The International Red Cross is known all over the globe for being an independent, impartial and neutral humanitarian organization to care for persons in need.
What fewer people know however is that the Red Cross is also very active in prosperous countries like the Netherlands. Probably even fewer know that there is a Red Cross student movement in Delft, among the large amount of well-known student associations. It’s called the ‘Studentendesk’.
To understand the ‘Studentendesk’, I spoke with its current chairman, Frithjof Wegener, who is a third-year industrial design student and who has worked at the Red Cross for over ten years.
‘Growing through helping others’ is the main motto of the Studentendesk and also describes the group’s activities the best, Wegener explains. The Studentendesk not only tries to reach students who want to do volunteer work for the Red Cross in a classroom, but also really aims to make the learning process interactive and fun for the students.
Projects differ widely from helping elderly people to collecting money and raising awareness about certain causes on a regional, national, and international scale. The movement is growing steadily since its foundation about a year ago. It consists of a board of five members, several commissions and around fifty volunteers.
Wegener reveals that the Red Cross is very unique because of its renowned symbol of neutrality and humanity as its core foundation. Due to this, the Red Cross distinguishes itself from other large humanitarian organizations like ‘Doctors Without Borders’ or organs of the UN like Unicef: “When you see hostages in Columbia being rescued by helicopters with the Red Cross emblem, it is only possible thanks to that difference.” This uniqueness of the International Red Cross gives the Studentendesk a greater freedom than most other student initiatives enjoy, as long as the team adheres to the main principles.
The Studentendesk differs from other student societies in two additional ways: it gets professional support from the Red Cross and its members mostly work for others instead of themselves. This is the kind of work that will reach far into the future as well.
Okay, enough euphoria. Is the Red Cross not completely obsolete in the Netherlands and especially in Delft, where its duties are carried out by highly-educated youth? “Many of our projects are carried out in foreign countries, like the basic health project in Malawi and an orphanage in Bulgaria. However, in order to help those less fortunate, we need the support of the fortunate.”
Additionally, Wegener points out work that is closer to home: “We also shouldn’t forget people who are, for example, lonely, need medical care, or don’t speak the native language; these people live in Delft.” This is also part of the Studentendesk’s duties.
So why should TU Delft students perform the same tasks as the trained and paid humanitarians, but for free? Because they can “get real-world experience with real people, in real projects and with real problems”, Wegener exclaims. “This experience will give volunteers essential social skills that are not taught in any engineering class.”
Are you interested in joining the Studentendesk of the Red Cross? Just send an email to: studentendeskdelft www.delft.studentendesks.nl
Sinds een jaar is er een studentenorganisatie van het Rode Kruis in Delft: de ‘Studentendesk’. Frithjof Wegener is er momenteel voorzitter. De Studentendesk is er om Delftse studenten sociale vaardigheden aan te leren die ze niet bij een gewone les of bij veel andere verenigingen leren door het unieke karakter van het Rode Kruis. Ben je geïnteresseerd? Kijk dan op www.delft.studentendesks.nl
Het European Institute of Technology (EIT) zal, anders dan de Amerikaanse tegenhanger, worden samengesteld uit zogenaamde kennis- en innovatiecentra (KIC’s). Dat zijn consortia van universiteiten, onderzoeksinstellingen en bedrijven rond een bepaald thema die over verschillende locaties in Europa verspreid zijn.
De Europese Unie heeft drie gebieden aangewezen waar nieuwe KIC’s zich op moeten richten: klimaatverandering, duurzame energie en informatie- en communicatietechnologie. De TU is in KIC’s voor al deze drie gebieden vertegenwoordigd.
Bij de KIC over klimaatverandering werkt de TU Delft samen met de universiteiten van Utrecht en Wageningen, alsmede TNO, Deltares en Alterra. Bijzonder is de deelname van de stad Rotterdam en de provincie Utrecht. De buitenlandse partners bestaan onder meer uit andere leden van de Idea League: ETH Zürich, Paris Tech en Imperial College. Van het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven doen Shell, DSM en Schiphol mee als zogenaamde core-partner.
Deze KIC wil de gevolgen van klimaatverandering in kaart brengen en vooral kijken hoe deze zijn te bestrijden en vermijden. Decaan prof.drs. Marco Waas (faculteit 3mE) is de Delftse representant voor de co-locatie: “Researchonderwerpen waarop de TU zich binnen deze KIC wil richten zijn onder meer: aanpassing van de stedelijke omgeving aan klimaatverandering, elektrische mobiliteit, CO2-opslag en bio-energie.”
