 I'm honored and delighted to welcome each of you to IHG, and it's such an honor to speak to so many young women and men. First of all, congratulations on choosing to be on this journey of learning at IHG. You will be amazed at how multicultural this institution is, and if you had to have lunch with somebody from a different country every single day, it will take you a few months to get through all your batch mates. Our scholars here are also some of the finest in what education anywhere in the world, so please do make the most of it. Secondly and most importantly, I'm really overwhelmed by your conviction and courage. It is so difficult to claw away from friends and family when we have a global pandemic among us. So I really, really hope that this journey is enriching and rewarding for you, and I have a profound understanding of how difficult this is for each of you as a son, sibling, husband and the father of two wonderful children. So stay strong, stay together, and hopefully you will feel rewarded at the end of this journey. Each of you is a glowing flame of passion and purpose, and I admire you for pursuing this dream at a time of global distress. Delft is a beautiful city of canals and ancient architecture. A bicycle here is as important as your notebook. Do learn to ride one. I mean, the king and the prime minister ride one to work at home, so what excuse do we have not to ride one? And yes, the weather can be awful, so just be aware, have a weather app on your phone and make sure that you're covered, otherwise you're going to get wet, not just by the education but also by the waters from the skies. The reputation of IHC is built on quality and good quality takes hard work. I can tell you from personal experience that this is not a walk in the park, so get ready to grind and enjoy the process of sweating your grey cells. With a little bit of planning, incremental effort and some discipline, you will save your clothes. But at the end of the day, this journey of learning is both rewarding and meaningful. You might find it interesting that IHC is a great platform for interdisciplinarity and understanding that there are many ways of knowing and learning. And this can perhaps be best accomplished through collaboration and friendships, both at the institute and at your residences. At the same time, this interdisciplinarity is not restricted to academics alone. Purely from being a multicultural institution, you'll realize that you will meet and experience people with very different perspectives and understanding of life in general. Want to respect these differences, embrace these many ways and if you ever have a challenge, the Student Association Board, the faculty, the staff members and the retro-it will be more than willing to help you. Just do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help. On behalf of the Student Association Board, and all of your glorious seniors, I am pleased to extend you a warm welcome and wish you great success. Good luck with your studies and your personal development at IHC. Stay safe and live responsibly.