Today, we had an amazing opportunity to attend a lecture by Karel Bockstael, the former VP for KLM’s sustainability department. He discussed his own personal background in the field of aerospace engineering. Throughout his career, he has maintained a firm stance on sustainability and its role in our engineering practices, and he has worked towards implementing effective sustainable measures into KLM’s systems and processes. It was so interesting to learn about the history and evolution of airplanes and their fuel sources, and how the discussion on sustainability within the aerospace environment has changed. There have definitely been recent advancements made within our understanding of how fuel can best be utilized with airplanes. For example, one of the most efficient and sustainable options for fuel usage is with hydrogen fuel cells, which would be able to provide energy without having any harmful emissions. The disadvantage of this source, however, would be that it is a very expensive technology. Hydrogen is also highly flammable, which could bring about public safety concerns. Overall, it was a very interesting and educational discussion. Although the University of Pittsburgh doesn’t have an aerospace engineering program, it is definitely a topic that I have been interested in and I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity to learn more about aerospace engineering and sustainability! I definitely feel that my understanding of aerospace companies and sustainability with airplanes, from both a business and technical standpoint, has expanded.
After the engineering lecture, we began a scavenger hunt around the city to search for famous places from the film, “The Fault in Our Stars”! This was a great opportunity for us to explore the city more, and to use the public transportation system for the first time! It definitely took us a little bit of time to figure out how the trams work, but I know that we’ll be pros in no time, and it’s definitely an efficient and safe way to travel around Amsterdam!
After our scavenger hunt, we toured the Anne Frank museum. This was definitely an experience that I’ve been looking forward to. After reading Anne Frank’s diary several years ago, I was looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about this part of history, in-person. This experience has definitely expanded upon my knowledge of the intensity of this history, and why it’s important to be educated on this topic.
I am so grateful for the opportunities that I had today, and I’m looking forward to many more experiences in Amsterdam!