Study Trip by S.G. 'William Froude'
Last month, the 19th edition of the 'Grand Journey' took place. This is a biennial study trip organized by and for MSc Marine Technology students at TU Delft, usually outside of Europe. The 2025 edition, themed 'Eastern Straits', went to South Korea, Singapore and Indonesia.
The main goal is to allow students to experience the maritime sector on a scale not seen in the Netherlands. In addition, the Journey provides the opportunity to engage with distant cultures in both social and professional contexts, preparing participants for a career in the inherently international world of shipping.
We would like to express our gratitude to our partner companies (Bureau Veritas Netherlands, Nevesbu, Roll Group, DEME Group, GustoMSC, Stolt Tankers, TNO, Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V.), foundations Stichting MATSO, Samenwerkende Maritieme Fondsen and, last but not least, KIVI - Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs. We collaborated to make a short video showing the day in the life of a Grand Journey participant, which you can find below.
My roles in preparation and during this trip were:
- coordinating company, university and embassy visits in Indonesia, together with Jelle Oudemans
- establishing and maintaining partnerships with Dutch companies supporting the Grand Journey
- coordinating student internships with the Stichting MATSO foundation
Only teamwork can make a journey like this possible and therefore I would like to express my gratitude towards my fellow committee members Gijs Goselink, Jasper Klein, Jelle Oudemans, Kevin Lu and Ruben Stam for their role in making this Grand Journey unforgettable! Very proud of what we have been able to achieve together.
Additionally, the Indonesian part of our trip would not have been possible without the help of some amazing individuals:
- Albert Jurgens, M. Adam -, Rene Hereman and Merel Zimmerman, Nevesbu
- Carlo Solleveld and Emile Wielaart, Van Oord
- Natasja van der Geest, Dutch Embassy in Indonesia
- Mario Lauw, NBSO Indonesia
- Peter de Vos and Jeroen Pruyn, for joining us as professors on our Grand Journey.
Many thanks, not only to these individuals and companies, but to everyone involved!
