The University of Twente (Dutch: ''Universiteit Twente''; , abbr. ) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

technical university An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...

located in Enschede, Netherlands. The university has been placed in the top 170 universities in the world by multiple central ranking tables. In addition, the UT was ranked the best technical university in The Netherlands by Keuzegids Universiteiten, the most significant national university ranking. The UT collaborates with

Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...

Eindhoven University of Technology The Eindhoven University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven), abbr. TU/e, is a public technical university in the Netherlands, located in the city of Eindhoven. In 2020–21, around 14,000 students were enrolled in its BSc a ...

and the

Wageningen University and Research Centre Wageningen University & Research (also known as Wageningen UR; abbreviation: WUR) is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally ...

under the umbrella of 4TU and is also a partner in the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU).

History

The university was founded in 1961 as ''Technische Hogeschool Twente'' or ''(THT)''. After

and

, it became the third polytechnic institute in the Netherlands to become a university. The institution was later renamed to Universiteit Twente (University of Twente) in 1986, as the result of the changes in the Dutch Academic Education Act in 1984. The Dutch government's decision to locate the country's third technical university in Enschede, the main city of

Twente Twente ( nl, Twente , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germ ...

, had much to do with the north-eastern province's rich manufacturing industry (textiles, metal, electrical engineering, chemicals). Another important consideration was the fact that the local economy needed a boost to compensate for the dwindling textile industry. Just as the fact that the municipality of Enschede made the Drienerlo estate available for the first campus University of the Netherlands.

Campus

The University of Twente was built on the former country estate of Drienerlo, situated between

Hengelo Hengelo (; Tweants: ) is a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the international Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service. Popu ...

and Enschede. The 140-hectare estate consists of woodland, meadows and water. Architects Van Tijen and Van Embden designed the first — and so far only — Dutch campus university along American lines where students and staff live, work and pursue their leisure activities on campus. The Student Union, which is run entirely by students, manages several premises, including the student social centre (De Pakkerij) and study centre (Wallstreet) in Enschede and The Water sports complex on the

Twentekanaal The Twentekanaal () is a canal running through the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, connecting the three largest cities of the Twente region, Almelo, Hengelo and Enschede to the national network of rivers and canals. Because the canal ...

Rankings

According to the Times Higher Education Ranking, the University of Twente is considered one of the 200 most prestigious universities globally. The university performed particularly strongly in the Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 2021 ranking. Here, the university was ranked eleventh in the world rankings. At the same time, psychology and social sciences also performed well, receiving 101–125 in the world rankings. In the Shanghai Ranking 2021, the University of Twente'
Geoinformation and Earth Observation Sciences
were awarded. In the field of remote sensing, the university landed among the top ten universities in the world. The commitment in this area will be further expanded in the coming years. According t
Keuzegids Universiteiten
the most significant national university ranking, the University of Twente is the best technical university in the Netherlands.

Organization

Administration

The current rector magnificus of the university is professor Tom Veldkamp. The other two members of the executive board are Vinod Subramaniam (president of the executive board) and Machteld Roos (vice-president)

Faculties

There are five faculties at the University of Twente; each faculty is in turn organized into several departments: * Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS) – i.a. Communication studies, psychology, public administration, educational science & technology, European studies, environmental & energy management and Risk management * Engineering Technology (ET) – i.a. Mechanical engineering, civil engineering, industrial design engineering and

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...

technology. * Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) – i.a. Electrical engineering, applied mathematics, interaction technology, internet science & Technology and computer science. * Science and Technology (ST) – i.a. Chemical engineering, applied physics, biomedical engineering, health sciences, advanced technology and nanotechnology. * Faculty of Geo-information Sciences and Earth Observation (ITC) – i.a. spatial engineering, cartography, geo-information science & earth observation. Next to the programmes administered by the faculties mentioned above, University College Twente offers the broad honours BSc programme in Technology and Liberal Arts and Sciences, or ATLAS for short, and the Twente Graduate School offers post graduate education (PhD and PDEng). Since 2019, this study is part of the faculty ITC.

Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

The University of Twente has the following faculties with corresponding bachelor- and

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

programmes: BMS (Behavioural, Management & Social Sciences) *Bachelor programmes **

Communication Science Communication studies or communication science is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in different ...

** Educational Science and Technology **

Industrial Engineering and Management Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information a ...

** International Business Administration ** Management, Society & Technology **

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

*Master programmes **

Business Administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

** Educational Science and Technology **

European Studies European studies is a field of study offered by many academic colleges and universities that focuses on current developments in European integration. Some programmes offer a social science or public administration curriculum focusing on develop ...

(incl. Double Diploma) ** Leraar VHO Maatschappijleer en Maatschappijwetenschappen **

** Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society **

Public Administration Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit establ ...

** Science Education and Communication ** Environmental and Energy Management ** Research Master Methodology and Statistics for the BBSS ET (Engineering Technology) *Bachelor programmes **

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

** Industrial Design Engineering **

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

*Master programmes ** Civil Engineering and Management ** Construction Management and Engineering ** Industrial Design Engineering **

** Sustainable Energy Technology EEMCS (Electrical Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science) (a.k.a. EWI) *Bachelor programmes **

Applied Mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical s ...

