Today we left Amsterdam and took a bus over to the University of Twente near Enchede. It is the only “American” style campus in the Netherlands, meaning that it is self enclosed, and not scattered throughout a city. We took a tour of the campus where we learned about their culture, as well as how they are sustainable. One of the coolest features that they have is a water-cooling system for multiple buildings around campus. This allows them to save energy that they would have used for air conditioning. We also learned that they have solar panels which provide clean energy for them.
During the day we attended a lecture about how the city of Enchede prevents water runoff during heavy rainstorms. Since Enchede is above sea level, water flows from there to the lower portions, meaning that there is potential for dangerous flooding during large storms. This is why they built a water retention system, the Kristalbad. It is designed to contain water runoff and have it seep into the soil in the area instead of flowing to other areas of the Netherlands. Local plant life has greatly flourished due to its presence, and so have the local birds and fish that have a new body of water to live in.
After our activities for the day, we had dinner with some of the engineering students at the University. We learned about several of the differences between American and European university. For example, their final exams were not for several more weeks. They also often took 5 years to graduate, as gap years are very common. Some people take them to work full time for the many student associations on campus. Many people also go further and get their masters degrees, sometimes taking up to 8 years before entering the workforce. This is very different from American colleges where there is a rush to graduate and find a job.