wish you lots of success with your traineeship!

Researchers from TU Delft and Cambridge University collaborate on innovative methods to combat Climate Change

For over a year and a half, researchers from TU Delft and the Cambridge University Centre for Climate Repair have worked together on groundbreaking techniques to increase the reflectivity of clouds in the fight against global warming. During a two-day meeting, the teams are discussing their progress. Researchers at Cambridge are focusing on the technical development of a system that can spray seawater, releasing tiny salt crystals into the atmosphere to brighten the clouds. The team from TU Delft, led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Herman Russchenberg, scientific director of the TU Delft Climate Action Program and professor of Atmospheric Remote Sensing, is studying the physical effects of this technique. Prof. Russchenberg emphasizes the importance of this research: "We have now taken the first steps towards developing emergency measures against climate change. If it proves necessary, we must be prepared to implement these techniques. Ideally, we wouldn't need to use them, but it's important to investigate how they work now." Prof. Dr. Ir. Stefan Aarninkhof, dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, expresses pride in the team as the first results of this unique collaboration are becoming visible. If the researchers in Delft and Cambridge can demonstrate the potential of the concept, the first small-scale experiments will responsibly begin within a year. This research has been made possible thanks to the long-term support from the Refreeze the Arctic Foundation, founded by family of TU Delft alumnus Marc Salzer Levi . Such generous contributions enable innovative and high-impact research that addresses urgent global challenges like climate change. Large donations like these enable the pursuit of innovative, high-impact research that may not otherwise be feasible, demonstrating how our collective effort and investment in science can lead to real, transformative solutions for global challenges like climate change. Climate-Action Programme

IDE Publication Highlights (Week 39 2024)

Click here to view recent publication highlights from our staff and students.

National and International Phishing Attackers revealed

Phishing attacks, which trick users into sharing private data, have been a major online security threat for years. According to a 2023 FBI report, it is the top digital crime type. Researchers from the Intelligent Systems department have collaborated with three European country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) to characterize phishing attacks, focusing on the Netherlands’ .nl, Belgium’s .be, and Ireland’s .ie. By understanding these patterns, the research aims to enhance security measures and protect internet users from phishing threats.

11,000 young researchers have obtained a PhD from TU Delft

It was a very memorable day for PhD Amey Vasulkar last Thursday, the 19th of September. Not only did he successfully defend his promotion on Arctic Sea Ice in Tide Models, but he was also the 11,000th student to obtain a PhD from TU Delft. We are incredibly proud of and thankful for every single one of these 11,000 PhDs who started their scientific journey with us and continuously strive to change the world through their scientific innovations.

How system safety can make Machine Learning systems safer in the public sector

Machine Learning (ML), a form of AI where patterns are discovered in large amounts of data, can be very useful. It is increasingly used, for example, in chatbot Chat GPT, facial recognition, or speech software. However, there are also concerns about the use of ML systems in the public sector. How do you prevent the system from, for example, discriminating or making large-scale mistakes with negative effects on citizens? Scientists at TU Delft, including Jeroen Delfos, investigated how lessons from system safety can contribute to making ML systems safer in the public sector. “Policymakers are busy devising measures to counter the negative effects of ML. Our research shows that they can rely much more on existing concepts and theories that have already proven their value in other sectors,” says Jeroen Delfos. Jeroen Delfos Learning from other sectors In their research, the scientists used concepts from system safety and systems theory to describe the challenges of using ML systems in the public sector. Delfos: “Concepts and tools from the system safety literature are already widely used to support safety in sectors such as aviation, for example by analysing accidents with system safety methods. However, this is not yet common practice in the field of AI and ML. By applying a system-theoretical perspective, we view safety not only as a result of how the technology works, but as the result of a complex set of technical, social, and organisational factors.” The researchers interviewed professionals from the public sector to see which factors are recognized and which are still underexposed. Bias There is room for improvement to make ML systems in the public sector safer. For example, bias in data is still often seen as a technical problem, while the origin of that bias may lie far outside the technical system. Delfos: “Consider, for instance, the registration of crime. In neighbourhoods where the police patrol more frequently, logically, more crime is recorded, which leads to these areas being overrepresented in crime statistics. An ML system trained to discover patterns in these statistics will replicate or even reinforce this bias. However, the problem lies in the method of recording, not in the ML system itself.” Reducing risks According to the researchers, policymakers and civil servants involved in the development of ML systems would do well to incorporate system safety concepts. For example, it is advisable to identify in advance what kinds of accidents one wants to prevent when designing an ML system. Another lesson from system safety, for instance in aviation, is that systems tend to become more risky over time in practice, because safety becomes subordinate to efficiency as long as no accidents occur. “It is therefore important that safety remains a recurring topic in evaluations and that safety requirements are enforced,” says Delfos. Read the research paper .

Kaitai Liang receives Distinguished Reviewer Award by ESORICS 2024

I am pleased to share that Kaitai Liang, a tenured faculty member of the Cybersecurity group, has been honored with the Distinguished Reviewer Award by ESORICS 2024.

Compliant DNA nanopores capable of size-selective molecule transport across cell membrane

Scientists at TU Delft and the Max Planck Institute have made a new class of structurally adaptable ‘mechanical’ pores made from DNA that can transport molecules through cell membranes. These innovative nanopores can open and close on demand and, for the first time, adjust their diameter.

New Delft Lectures in Design

This autumn marks the introduction of IDE’s three renewed Masters programmes. One of the unifying features is a stronger link with the world-leading research carried out in IDE. “Delft Lectures in Design - Where IDE moves the Horizons of Design Research” is a case in point. This new cross-programme course serves as a rigorous and inspiring introduction to the broad variety of IDE’s research.

Safety and Security Week 2024

Join us on 7, 8 and 10 October! From October 7 to 12, 2024, the national Safety & Security Week will take place. The free program organised by TU Delft takes place on October 7, 8 and 10. It will be an educational and interactive week— make sure you're there! The full program can be found on the website , including: Two interesting masterclasses ‘ Aggression and violence on campus: Navigating between reality and myths’ and ‘ Predict and Prevent: Masterclass in Safety, Crowd and Crisis Management’ Security & Privacy symposium Safety Square: increase your knowledge about safety and prepare yourself for emergencies For more information: Safety & Security Week (tudelft.nl) . Please note: some activities require registration through the website.

Flight Case 2024: A Journey to Japan

From 22 July – 3 August, 20 IDE master students, 8 committee members from the ID Study Association, assistant professor Rebecca Price, and professor Gerd Kortuem travelled to Japan for a unique learning experience. The group worked on cases for three global companies, Sony, NHK Spring, and Sekisui, each of which provided its own distinct challenges and insights.

Boosting sustainable building education

On 17 September, TU Delft launched a new initiative to implement sustainable building practices across the Dutch educational landscape by bringing together educators from Dutch vocational institutions (MBO) and TU Delft lecturers.

Do something that matters

We komen in Nederland in het basis- en voorgezet onderwijs samen 13.500 leraren tekort. Het leraarschap heeft niet altijd de reputatie die het verdient. En dat terwijl het alles in zich heeft. Daarom startte Universiteiten van Nederland (UNL) vorig week de campagne ‘Doe iets wat ertoe doet’. Het doel is om mensen met een nieuwe blik naar het leraarschap te laten kijken.

Marina Bos-de Vos wins EURAM best paper award

At the end of June, IDE Assistant Professor of Strategic Design for Ecosystem Innovation, Marina Bos-de Vos, won two awards as a first author at the European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference for her research paper "Projecting for accelerating sustainability transitions: practices of joint value creation in circular economy programs".