Earlier this year, TU/e presented its Institutional Plan 2026-2030. Just like the earlier Strategy 2030 plan, it emphasizes the importance of building a shared community at TU/e. In the new plan, they have even given this principle a name: “One TU/e.”

Building a strong community is, of course, no small challenge in an age of increasing digitalization. Even today, physical interaction remains the most important factor. So how do we get more students onto campus? And is there actually enough room for them? 

For many students, education remains the primary reason to come to the university. Among other things, lecture halls with insufficient capacity mean that some students would rather not take the risk of coming in at all. It is better to watch the lecture online from home than to make the trip to campus only to find there is no seat available. 

There is a plan to address this capacity problem by scheduling lectures in the evening, but I dare to make the not-so-bold prediction that attendance at these evening lectures will not be any better. 

Although the study spaces on campus are generally of good quality, capacity is once again the limiting factor. Especially when exam season slowly starts creeping closer, the best study spots are reserved for the early birds. 

A survey (n = 195) conducted within the Department of Mechanical Engineering shows that more than 75 percent of respondents cannot find a place where they would actually like to study during this period. More than 40 percent report that they cannot find any study space at all during exam weeks. 

Many students also indicate that having a quiet place to study is important to them. The only places where this is truly possible are the silent study area in Neuron and, to some extent, the basement of MetaForum. During exam periods, these spaces become an even bigger race to see who can put their towel on a chair first. 

Returning to the One TU/eprinciple, social interaction is, of course, what matters most. Good spaces to relax are almost as scarce as study spaces, and they are not always easy to access. Student associations are a good example of this. 

They are ideal places to strengthen the community, but many of them are located in places you do not simply pass by. As a result, you are unlikely to casually walk in, have a chat, or grab a free coffee (yes, that is a thing!). 

For an example of what I would like to see more of, we once again end up at Neuron: a common area close to the study spaces, but sufficiently separated from them to create a different atmosphere. 

You would like to plant a seed today and see new study spaces growing by next year, but unfortunately that is not how it works. A growing university comes with growing pains, and this is one of the ways they manifest themselves. 

However, if TU/e is serious about achieving the goal of One TU/e, then at some point a substantial seed will have to be planted. And if we are planting seeds anyway, make it the kind that grows into a Neuron. If that does not happen, the situation will likely remain much as it is today, leaving little room for the One TU/e community to grow.

Teun Jongmans is a Mechanical Engineering student at TU/e and, on behalf of the student faction ONS, a member of the University Council (UR). The views expressed in this column are his own.

This column was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.

Photo Teun Jongmans | Wout Meulenbroek