Een tweede onderwerp is ict. De TU heeft ervoor gekozen om in 3TU–verband (Nirict) deel te willen nemen aan een Ict-KIC, met Eindhoven als beoogde Nederlandse co-locatie. Andere nationale partners zijn onder meer Philips en Novay; internationale partners zijn onder andere Nokia en Ericsson.
Prof.dr.ir. Erik Jansen (faculteit EWI) is samen met prof.dr.ir. Inald Lagendijk vanuit Delft bij dit KIC-voorstel betrokken: “De focus van het onderzoek zal liggen op wat ict kan betekenen voor gezondheid en welzijn. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan sensoren die iemands gezondheid op afstand kunnen monitoren. Het gaat bij de KIC vooral om innovatie; het zo snel mogelijk naar de markt brengen van nieuwe technologische ontwikkelingen.”
De derde KIC betreft Duurzame Energie (KIC Seeit), met vanuit de TU Delft prof.dr.ir. Tim van der Hagen (TNW) als aanspreekpunt. De TU Delft werkt binnen het KIC samen met onderzoeksinstituten en topuniversiteiten uit Scandinavië, Italië, Duitsland en Engeland. En ook hier zijn sterke binnen– en buitenlandse partners gevonden, zoals ECN, Eneco, Fiat, Dong Energy, Q-Cells en Eon Energie, het Duitse Fraunhofer Instituut en Vestas. Binnen deze KIC zijn er voor Delft vier kerngebieden: windenergie, zonne-energie, energie-efficiëntie (bijvoorbeeld in de bebouwde omgeving) en energiesystemen, zoals het onderzoek naar smart grids.
In december bepaalt de Europese Unie welke KIC-voorstellen worden gehonoreerd. De eerste co-locaties worden vervolgens in 2010 operationeel.
To understand the ‘Studentendesk’, I spoke with its current chairman, Frithjof Wegener, who is a third-year industrial design student and who has worked at the Red Cross for over ten years.
‘Growing through helping others’ is the main motto of the Studentendesk and also describes the group’s activities the best, Wegener explains. The Studentendesk not only tries to reach students who want to do volunteer work for the Red Cross in a classroom, but also really aims to make the learning process interactive and fun for the students.
Projects differ widely from helping elderly people to collecting money and raising awareness about certain causes on a regional, national, and international scale. The movement is growing steadily since its foundation about a year ago. It consists of a board of five members, several commissions and around fifty volunteers.
Wegener reveals that the Red Cross is very unique because of its renowned symbol of neutrality and humanity as its core foundation. Due to this, the Red Cross distinguishes itself from other large humanitarian organizations like ‘Doctors Without Borders’ or organs of the UN like Unicef: “When you see hostages in Columbia being rescued by helicopters with the Red Cross emblem, it is only possible thanks to that difference.” This uniqueness of the International Red Cross gives the Studentendesk a greater freedom than most other student initiatives enjoy, as long as the team adheres to the main principles.
The Studentendesk differs from other student societies in two additional ways: it gets professional support from the Red Cross and its members mostly work for others instead of themselves. This is the kind of work that will reach far into the future as well.
Okay, enough euphoria. Is the Red Cross not completely obsolete in the Netherlands and especially in Delft, where its duties are carried out by highly-educated youth? “Many of our projects are carried out in foreign countries, like the basic health project in Malawi and an orphanage in Bulgaria. However, in order to help those less fortunate, we need the support of the fortunate.”
Additionally, Wegener points out work that is closer to home: “We also shouldn’t forget people who are, for example, lonely, need medical care, or don’t speak the native language; these people live in Delft.” This is also part of the Studentendesk’s duties.
So why should TU Delft students perform the same tasks as the trained and paid humanitarians, but for free? Because they can “get real-world experience with real people, in real projects and with real problems”, Wegener exclaims. “This experience will give volunteers essential social skills that are not taught in any engineering class.”
Are you interested in joining the Studentendesk of the Red Cross? Just send an email to: studentendeskdelft@redcross.nl
Sinds een jaar is er een studentenorganisatie van het Rode Kruis in Delft: de ‘Studentendesk’. Frithjof Wegener is er momenteel voorzitter. De Studentendesk is er om Delftse studenten sociale vaardigheden aan te leren die ze niet bij een gewone les of bij veel andere verenigingen leren door het unieke karakter van het Rode Kruis. Ben je geïnteresseerd? Kijk dan op www.delft.studentendesks.nl
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