Today, we left Amsterdam early and travelled to Enshcede by bus. We left our luggage at a hotel very close to the campus of the University of Twente. We toured the university and learned about the different housing options of the students in addition to the variety of sports and clubs offered at the University of Twente.
Then, we attended a lecture about the Kristalbad watermachine while eating delicious sandwiches from a local shop. The watermachine is a sustainable artificial wetland intended to decrease risk of flooding, purify water, and increase the biodiversity of the surrounding area. After the lecture, we went on a walk around the outskirts of campus, passing FC Twente’s soccer stadium and eventually reaching the watermachine itself. We were able to climb up a set of stairs to a lookout point to get a better view of it, and observed the marshy water purification system.
Afterward, we attended a student bar to connect with current engineering students at Twente. We talked with them about the differences between Dutch and American college life and culture, as well as Pitt’s engineering curriculum and our plans for the rest of our stay in the Netherlands. For dinner, we tried Domino’s pizza in the Netherlands, which was different from Domino’s in America. At the end of the night, we played a trivia game organized by some Twente students, and sung karaoke.
