Many alumni of Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente work in the United States. These universities recently began setting up joint local alumni chapters in places such as Boston, New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Houston. With over 3,000 members in the US, the network of these Dutch alumni is very impressive.
Up till now the three universities of technology have launched local alumni chapters in five US cities in this 3TU collaboration. Several local Dutch alumni have also volunteered to take over and keep these chapters âup and runningâ. Companies such as Google and Microsoft, where dozens more Dutch alumni work, are connected.
According to Joe Laufer, an American, who is responsible for the University of Twenteâs alumni policy, âAmerica is important to the Netherlands and to the Dutch technical universities. The US has a larger contingent of the Dutch technical alumni than anywhere else in the world. The entrepreneurial culture there appeals to our graduates who work for many of the most prestigious American companies and organizationsâ.Â
Anouk Dijkstal (Manager of Alumni Relations at TU Delft) points out that âBy joining forces, the three universitiesâ networks have created a critical massâ. âThat makes it all the more appealing to alumni in the US, and to students in the Netherlands who are looking for internships in America, for example. There are many Dutch alumni in the US, but they are often unaware of one anotherâs existence. Many of them have high-power jobs at reputable companies.âÂ
Further details
A Linked-In group has been created for alumni in the US; see: tinyurl.com/USNLengineers