Our final day in the Netherlands was spent exploring Den Haag, the country’s administrative and governmental capital. Den Haag is where the King or Queen resides, where the Prime Minister works, and where the legislative branch convenes. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, meaning the role of the monarch is defined and limited by the…

Our day began with a tour of the Dakakker, the largest rooftop farm in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. The farm sits atop the Schieblock, a mixed-use commercial building that houses gathering spaces, studios, and public areas. The farm grows vegetables and edible flowers, keeps bees, and raises chickens for eggs….

Our programming today was fully dedicated to visiting the engineering marvel that is the Dutch Delta Works. Constructed between 1954 and 1997, the Delta Works are a system of dams, dikes, locks, and storm surge barriers located in the provinces of South Holland and Zeeland, protecting the land around the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta from the North…

Our day started by taking the metro from our hotel to the heart of the Port of Rotterdam. Once there, we walked to the Floating Farm — a small farm that operates on a specially designed barge in one of the port’s berths. The farm opened in 2019 and remains the only floating farm in…

This morning we boarded a bus and headed for the German border, leaving Enschede and the University of Twente behind. We traveled around 60km into Deutschland to the city of Münster, one of the oldest German cities, having been a major city since around 1000 AD. We started our time in Münster with a brief…

We began today by taking the bus from the University of Twente, on the outskirts of Enschede, to the city center. Once we arrived, we met with a representative from the municipality who led us on a tour of the city center discussing with us the engineering and sustainable design that went into some of…

Today began with a brief lecture from Arne Von Garrel, a mechanical and aerospace engineer who is a professor at the University of Twente. During his lecture we learned about the aerodynamics behind the operation and design of wind turbines. The majority of wind turbines used in the Netherlands are lift-based and horizontal axis. This…

Today we travelled around 160 km from Amsterdam to the town of Enschede in the far east of the Netherlands, and this is where we will spend the next few days, exploring the town as well as the University of Twente. One of our first experiences once arriving on the campus of UT was a…

Today’s activities focused on the historical aspects of both Holland and Amsterdam. To begin the day, we took the train from our hotel through Amsterdam and to the neighborhood of Zaanse Schans in the Zaandam area. The neighborhood is known for its collection of relocated traditional Dutch windmills and homes. The area is full of…

We started our experiences today by visiting a tulip farm in South Holland called De Tulperij. The farm is a small family-owned business that has been operating for three generations. The farm specializes in the production of flower bulbs such as Tulips and hyacinths. The farm does not grow the plants exclusively for their flowers,…

Once we arrived in the Netherlands, we wasted no time and dove straight into exploring the city of Amsterdam. Throughout our time within narrow streets and canals we were able to explore the history and culture behind many of Amsterdam’s most famous features. An excellent example of this are the unique town houses that line…

Hello! My name is Drew Poling, and I am freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, originally from Columbus, Ohio. I am studying civil engineering in the Swanson School of Engineering, and I hope to pursue an Engineering for Humanity certificate and possibly a minor in architecture. Outside of my academic pursuits at the university, I…