Science, inspiration and connection during the Batavierenrace weekend
8 & 9 May 2026, UT Campus
In 2026, the University of Twente turns 65. We're celebrating in the most UT way possible: together, on campus, with the Batavierenrace roaring in the background. On Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May, the alumni community is coming back to Drienerlo for two days of lectures, lab tours, great food, and even better company.
For all UT alumni. Whether you graduated last year or haven't set foot on campus in decades: you belong here! Young professionals, mid-career alumni, pioneers from the early UT years, and former staff; Dutch and international alike. Whether you work in technology, healthcare, education, policy, research or business, the programme has been designed for the entire UT community.
Rediscover the campus, get inspired by the latest UT research, and reconnect with people who share your history — and meet those who don't. And be there on Saturday afternoon when the Batavierenrace runners cross the finish line at the UTrack.
- Date: Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May 2026
- Language: Dutch and English
- Main location: UPark Hotel, University of Twente campus, De Veldmaat 8, 7522 NM Enschede
- Format: In-person event
Friday 8 May
14:00 – 16:00 Tours of Labs, Facilities and Demos
The Future of Environmental Resilience
Above ground and below it: the UT FieldLab is a unique open-air environment on campus where more than fifteen transdisciplinary experiments run simultaneously — tackling climate change, water management, food security and urban infrastructure. Science you can literally walk through.
14:00–14:45 | Language: Dutch
The Greenest Building on Campus
Home to the ITC faculty and awarded "School Building of the Year", the Langezijds houses around 700 students and staff from across the world working on geo-information science, earth observation, and sustainability.
14:00–14:45 | Language: English / Dutch
Science at the Scale of the Invisible
From medical sensors to quantum chips — this is where technology meets the invisible.
14:00–14:45 and 15:00–15:45 | Language: English / Dutch
From Whisper to Mach 2
Walk out understanding exactly how research makes aircrafts quieter, more efficient, and safer — and why airflow is far more interesting than it sounds.
14:00–14:45 and 15:00–15:45 | Language: English / Dutch
Training for the Real World
Discover how UT connects technology and medicine, and what it takes to prepare future healthcare professionals for crisis situations.
14:00–14:45 and 15:00–15:45 | Language: English / Dutch
Tomorrow’s Sensor, Today
Watch UT students present their latest innovation: a wearable biosensor that measures creatinine levels in interstitial fluid — offering a non-invasive window into kidney health.
14:00–14:45 and 15:00–15:45 | Language: English
Where robots are born
From surgical robotics to inspection drones: at the RaM Lab, researchers build future robots by hand, combining 3D printing, embedded software and fundamental science to create working prototypes for healthcare and infrastructure.
14:00–14:45 | Language: English
Geo-information as a Tool for a Better World
Discover how data and mapping save lives and shape policy — from the campus in Enschede to far beyond our borders.
15:00–15:45 | Language: English
16:00 – 18:00 Inspiration Sessions
Martijn Hoogesteger (Computer Science 2009–2016)
Cyber threats or incident response when threats become reality - Martijn Hoogesteger is on the digital front line. As the CTO at S-RM, and Digital Investigator on the TV show Hunted NL, he shares what it takes to operate and manage the fallout when the unthinkable happens.
16:00–16:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: English
Meet the innovative start-ups that are set to change the world. During this pitch session, entrepreneurial UT students present their business ideas — from first concept to growing company. Who will be the next trendsetter?
16:00–16:45 | Building Bastille I Language: English
Jan de Leede | Professor HRM & Innovation, UT
We design technical systems meticulously — but what about work and organisations? Jan de Leede draws on socio-technical theory to explore how autonomy and smart work design drive innovation and resilience.
16:00–16:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: Dutch
Maryam Dodangeh PhD, Integrated Circuit Design, UT · Senior Analog Design Engineer, Renesas Electronics
Twan Korthorst (UT, Electrical Engineering 1990-1996) · CEO, New Origin
One designed her first Bluetooth chip during her PhD at UT and went on to work as a Senior Analog Design Engineer at Renesas. The other is building Twente's first photonic chip factory. In this session, Maryam Dodangeh and Twan Korthorst trace the full journey — from a research idea in a UT lab to chips that end up in devices used around the world. A candid conversation about breakthroughs, patents, production scale — and why Twente is the place where it all comes together.
17:00–17:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: English
Steven van Roon — Manager UT Robotics Centre · Founder Mission I.A.M.
"Crazy ambitions make the world a better place." Steven van Roon ran 120 km through the Wadi Rum desert wearing a 3D-printed sensor band. The goal: collect real-world neuromuscular data to develop a bionic leg allowing people with an amputation to complete an ultramarathon by 2030.
17:00–17:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: English
Roy Spit — CEO Novel-T
Giels Brouwer — Serial Entrepreneur
Maarten Kollen — CEO DGT
What makes Twente the ideal nursery for innovation? Roy Spit, Giels Brouwer and Maarten Kollen reveal how 'High-Tech Noaberschap' works. Discover how a unique mix of down-to-earthness and cooperation creates market leaders in data and chess technology. Three success stories with roots in Twente, sharing one belief: winning together works better than playing alone.
17:00–17:45 | Bastille Building, Incubase | Language: Dutch
18:00 – 18:30 Alumni Cabaret
After a full day of inspiration and reconnecting, we'll close Friday evening with something special. Details to follow soon.
18:00 – 18:30 | UPark Hotel | Language: Dutch
18:30 – 20:30 Drinks & Dinner
Wind down with good food and familiar faces. From 18:30, dinner is served — take a seat, grab a drink, and enjoy the company. Included in your day ticket. One drink on us.
18:30–20:30 I UPark Hotel
Saturday 9 May
10:30 – 11:30 Explore the Campus
See the campus through the eyes of an alumnus.
The Drienerloo estate, the opening in 1964, the story behind the carillon and the Drienerlo Tower 'Torentje', the architects' vision and what has changed since you graduated. That, and much more. Sign up!
10:30-11:30 I Language: Dutch / English
Tour: From the EL/TN Building to UPark Hotel
Once the EL/TN faculty building and birthplace of nanotechnology — now a completely transformed campus hotel. Come and discover what became of one of Drienerlo's most iconic structures and hear the story behind its remarkable second life. Sign up for the UPark Hotel tour.
10:30-11:30 I Language: Dutch
12:00 – 13:00 Inspiration Sessions – Research Focus
Marie-Laure Snijders (Biomedical Engineering & Interaction Technology 2015–2023) · PhD Candidate UT & TNO
Martijn Mes (Applied Mathematics 1995–2002) · Professor of Transport & Logistics Management, UT
How does your perception shape what you experience — and how do you get an algorithm to find the smartest route? Marie-Laure is the winner of the Klokhuis Science Prize 2026 and Martijn is a finalist — both researchers who make complex science accessible. In this session, they show how fundamental research becomes surprisingly concrete.
12:00–13:00 I Location: UPark Hotel I Language: Dutch
Arturo Susarrey Arce · Assistant Professor, Mesoscale Chemical Systems, UT
Devin Veerman (Biomedical Engineering 2015-2021) PhD candidate, UT
What if a solar panel could not only generate electricity, but also produce medicines? And what if you could replicate a patient's retina on a chip the size of your thumbnail? In this session, two UT researchers take you to the frontiers of what's possible.
12:00-13:00 I Location: UPark Hotel I Language: English
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
Time to recharge over a good meal, meet new people, and reflect on the morning before the afternoon programme continues.
Location: UPark Hotel I Included in your day ticket.
15:00 – 16:45 Inspiration Sessions
Rob van der Veer (Computer Science 1987–1992) · Chief AI Officer, Software Improvement Group (SiG)
Maurice van Keulen (Computer Science 1988–1992) · Adjunct Professor Robust Data Science & AI, UT
Two experienced alumni from the world of AI look ahead to the future and, drawing on their own professional practice, explore key questions about artificial intelligence: Will we soon be less intelligent than computers? How should we engage with AI? What does it mean for education? How do we keep up—and is that even still necessary?
15:00–15:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: English
Barbara Kump · Professor Business Administration and Sustainability, UT
Wouter Hagedoorn (UT, Mechanical Engineering 1997-2002) +25 Product Design Experience
Everyone knows their personal carbon footprint — fly less, eat less meat, consume less. But what if your biggest impact doesn't start at home, but at work? In this session you can reflect on how everyone — from engineer to manager — can drive sustainable change within their organisation.
15:00-15:45 I UPark Hotel I Language: English
Pepijn Pinkse — Professor of Adaptive Quantum Optics, UT
Daan Stellinga — CTO, QSA Technology
What is quantum photonics? A ‘quantum dice’ will show what the basis of quantum entanglement is, and how it can be used for quantum key distribution. Although super secure against eavesdropping, there is one security aspect of quantum communication still missing: authentication. How can we can remediate this?
16:00–16:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: English
Kevin Klein Gunnewiek (Technical Medicine 2016–2023) · Researcher, Princess Máxima Centre · Board Member, Bèta in Bestuur & Beleid
Liedewij Laan (Applied Physics 1999–2005) · Associate Professor, TU Delft · Co-founder and Chair, Bèta in Bestuur & Beleid
From AI legislation to the energy transition: crucial decisions are still being made with limited input from STEM perspectives. Bèta in Bestuur & Beleid believes that those with a scientific or technical background have an indispensable voice in the public sector. In this session, we explore what changes when STEM knowledge and thinking reach the decision-making table — with a surprise guest who knows this from personal experience.
16:00–16:45 | UPark Hotel | Language: Dutch
17:00 – 19:00 Batavierenrace Finish Drinks (Alumni Tent – UTrack)
From 17:00 we gather in the alumni tent at the UTrack. Drink in hand, music playing, and then the moment you’ve been waiting for: the Batavierenrace runners cross the finish line. The energy, the atmosphere, that familiar feeling from the past.
Location: UTrack I Included in your day ticket. One drink on us.
Two Days, One Campus. All Yours.
Choose how you want to participate. A day ticket gives you access to the full programme of that day — including tours, lectures, meals, and drinks. Join for one day or make it a full weekend. A special reduced rate applies for young alumni (under 36).
Option | Price |
|---|---|
Day ticket — standard (Friday or Saturday) | € 29,50 |
Day ticket — young alumni (<36 years) (Friday or Saturday) | € 22,50 |
2-day ticket — standard (Friday and Saturday) | € 44,25 (25% discount) |
2-day ticket — young alumni (Friday and Saturday) | € 33,75 (25% discount) |
Your ticket covers part of the costs. The University of Twente covers the rest so we can offer a programme worth coming back for, at a price that won't stop you.
What’s included in your ticket?
Friday 8 May
- Lab tours and campus tours
- Inspiration sessions
- Alumni cabaret performance
- Drinks reception (1 drink included)
- Shared dinner
Saturday 9 May
- Campus walks and UPark tour
- Morning and afternoon inspiration sessions
- Shared lunch
- Batavierenrace finish drinks in the alumni tent at the UTreack (1 drink included)
Martijn’s journey began here at the University of Twente, where he studied Computer Science (2009–2016). Since graduating, he has regularly returned to share his story — from the ENIAC lustrum celebrations in 2017 to an inspiring Studium Generale lecture in 2022. This time, he's back to pull back the curtain on cybersecurity — and show what separates the attackers from the defenders.
“You’re crazy.” That’s something Steven van Roon hears regularly when he shares his plan. Yet in November 2025, he travelled to the Jordanian desert to run 120 kilometres with self-built sensors strapped to his calf — not for sport, but to collect the neuromuscular data needed to develop a bionic leg that could enable people with amputations to cover that same distance by 2030.
The campus as a living laboratory. At the UT FieldLab, more than fifteen active experiments are currently taking place — above and below ground — focusing on climate change, food security, and infrastructure stability. Scientists from multiple faculties work side by side with communities and industry partners. Not a presentation, but the real world in action. Come and see how the University of Twente is tackling the major challenges of our time.
His career began at the Netherlands’ first AI company in 1992, long before the rest of the world even knew the term. More than thirty years later, he contributed to ISO/IEC 5338, the global standard for AI engineering, and founded the OWASP AI Exchange. Today, he advises governments and multinational organisations on responsible AI implementation — at a time when nearly every organisation is grappling with exactly that challenge. A veteran who combines optimism and clear-eyed realism in a single sentence.
Giels had barely been at the University of Twente for a year when he turned his passion for Football Manager into a real company. That became SciSports, a data intelligence platform for professional football clubs that grew into a market leader in player scouting, working with over 75 clubs across Europe's top leagues."
After SciSports came new ventures: Akela Hub and BallJames, each a fresh bet on a new idea. Now, as chairman of Novel-T, he helps shape the next generation of Twente entrepreneurs — and knows better than anyone how to take that very first step.
220 metres long, four atriums filled with daylight, living plants, and rainwater flowing through indoor ponds. In 2024, the Dutch architects’ association BNA named Langezijds Building of the Year. During the Alumni Days, you will have the opportunity to explore this award-winning building from the inside — you may remember it from the past, but its story has grown much richer since then.
The UPark Hotel is located on campus and has special rates reserved for participants of the Lustrum Alumni Days.
A Comfort room is €135.50 per night and a Superior room €145.50 — both for single occupancy, including breakfast. Sharing a room? A supplement of €19.50 per room per night applies.
There are 10 Comfort rooms and 5 Superior rooms available at this rate. Please book before the 27th of March 2026. After this date, the reserved rooms will be released and standard rates will apply, subject to availability.
Reservations can be made directly through the UPark Hotel reception: bookings@uparkhotel.nl
or +31 (0)53 433 1366. Please mention reference GA001639 to receive the UT rate.
About the Batavierenrace
This year, the Batavierenrace is back in all its glory. Behind the scenes, a six-person organizing committee is working hard to make the 54th edition a great success.
On Friday 8 May 2026, the starting gun will sound in Nijmegen, and on Saturday 9 May, the race will finish in Enschede. Over 25 stages, the Bata runners cover around 175 km, passing through the beautiful landscapes of the Netherlands and Germany, before concluding with the biggest student party in the country.
Learn more about the world’s largest relay race: the Batavierenrace.