Academic Awards 2022 booklet

3 Most of the time, it is quite difficult to value your own achievement. This does not only apply to people, but to universities as well. Our achievement lies in the future. Eindhoven University of Technology, for example, wants to educate students who dare to think critically, who are innovative, who will use their knowledge and their creativity to help us go forward. By inextricably linking research and education, our students enter society with a backpack full of ground-breaking knowledge. As a university, we share our knowledge with the rest of the world. I would say, that’s one of our biggest achievements. But how do we show what we achieved? What better proof than the talent we see in this booklet! These bright students and young researchers are the cream of the crop. Here you will see the greatest research talent our university has to offer. In each category – BSc thesis, MSc thesis, EngD thesis, and PhD thesis – one of them has received the award. But just to be nominated is already a huge achievement. Every nominee was selected within their own department or from their bachelor/graduate program from an extensive pool of outstanding theses. The juries were impressed by the quality of the work submitted and enjoyed reading the different studies. Topics varied greatly, but all were highly relevant to society and business. I started with the words that it often is difficult to appreciate your own achievement. But, today there is no need for modesty. The Academic Awards are tangible proof that others see and appreciate the power of the work these talented people produced. We show our appreciation in the form of a nomination, an award and a big round of applause for these, and all the other young engineering stars at our university! But not everyone will get a round of applause for what they did. Sometimes, you worked hard, put a lot of energy in a project or in a paper, but you aren’t getting any recognition. Don’t worry, that’s ok. You made progress, that’s what matters. Try to see that your achievement is a small step in a big plan. During MomenTUm we celebrate achievement, all achievement, always be proud of what you did! Prof.Dr.Ir. Frank Baaijens Rector Magnificus Eindhoven University of Technology