 be seated. Dear graduates, students, friends, family, or guests and colleagues, good afternoon. It's my pleasure to welcome you to graduation day, closing ceremony of the sanitation master's program. I now give the floor to the director of IUC Delft, Professor Edmonds. Thank you, Anik, and very welcome to all of you. I would like to especially actually thank all the people that are also following you from outside. I think I would also like to thank all the supporters that you are having. But most of all, I would like to welcome the students that soon will be alumni of IUC Delft. I would like to start already by congratulating you that you managed to come at this level and this point in time, because I think that you have passed to a very, very special period. I always think that coming to IUC Delft is already special enough. Being able to finish your studies here is something special, but doing that in a time with COVID, I think that means it's an actual special. So that for me also means that I do think that if you're not able to do whatever you're dreaming of, then nobody will be there. So I have high expectations of you, and I think that you are the people that we are looking for, the people that you also need, because I do think that in the water sector globally, we need people that want to make a change, make a difference, become a leader, and show what we can do and we need to do in the water sector to make improvements. So with that, I would also like to thank the people that are following you, and I would like to have a special thank actually to the Building and Events Foundation, not only because they are funding fellowships, but also because they are at the basis of this whole course, and together with a lot of other people, they managed to make it possible for you to follow this course and to also have that other places in the world. So a big thanks to the Building and Events Foundation, but also for the ROTRE from the UK Foundation. I also think that the Orange Knowledge Program made a big effort there, and I think that also with the Japanese collaboration with the World Bank, if I'm not mistaken, that we pronounced it correctly, the Joint Japanese World Bank Graduate Screwers Program also made fellowships available. And I think that this also shows that this mixture of fellowships shows the interest actually of the people that are willing to fund your fellowship. And I think that's also an indication of the global need that we have of people like yourself working in this important field. And I hope that you appreciate it, what has been offered to you, and that's again for me a reason to know what you will be doing. I would also think that it's not only about the financial support, but I think moral support is also quite important, and there are of course family and friends, but also I think the people helping you here while you are in the house, that's not only from the lecturers here, but also I think this our patrons that help you out and make sure that you're feeling at home, and sometimes helps you through difficult periods. And again, I would like to refer to COVID in there, making it quite special. So I hope that you had good support in I think quite a challenging time that you're facing. But also from your countries, I think you're all from quite a lot of different countries all over the world, and also from the countries that pick, I think expectation from you, and I think sometimes you also get representatives from the different embassies here, especially welcome to be the representative of the Kenyan embassy, which is, as a part of its unit, so I think with all that, I would like to actually pass the word to the first and I think quite important person in the whole process here, that's professor Dami Gretman, each professor of sanitary engineering. Graduates, family members, friends, the city staff, the new sanitation students, and colleagues here in Delft, and these joining us online is honored to be part of this celebration, the third gradation ceremony of MSc in sanitation program cohort 2020-2021 at IG Delft Institute for Votification. Dear future champions in developing and implementing sanitation, it is such pleasure to share the intensity of emotions feeling this auditorium, as you who are graduating close this chapter of your life story. You are the class of 2021, you graduate in a decade of the United Nations Sustainable Development Wolves at a time in history when our world is dealing with enormous challenges, including the global pandemic, but at the time and the opportunities created by those challenges have never been greater. You are the generation that will take the sanitation of the day to new and dizzying dimensions. You are the ones who will bring solutions to sanitation challenges, the issue that my generation is only now identifying. So this afternoon you are poised to start a new chapter of your lives, armed with the transferable skills and state of the art in the discipline and knowledge you have attained, I can tell you are eager to tackle this new phase, where whatever it might be, for some academia will be your next step, some are heading straight to the professional workforce, and some have chosen governmental or humanitarian services. Whatever direction you take, I guarantee that your world will change as you leave this institute. And as a result of whatever it is you choose to do, our world will change as a result of your contribution, contribution that will be determined by how you follow your dreams and imagination. In my immigration speech in 2009, I shared my vision called scientific dreams. And now 12 years later I'm proud to say that you are today part of my dreams that became real. Today you will become not only alumni of IGDEL, but also alumni of the Global Sanitation Graduate School, the world's largest mechanism for capacity development in sanitation. At the moment 25 of its 50 partner institutions are simultaneously delivering the very same program that you just completed at IGDEL, who with more than 400 master students following the program. After the first two cohorts in 2019 and 2020 with 29 graduates and 9 graduates from universities in India and Indonesia, you make the total as of today of 56 champions getting closer to our ambitious target of 10,000 by the