Business Information Technology Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separat ...

** Technical Computer Science **

Creative Technology Creative Technology Ltd. is a Singaporean multinational technology company headquartered with overseas offices in Shanghai, Tokyo, Dublin, and Silicon Valley (where in the US it is known as Creative Labs). The principal activities of the compa ...

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

*Master programmes **

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

Embedded Systems An embedded system is a computer system—a combination of a computer processor, computer memory, and input/output peripheral devices—that has a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electronic system. It is ''embedded'' as ...

** Interaction Technology ** Systems and Control ** Internet Science and Technology ST (Science and Technology) (a.k.a. TNW) *Bachelor programmes **

Applied Physics Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered to be a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering. "Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination ...

(Dutch, Technische Natuurkunde) ** Chemical Science & Engineering **

Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...

(Dutch, Biomedische technologie) ** Technical Medicine (Dutch, Technische geneeskunde) ** Advanced Technology **

Health Sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple acad ...

(Dutch, Gezondheidswetenschappen) *Master programmes **

Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

Nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

** Technical Medicine **

ITC (

International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

) *Bachelor programmes ** Technology and Liberal Arts & Sciences (ATLAS) *Master programmes ** Geo-information Science and Earth Observation ** Spatial Engineering ** Geographical Information Management and Applications

Academics

Research

Research institutes

* MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology * TechMed Centre * Digital Society Institute (DSI)

Knowledge and research centres

*Center for Philosophy of Technology and Engineering Science (CEPTES) *Center for European Studies (CES) *Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) *Center for healthcare operations improvement & research (CHOIR) *Centre for integrated manufacturing and development (CIPV) *Center for

clean technology Clean technology, in short cleantech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Cle ...

and environmental policy (CSTM) *Nikos – Dutch institute for knowledge intensive entrepreneurship *Science, Technology, and Policy Studies (STePS) *Twente Water Centre (TWC) *4TU Resilience Engineering Centre *4TU Centre of Excellence for Ethics and Technology * Max Planck Center for Fluid Dynamics

Education

The degree programs at the University of Twente range from

business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

and

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

applied physics Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered to be a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering. "Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

and

biomedical technology Biomedical technology is the application of engineering and technology principles to the domain of living or biological systems, with an emphasis on human health and diseases. Biomedical engineering and Biotechnology alike are often loosely called ...

. In the applied sciences, the emphasis is on

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

, process technology, engineering,

information and communication technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, ...

, and the

biomedical sciences Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology that are of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbio ...

. So far, the UT has produced over 1,000 spin-off companies and

start-up companies A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend t ...

; more than any other Dutch university. UT is also one of the founders of Novel-T, formerly Stichting Kennispark Twente, a

startup accelerator Startup accelerators, also known as seed accelerators, are fixed-term, cohort-based programs, that include mentorship and educational components and culminate in a public pitch event or demo day. While traditional business incubators are often g ...

and support program for university spin-offs.

Timeline of rectors

* 1963–1967:

Gerrit Berkhoff Gerrit (Gé) Berkhoff (Wijhe 9 July 1901 – Oosterbeek 27 February 1996) was a Dutch chemist and the first ''rector magnificus'' of the University of Twente in The Netherlands. Education The son of primary school principal Gerrit Berkhoff (1868� ...

(d. 1996) * 1967–1971: Jo Vlugter * 1971–1974: Pieter Zandbergen * 1974–1976: Jan Kreiken (d. 2001) * 1976–1979: Izak Willem van Spiegell (d. 2005) * 1979–1982: Harry van den Kroonenberg (d. 1996) * 1982–1985: Wiebe Draijer (d. 2007) * 1985–1988: Harry van den Kroonenberg (second term) * 1988–1992: Jos de Smit * 1992–1997:

Theo Popma Theo is a given name and a hypocorism. Greek origin Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...

(d. 2013) * 1997–2004: Frans van Vught * 2005–2009:

Henk Zijm Willem Hendrik Maria (Henk) Zijm (born 3 May 1952) is a Dutch mathematician, and Professor Production and Supply Chain Management and Emeritus Rector Magnificus (2005–2008) at the University of Twente. Biography Born in Driehuizen, Texel, Z ...

* 2009–2016: Ed Brinksma * 2016–2020: Thom Palstra * 2020–present: Tom Veldkamp

Notable alumni

Albert van den Berg Philippus Albertus van den Berg (born 26 January 1974) is a South African former professional rugby union rugby player. His usual position was at lock. He played for the Sharks in the international Super 14 competition. He has also played for ...

, professor of physics and 2009 winner of the

Spinoza Prize The Spinoza Prize ( nl, Spinozapremie) is an annual award of 2.5 million euro, to be spent on new research given by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The award is the highest scientific award in the Netherlands. It is named after the philosopher ...

