4TU-alumni in the Nordic-region share insights and experiences

Alumni from across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden came together on June 10th for a virtual 4TU.Alumni gathering, sharing professional insights, exchanging experiences and strengthening connections across the Nordic region. 

The event builds on an online format introduced in 2020, when pandemic restrictions led to the cancellation of a planned Nordic tour. What began as a temporary solution evolved into a successful way of connecting alumni communities worldwide.

A global alumni networkFounded in 2014, 4TU.Alumni connects graduates of TU Delft, Eindhoven University of Technology, the University of Twente and Wageningen University. The four Dutch technical universities together boast over 350,000 alumni worldwide and through their alumni offices offer supporting professional networking, mentoring and lifelong engagement. The 4TU.Alumni network now includes communities in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Nordics, Spain, Switzerland, UK & USA.

The Nordic region is home to approximately 6,500 of these alumni, working across sectors including research and higher education, information technology, engineering, consulting and financial services.

A warm and informal start

The online event opened in a relaxed and interactive atmosphere, with participants welcomed on a first-name basis by hosts Anouk Dijkstal (TU Delft), Joe Laufer (UT) and Mayke Oldenburg (TU/e). Participants then responded to survey questions by raising their hands on camera, prompting smiles, laughter and light-hearted competition as responses were counted. For many attendees it was their first alumni event which was an opportunity to connect with the community and meet fellow graduates in the region.

 The informal survey also revealed just how internationally rooted the group was. Most participants had been living in the Nordic region for six years or more, a reminder that for many Dutch-trained engineers and scientists, the move north had become a long-term chapter rather than a temporary posting.

Alumni insights: careers and impact

A highlight of the evening was a pair of alumni interviews showcasing the breadth of careers pursued by graduates of the Dutch technical universities.

Nick Burlet (alumnus TU/e), a biomedical engineer and postdoctoral researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, spoke about his work tackling a major challenge in global public health: venomous snake bites. This affects over 2.5 million people annually and kills more than 140,000 each year.

As Nick candidly noted, annual global research funding for snakebite is lower than the production budget of the film Snakes on a Plane, making the progress achieved by his team all the more remarkable.

During the event, Nick shared a further development: five of those eight nanobodies have also shown efficacy against snake species in India. He is now in the process of founding a company to bring the treatment to patients. Reflecting on his own path, he had been convinced right up until the end of his master's that he didn't want a PhD and noted that a last-minute decision to pursue doctoral research ultimately led him to Copenhagen and opened opportunities he had never anticipated.

For Joe Laufer, from the UT Alumni Office and the event facilitator, Nick's story illustrated exactly the amazing impact of alumni. "Our people really are movers and shakers in the world," he remarked.

Myrte spoke about the value of an engineering education beyond technical knowledge, highlighting both analytical thinking and personal resilience. In her studies, she was one of only three women in a cohort of forty, an experience that shaped her confidence in navigating still a mainly male-dominated industry.

She also addressed sustainability in the oil and gas sector, noting that while change can be gradual, there is meaningful scope to reduce environmental impact through improved practices and technology. On working culture, Myrte contrasted the long hours typical in London and Houston with life in Norway. “It’s a live-work balance,” she said, a comment that resonated with many participants. 

Connection beyond the session

Alongside the speaker sessions, the event provided space for alumni to exchange experiences of living and working in the Nordic countries, compare cultural observations and reconnect with fellow graduates.

The evening concluded with a virtual toast, after which participants moved into country-specific breakout rooms for informal networking. Conversations continued as alumni exchanged advice, discussed career opportunities and explored future collaborations.