Our day today began with a trip to InHolland’s College of Applied Sciences in Delft. Upon our arrival, we were given a presentation about aeronautical engineering, which is the only form of engineering offered on the Delft campus. Similar to the United States, this program is four years long and students obtain a bachelor’s degree. The University offers several hands-on learning projects for these students to apply the knowledge learned in their lectures. This program only has about 700 students and about 35% of these are international students from all over the world. I was most surprised to hear that only 5-10% of students in this program are women, as the Netherlands has difficulty drawing attraction to more technical fields like engineering. The lecturer actually stated that most students in the Netherlands would rather study business-related topics, which as a business student myself, I found especially intriguing. We also got to learn more about the history behind airplanes and the purposes behind their various features, which we applied later in a group activity where we constructed small makeshift planes.
Besides learning about the history behind aircrafts, we got to focus on the business aspect when learning how companies must structure their research and development to meet certain goals. Initially, the industry focused on making the fastest planes, but now it has become more important to focus on lowering costs in a sustainable way that saves energy. In addition to this, noise pollution, safety standards and regulations, as well as passenger comfort must be considered. Planes offer differential pricing for consumers, meaning that they can purchase tickets at varying prices due to the seat location, amenities, and overall comfort. For someone building a plane, the seats must be distributed cost-effectively so they are not left unsold and lose revenue.
After a short lunch break, three students from InHolland Delft took us around their campus and showed us a few projects that their peers were working on. We started by walking around the composite lab on campus, where research and development takes place. In this lab, students and faculty test various technologies before the airplanes are constructed. We were also able to visit another building across the street where the students in the engineering program complete most of their projects. One project that I found especially interesting was a plane constructed by a few second-year students at the University. To think that after a little over a year, students are already constructing advanced planes is incredible!
Following this visit, Frank and Dr. Bursic generously treated the group to dessert and a boat tour along the canals in Delft. The shop they took us to had these elaborate milkshakes called Freakshakes, which were adorned with various candies, a donut, and lots of whipped cream. The boat tour around Delft was also super exciting, as I got to learn more about a city we have not yet visited. My favorite part was seeing the Old Church, a church in the city center known for its leaning tower. Since the ground in Delft is below sea level, it is very soft, causing the tower to lean to one side. Our tour guide explained how there are several illusions on the tower to make it look straighter than it is, such as positioning the clock in a certain way and making the shorter towers next to it different heights and widths, so it looks more symmetrical. Today was a busy day, but I enjoyed learning about aeronautical engineering, seeing what universities are like outside of the United States, and touring Delft!
The Old Church in Delft
My Caramel Milkshake (Thank you Frank and Dr. Bursic!)