Delft Institute of Technology

Delft University of Technology

Technische Universiteit Delft
Former names	Koninklijke Akademie van Delft, Polytechnische School van Delft, Technische Hoogeschool van Delft
Motto	Challenge the Future
Type	Public, Technical
Established	1842; 175 years ago (1842)
Endowment	€ 591.1 million (2015)
President	Prof.dr.ir. T.H.J.J. (Tim) van der Hagen
Rector	Prof. Ir. Karel Ch.A.M. Luyben
Academic staff	3,375
Administrative staff	2,935
Students	21,223
Undergraduates	11,363
Postgraduates	9,860
Doctoral students	2,607
Location	Delft, Netherlands 52°0′6″N 4°22′21″E / 52.00167°N 4.37250°E / 52.00167; 4.37250Coordinates: 52°0′6″N 4°22′21″E / 52.00167°N 4.37250°E / 52.00167; 4.37250
Campus	Urban (University town)
Nobel Laureates	Jacobus van 't Hoff, Simon van der Meer, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
Colors	Cyan, Black and White
Affiliations	IDEA, Climate-KIC CESAER, EUA, 3TU, UNITECH, SEFI, SAE, ATHENS, PEGASUS
Website	www.tudelft.nl/en

Delft University of Technology (Dutch: Technische Universiteit Delft) also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technological university, located in Delft, Netherlands. It counts as one of the best universities for engineering and technology worldwide, typically seen within the top 20.It is repeatedly considered the best university of technology in the Netherlands.

With eight faculties and numerous research institutes, it hosts over 19,000 students (undergraduate and postgraduate), more than 2,900 scientists, and more than 2,100 support and management staff.

The university was established on 8 January 1842 by William II of the Netherlands as a Royal Academy, with the main purpose of training civil servants for the Dutch East Indies. The school rapidly expanded its research and education curriculum, becoming first a Polytechnic School in 1864, Institute of Technology in 1905, gaining full university rights, and finally changing its name to Delft University of Technology in 1986.

Dutch Nobel laureates Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, and Simon van der Meer have been associated with TU Delft. TU Delft is a member of several university federations including the IDEA League, CESAER, UNITECH, and 3TU.

Delft University of Technology was founded on 8 January 1842 by William II of the Netherlands as Royal Academy for the education of civilian engineers, for serving both nation and industry, and of apprentices for trade. One of the purposes of the academy was to educate civil servants for the colonies of the Dutch East India Company. The first director of the academy was Antoine Lipkens, constructor of the first Dutch optical telegraph, called simply as Lipkens. Royal Academy had its first building located at Oude Delft 95 in Delft. On 23 May 1863 an Act was passed imposing regulations on technical education in the Netherlands, bringing it under the rules of secondary education.