Iklim Akay

Background 

Iklim is a lecturer in the Aerospace Engineering department, specializing in Space Systems Engineering. She manages the Collaborative Design Lab (CDL), focusing on project-based education. Iklim designs and delivers lectures and workshops for bachelor, minor, and master students, as well as young professionals in the industry. Her expertise lies in systems engineering, particularly enhancing collaboration and communication in multidisciplinary teams.

Towards IDEE 

The Future Engineering Skills theme deeply resonates with Iklim, as she believes engineering today extends beyond technical expertise. Success in diverse, team-oriented environments requires interpersonal, adaptive, and other skills to be discovered through the process. She is passionate about incorporating innovative teaching methods and emphasizing real-world, team-based scenarios to prepare students for future challenges.

As part of IDEE 

Iklim values how IDEE brings together members from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, creating a dynamic environment for collaboration and innovation. During the initiation phase of the IDEE project, she and her fellow members faced uncertainty about how to begin and structure their approach. They worked collaboratively through open discussions and experimentation to navigate this uncertainty, turning it into an opportunity to explore new methods and perspectives. This process mirrored students' struggles when embarking on complex, unfamiliar tasks and highlighted the importance of embracing uncertainty as a key part of learning and problem-solving.

Iklim is inspired by the Future Engineering Skills initiative to expand her understanding of how to prepare students for their professional futures. She aims to serve as a role model for educators, encouraging the adoption of innovative approaches to teaching at TU Delft while fostering the skills essential for tomorrow’s engineers.

Did you know that ...?

• Iklim is actively contributing to the NxTGEN project, dedicated to developing a Dutch Approach to Systems Engineering. Collaborating with nearly 30 partners, including educational institutions and high-tech companies, the initiative aims to create a clear, unified framework for Systems Engineering.
• Iklim is also helping design a continuous development path for Systems Engineering within Dutch higher education and professional training, ensuring that education evolves to meet future industry needs and supports lifelong learning for professionals.