year 2020. While we celebrate your academic accomplishments today, I want to challenge you as a fresh alumni to continue your quest for knowledge and to discover your own unique ways to contribute to our society so that the people and families can live healthy and productive life without compromising environment and biodiversity. Although for some your next steps may have been determined, many of you may not yet know the direction your life will ultimately take. You may find a new calling in this next chapter or it may be several chapters down the road, you may decide the directions you thought you were going just doesn't seem right, or it flat out isn't working and you will begin to follow yet another new road. What is important that you follow your dreams, never doubt yourself, be persistent and believe in yourself and remember the patience is mother of wisdom. You are part of the global generation for which professional opportunities, curiosity and explorations may take you further may take you to the further reaches on the earth. I remember that in my PhD thesis I used a quote from the book Alice in Wonderland, so Alice is lost in a forest and she's asking a cat to help her. So Alice is saying, so will you tell me please which way I also go from here, said Alice? That depends a good deal of where you want to get go, said the cat. I don't much care where said Alice, then it doesn't matter which way you go, said the cat, if you walk long enough. You are graduating at the establishment founded in 1957, the largest international graduate water education facility in the world with the vibrant community of 23,000 water professionals from more than 190 countries. The Institute envisions a world free of poverty and injustice in which people manage their water and environmental resources sustainably and equitably and work in partnership to strengthen capacity in the water sector through a tangible contribution to achieve all United Nations sustainable development goals in which water is the key. I trust that you find it a place where you could worship as you wish, gather where you wanted and was allowed and pursue any opportunity that you happen upon regardless of your sex, your race, or your age. I felt the joy as I watched you prepare for this ceremony. I saw your strengthened, each other's clothes and thick stairs. I saw the hiding, the high fives, the age all signals of friendship and caring. I saw your unbridled enthusiasm for what you have accomplished. So I want to challenge you to take that enthusiasm that surrounds you today out into the world with you and use it to obtain your goals. As you go forward, don't forget the friends you have made and those that you will make along the way. As our former rector used to say, look at your life, you look at your life, and you will see only friends. True friendship is a treasure. Continue to care, care about yourself, your family, your friends, and your role. And wherever the next chapter in your life story may take you, make sure that journey includes joy and fun. Ideally, I should tell you something that you will remember for a while and that you can tell your children and grandchildren in 20 or 30 years from now. When I talked to my children recently about my own MNC graduation in Manchester, I had to confess that I did not remember anything other than handing over the diploma and the God save between autumn and the end. Not sure that I can avoid this embarrassment to you because much of what is being heard is forgotten within a day. So try to enjoy today as much as you can so to ensure lasting memories. Today marks an important day in your lives, yet it is the beginning of a journey. To get to this point was an important achievement itself to which I commend you. The person competencies that you got here, passion, commitment, tenacity, open minds to learn will be important throughout your lives. Nurture them, they will be even more important than what you have learned. When I graduated a couple of decades ago, the world was quite different. It looked predictable, stable, a career was ordained, all indicators pointed upwards. But that has changed big time now. Therefore, it is important to remember you cannot manage the change, you must get ahead of it. First in your minds, and then in your practice and your lives. The world you heard is surrounded with great challenges. Changes upon us if we want it or not. Yet you have the greatest opportunity in generations to be architects and builders of the new world. You belong to a privileged group who have been equipped to take such a daunting role. You may exercise it wherever you stand, but it goes beyond having a job in a company or other organizations. It means you are engaging in society. Yet it all comes at price. You will have to rigorously apply the thinking and reasoning skills. In particular, have to apply critical thinking and your emotional competencies. Yes, you cannot be content to be an expert in a domain. You must constantly work on decoding what happens in society and what it means. And you must act on it in concern with others wherever you stand. Just wanting to do good is not enough. Achieving impact is what comes. At IGDef, we continue to valorize the impact we have made on you, the impact you are going to have on your employer or your own company, and the common impact that you and your employer will have on society. I sincerely hope that you will remain responsive in this process and stay in touch with us throughout your professional career and beyond so you can enjoy and disseminate your professional successes. Dear graduates, I wish you the best for your lives. Once again, embrace the challenges and get ahead of the change. You can do it, and my best wishes are with you. And do not forget, opportunities don't happen, you create them. Thank you. And now I have honor and pleasure to introduce a video address of Dr. Roshan Shrestha, Deputy Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Roshan and the Foundation have been instrumental in the establishment and support of this master program and global sanitation graduate school. So I will kindly ask Anik to please start the video. Thank you, Dr. Roshan Shrestha, Deputy Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Thank you, Dr. Roshan Shrestha. To receive and