Ank Bijleveld Anna Theodora Bernardina "Ank" Bijleveld-Schouten (born 17 March 1962) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who has been serving as acting mayor of Almere since 10 January 2022. She served as List of Ministers of Defence ...

, Dutch politician – Minister of Defence *

Bas Lansdorp Bas Lansdorp (born 5 March 1977) is a Dutch entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and CEO of the defunct Mars One. Mars One Lansdorp became determined to establish the first permanent human colony on Mars during his studies at the Universi ...

, co-founder and CEO of

Mars One Mars One was a small private Dutch organization that received money from investors by claiming it would use it to land the first humans on Mars and leave them there to establish a permanent human colony. From its announcement in 2012 to its ...

* Cees Links, Wi-Fi Innovator * Dirk-Willem van Gulik, founder of the

Apache Software Foundation The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is an American nonprofit corporation (classified as a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States) to support a number of open source software projects. The ASF was formed from a group of developers of the A ...

Fred Teeven Fredrik "Fred" Teeven (born 5 August 1958) is a Dutch jurist, bus driver and former politician and prosecutor. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he served as State Secretary at the Ministry of Security and Justice fr ...

, former Dutch politician – State Secretary for Security and justice *

Giancarlo Guizzardi Giancarlo Guizzardi (born 1975 in Vitoria, Brazil) is a Brazilian–Italian computer scientist specializing in conceptual modeling, enterprise modeling, applied ontology and ontology-driven information systems. He is a professor in the computer s ...

, creator of the Unified Foundational Ontology and the

OntoUML OntoUML is an ontologically well-founded language for Ontology-driven Conceptual Modeling. OntoUML is built as a UML extension based on the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO). The foundations of UFO and OntoUML can be traced back to Giancarlo ...

language * Gom van Strien, Dutch politician – member of the Senate * Han Polman, Dutch politician – King's Commissioner of Zeeland * Henry Franken, co-founder and managing director of BiZZdesign * Iain Baikie, professor of physics and winner of the Swan Medal *

Jaap Haartsen Jacobus "Jaap" Cornelis Haartsen (born 13 February of 1963, The Hague, Netherlands) is a Dutch electrical engineer, researcher, inventor and entrepreneur best known for his role in producing the specification for Bluetooth. He obtained his Master o ...

, inventor of

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

Marleen Veldhuis Magdalena Johanna Maria "Marleen" Veldhuis (born 29 June 1979) is a retired swimmer from the Netherlands. She was world record holder in four events (one individual event and three relay events). Veldhuis won eight world championships gold medals ...

, swimmer – Olympic, World and European Champion *

Merlyna Lim Merlyna Lim is a scholar studying ICT ( information and communication ctudies), particularly on the socio-political shaping of new media in non-Western contexts. She has been appointed a Canada Research Chair iDigital Media and Global Network Soc ...

, professor,

Canada Research Chair Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a title given to certain Canadian university research professors by the Canada Research Chairs Program. Program goals The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 as a part of the Government of Canada ...

, and member of

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

College *

Peter Flach Pieter Adriaan Flach (born 8 April 1961, Sneek) is a Dutch computer scientist and a Professor of Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol. He is author of the acclaimed Simply Logical: Intellige ...

, professor of artificial intelligence at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

Yasemin Çegerek Yasemin Çegerek (born 10 November 1977, in Apeldoorn) is a Dutch politician of Turkish descent. She was an MP for the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid) between 18 June 2013 and 23 March 2017. She replaced Désirée Bonis, who left the Hous ...

, MP of the Labour Party *

Jitse Groen Jitse Groen (born 2 June 1978) is a Dutch businessman and the founder of Takeaway.com, a food delivery platform. He is the chief executive (CEO) of Takeaway.com, and, since 2020, also the CEO of Just Eat following its merger with Takeaway.com. ...

, founder of

Takeaway.com Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V. (formerly Takeaway.com; founded as Thuisbezorgd.nl) is a Dutch multinational online food ordering and delivery company, formed from the merger Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which th ...

Mary Goretti Kitutu Mary Goretti Kitutu, also Mary Goretti Kitutu Kimono is a Ugandan academic, politician and environmentalist. She was appointed Minister for Karamoja Affairs on 8 June 2021, replacing John Byabagambi, In 2023 Minister Kitutu Swindled 9,000 iron ...

, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda *

Piet Bergveld Piet Bergveld (; born 26 January 1940) is a Dutch electrical engineer. He was professor of biosensors at the University of Twente between 1983 and 2003. He is the inventor of the ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) sensor. Bergveld's ...

, inventor of the

ion-sensitive field-effect transistor An ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) is a field-effect transistor used for measuring ion concentrations in solution; when the ion concentration (such as H+, see pH scale) changes, the current through the transistor will change accord ...

(ISFET) sensor

Notes and references

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twente, University of Technical universities and colleges in the Netherlands Educational institutions established in 1961 1961 establishments in the Netherlands Education in Overijssel Buildings and structures in Enschede