On 12 January, during the 176^th Dies Natalis, the new strategic plan for TU Delft was presented, the Strategic Framework 2018-2024. TU Delft sees the regular preparation of a new strategic plan as more than a formal duty: “In any case it is good to stop from time to time to consider what our mission is and how we can continue to carry out our task at top level. In an ever changing world, it is important that we continue to keep pace with such change as an organisation,” says Rector Magnificus/President of the Board, Professor Tim van der Hagen. “We also have an inner drive to do what we do even better, and by developing and transferring knowledge, to contribute to a better society.”

Impact for a better society
So the motto for the new strategy is ‘Impact for a better society’. For after all, training the next generations of top class engineers is where the greatest impact of TU Delft on society lies. That is why the continued endeavour to provide world-class education is an important objective. Van der Hagen: “In the coming years we will continue to seek out a balance between top academic performance on the one hand and the expectations of society on us as a provider of top-quality education and expert solutions for social problems on the other. In the past we have more than shown that social impact and top academic performance can go hand in hand, and we wish to continue in this line in the coming years.”

Decision-making compass

The new strategic plan came about following an intensive consultation process in which more than 600 people took an active part: students, lecturers, researchers and support staff, but also our alumni and partners in society. In this way we achieved a strategic framework that does full justice to the common values, goals and working principles of the university, and that can serve as a compass during the coming years for all decision-making bodies within TU Delft.