receive sanitation by 2020 as targeted by the Sustainable Development Goals 6.2, we all know that sanitation is tough. Sanitation is economic, and sanitation is unique. If the sanitation isn't there still, I'm attacking within that for the policy methods, planners, and we don't realize it. We need to raise the profile of the sanitation by so many variables. We need to demonstrate how safe sanitation can impact their country becoming. So we have lots to do. I mean, problem is we have lots of opportunities to do that. I know many of you might be worried about the job. Once you go back home, you may not get immediately the job that you need. You may not be able to apply a knowledge that you learn that I can see. That's normal. You will have more opportunities. I did a lot of problems. Let me tell you my story. When I completed my master's more than 30 years back and PhD around 22 years back, one time after I finished my master's and PhD, I suffered a lot. I could get a job immediately after I got home. I used to live with my wife's salary for several months. But I made it. I got a lot of job. I was so busy after my study. So based on this, my learning, I can give you tips how you can generate your own job, how you can really sell yourself. Number one, be patient. Don't be frustrated. Be optimistic. Just think that you will get opportunities. Number two, be proactive. You really become the country and stable the value of that. You are back with the full of knowledge. How can you do that? Write articles. What you have learned so far from IITs, just like that, make it the country context. You can explain that in the article, newspaper, newspaper, and so on. Number three, don't think that you can be individual. You need a partner. You need to make a group. You need to make a team of different disciplines so that all expertise can come together and then you can come up with a very good work. You can start there. Number four, you can also utilize your network. For example, IIT Aluminium is very strong. You can plan several conferences and workshops in the Aluminium. You can be a resource person in the program that IIT has just initiated Global Sanities and Graduate School. There are 15 universities around the global south, most in Sub-Saharan Africa, this year. The networking there, they need resource person. You should join there. A lot of training programs are going on. You can be part of that. Number five, be a scientist and interpreter. You can initiate your own business. You don't need to work for the job. I hope you've learned all those things. How you can be a scientist and interpreter? How can you be scientist and finance? What we can do for you? We should get back. We'll share a name to all the appropriate partners. And we can also help you to publish papers. You should also come up with amazing ideas. Together with your team, you can explore how can we support you in your ideas. I have a feeling that you have a bright future. No need to worry. You just learn how you can meet your ideas and how they scale to the point where you are. I wish you all the best and congratulations once again for your future. Let me continue with what we've already written for the actual volume of the details. For this, I would like to remind you on stage for the presentation from here, and Dr. Berthelon to be our speakers. Thank you. With the Phil and Melinda Gates Foundation, I have been able to introduce the award for the best sanitation pieces addressing the challenges in the field. The US dollar enables the winner to remain for a couple of months longer in Delt and to transfer the thesis findings into a journal publication. It also facilitates an open access publication and or presentation of the research at appropriate conference. As usual, the jury had a tough choice to make. From the short list of five, we selected the winner using the three main criteria. Namely, the potential impact on the ground, the scientific depth, and the extent of critical thinking. So let's disclose the winner. So the winner was supervised by Dr. Tineke Hoemans and mentored by Dr. Duton and Mr. Baal and Mr. Wolfhammer. And this unique combination points to the winner, Ms. Rilalita Shain. I guess you have to carry it into play. So it's getting better and better. So and now I have a pleasure to present some special messages for from some familiar faces to us. Dear everyone, I must have been quite intense here for all of you. The excitement of coming to a new country and the nervousness of being away from home. The eagerness of learning and growing and the fear of not making it. The curiosity of an adventurous discovery and perhaps a loneliness due to the COVID restrictions. And even though it is a hard task to predict the future, chances that you probably knew you was known to be a walk in the woods. Yet, your motivation was stronger than your fear, your vision, clearly without. Each time I get the chance to work with this annotation group, I feel honored and privileged. This year was no exception. And as corny as it might sound, it is true to me. I know what it needs to listen to your individual stories, your fears, wishes, your wisdom. I know how I feel when I get to observe your development as professionals and humans. Your shifts of mindset change your perspectives. You took me along in your journey. You gave me your trust, your openness, your curiosity. You shared your fears, your failures, but also your courage and success. Your love stories. And once you even sung a song for me. For all of this, I thank you. Because if you think you're the only ones learning out of our coaching processes, then please consider how much I've learned out of your stories. Each of them is a note of commitment, dedication, resilience. Each of your stories and individual narration of an insane ambition to change the world, the personification of the hope to create better living conditions for the less privileged. This is what I learned each time. This is what I've learned this time too. My biggest wish to all of you is to stay compassionate to yourself first. Because it's only when you understand the nature of your struggles that you can discover the hidden struggles of others. And this is what will make you truly unique. Good luck with your dreams, all of you, and make them happen. