Regularly, alumni return to campus to share their knowledge and experiences with students. These alumni are active in various sectors and areas of expertise, bringing real-world practice to the academic theory.
We’d like to share three recent examples with you:
John Voppen (TBK'96), CEO of ProRail, gave an inspiring lunch lecture to more than 100 students in Business Administration, Industrial Engineering Management, and Civil Engineering. His message? To understand – and improve – the challenges of European rail traffic, you must understand the entire ecosystem. In a very personal and honest talk, he shared insights and stories about both national and international successes and challenges in railway transport. We are confident that a number of students were inspired to explore the world of rail transport after this lecture.
Rob van Doremalen (TG'15/PhD), Program Manager of the InnovationLab at Medisch Spectrum Twente, worked after graduation as a Medical Technologist, including at the 3D lab at Radboudumc. He earned his PhD in collaboration with ZGT and Deventer Hospital on the use of 3D techniques in healthcare. During the symposium of the Paradoks study association, ‘Uncovering the Unseen’, Rob demonstrated how medical imaging is used in innovative ways in patient care and how his team at MST is implementing these innovations. A valuable insight into fields where Technical Medical scientists can develop their careers.
Hemanth Kumar (BIT’22), Campus Ambassador Lead at Shell and member of the Young Alumni Board, returned to the BIT master's program, where he himself was a student in 2021. His story is special: when he was a student, he attended a guest lecture by alumnus Steven Jansen (TBK’07), who at the time was IT Manager at Shell. A conversation sparked from that lecture, which eventually led to his job at Shell. Two years later, it’s Hemanth who is delivering that same lecture – while Jansen is now working in Indonesia as Head of Information & Digital Technology. The connection behind these guest lectures is Daniel Smits (PhD'19), lecturer in ICT Management and working at the Ministry of Justice and Security.
Unfortunately, we don’t always hear about every alumni visit. That’s a shame because we’d love to personally thank each one. To all the alumni who continue to share their knowledge and time with the UT community: thank you. You’re making an impact – on students, on education, and on the future.
