"The world of water is fascinating like no other"

Water is a very wide-ranging area. 7 Years ago, the TPM faculty made a decision to focus particularly on the design aspects of the subject. This was an enlightened choice, believes dr Tineke Ruijgh-van der Ploeg, assistant professor in the Policy Analysis research group: “Design is an important all-encompassing framework for understanding and solving issues relating to water. It brings together the worlds of planning and implementation.”

Tineke was originally a marine biologist. Alongside her role as associate professor, she sits on the Transport, Public Works and Water Management Council. She is also a water board executive on the Delfland district water board, which provides her with a wealth of practical experience. “It is there that I have learnt to develop plans that can actually be implemented.” She has been teaching about water-related issues for many years and teaches on the Master’s programme in that domain. “The world of water is absolutely fascinating, especially for TPM people. We have arranged things so that water students have to follow the technical courses in Civil Engineering. It teaches them to speak the language of civil engineers. This bridge between technology and public administration provides them with an excellent springboard for their future career.”

Read the complete article in the Quarterly VIII/2, June 2010