 IHE Delft is a leading international knowledge institute, working with partners around the world to strengthen capacity in the water sector to achieve sustainable development. The PhD program is central to this mission. Our PhD candidates conduct solutions-oriented research that's often transdisciplinary and relates to all facets of water and development, including new technologies and social innovations. IHE Delft is a melting pot of all water-related subjects, ranging from engineering to social science. Here, we can talk about water from any perspective. I am the chair of the PhD Association Board. The PAB for short is an elected committee consisting of six to ten PhD candidates. We are the voice of the PhD community in discussions on academic, administrative and welfare matters. We also plan and host thought-provoking discussions and social events. Candidates are encouraged to work in cooperation with knowledge users from government, civil society and the private sector to further enhance the relevance of their research and support uptake and implementation. The PhD program also includes skills training, not just in research techniques, but also managing your research, positioning it in a broader context and communicating it effectively. Through our research, we try to solve problems we have experienced firsthand in our own countries. We do so with the guidance of world-class professors and mentors. We understand the excitement and anxiety that comes with starting a PhD in a new country. In order to facilitate a smooth transition, we have the PhD buddy system which pairs new PhDs with existing PhDs to help them navigate the first few months at IHE Delft. IHE Delft PhD degrees are highly valued and fully recognized all over the world. We confer them jointly with partner universities, including Delft University of Technology, Bacheningen University in Research, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Twente and others. And our PhD candidates are members of the Netherlands Research School for Socioeconomic and Natural Sciences of the Environment, which is an academic network of 10 Dutch Environmental Research Institutes and universities. Our PhD candidates come from all over the world, so walking along an IHE Delft corridor feels like traveling the world. It is truly international. I hope you want to join us.