Water Management, Environmental Science, Hydraulic Engineering
IHE Delft is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world, operating under the auspices of UNESCO.
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education was founded in 1957 as the International Course in Hydraulic Engineering, to train engineers from developing countries who had to build dams, canals and flood defences. Over the decades it widened its mission to water supply, sanitation, environment and management, and between 2003 and 2020 it was known as UNESCO-IHE. It is a UNESCO category 1 institute, which means it is part of the UNESCO system, and it is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world. The institute is located on the Westvest, in Delft, next to the historic centre.
The institute focuses entirely on water and on graduate education. Master’s programmes cover water and sustainable development, municipal water and infrastructure, water management and governance, water science and engineering, environmental science and urban water engineering. A large number of students come from Africa, Asia and Latin America, often with a scholarship, and the alumni network extends to well over a hundred and fifty countries. The student body is small, with several hundred students each year, so classes are intimate.
Research at IHE Delft is directly connected to the problems of the Global South. Topics include flood risk, water scarcity, sanitation in cities, groundwater, river basins, ecosystems, water law and diplomacy. Staff work in field projects with governments, utilities, companies and development agencies. The institute can award master’s and doctoral degrees accredited in the Netherlands, and it cooperates with Delft University of Technology and Wageningen University, which are nearby.
Admission requires a bachelor degree and proof of English, and applicants often need work experience in water or a related field. Courses are in English. Scholarships such as those of Dutch development programmes and international donors exist, but availability changes, so check the current tariff and funding rules.
Delft is a canal town about 15 minutes by train from The Hague and Rotterdam, and about an hour from Amsterdam. Student housing is limited, and the institute helps its students with accommodation.
Domains taught:
Civil Engineering, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Marine Science, Process Control, Project Management, Quality
Diplomas*:
Certificate, Doctor, Master
Status:
Mix Public/Private
Partnerships:
Extensive global network of water sector organizations, universities, and research institutes. UN-Water partner.
Research:
Research on all aspects of water, including water resources management, sanitation, hydraulic engineering, water governance.
Famous Alumnis:
Many water sector leaders globally
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
250
Current students***:
200
Foreign students***:
90%
Cumulative former students***:
20000
Pros
Global leader in postgraduate water education, highly international, strong focus on developing countries.
Cons
Exclusively postgraduate, very specialized niche.
Best For
Postgraduate education and research in water management for a sustainable future.
Where this institution leans on marine science, geotechnics and fluid dynamics, Technische Universiteit Delft does the same, and it covers aerospace and bioinformatics as well, and is far larger, with about 27,500 students against roughly 200 here.
Another national school that puts project management at the centre is Jheronimus Academy of Data Science, and it covers statistics and data analytics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 500 students against roughly 200 here.
Both schools build their programmes around marine science, fluid dynamics and civil engineering, and Rijksuniversiteit Groningen is the one to compare first within the country, since it covers astroscience and bioinformatics as well, and is far larger, with about 37,000 students against roughly 200 here.
Think of Nederlandse Defensie Academie when marine science, fluid dynamics and civil engineering is the priority: it covers military and aerospace as well, and is far larger, with about 700 students against roughly 200 here.
Both schools build their programmes around geotechnics, fluid dynamics and civil engineering, and Universiteit Twente is the one to compare first within the country, since it covers bioinformatics and nanotechnologies as well, and is far larger, with about 13,000 students against roughly 200 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
BRGM in France is the nearest foreign match on marine science, quality and geotechnics; it is smaller, enrolling about 100 students against roughly 200 here, and runs the same master's, doctoral and certificate programmes.
If this institution is on your list for marine science, quality and geotechnics, École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie de Grenoble in France deserves a comparison, because it covers microbiology and genetics and structural engineering as well, and is larger, enrolling about 300 students against roughly 200 here.
Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly fluid dynamics and engineering; it is smaller, enrolling about 80 students against roughly 200 here, and also offers graduate certificate programmes.
In Ukraine, National University of Water and Environmental Engineering teaches much the same core subjects, geotechnics, civil engineering and project management, and it also offers bachelor's programmes and covers agriculture and automation as well.
Abroad, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (Spain) covers marine science, geotechnics and civil engineering in a comparable way, and it is far smaller, with about 50 students against roughly 200 here, and also offers diploma programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is IHE Delft?
On the Westvest in Delft, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands.
When was it founded?
In 1957, as the International Course in Hydraulic Engineering.
Was it known by another name?
Yes, UNESCO-IHE, between 2003 and 2020.
What is special about it?
It is a UNESCO category 1 institute and the largest international graduate water education facility in the world.
What does it teach?
Water and sustainable development, municipal water and infrastructure, water management and governance, water science and engineering, environmental science and urban water engineering.
Where do students come from?
Many come from Africa, Asia and Latin America, and alumni are in well over a hundred and fifty countries.
Does it award degrees?
Yes. It can award master's and doctoral degrees accredited in the Netherlands.
What language are courses in?
English.
Who can apply?
Applicants with a bachelor degree and proof of English, often with work experience in water or a related field.
What does it cost?
Scholarships exist, but availability changes. Check the current tariff and funding rules.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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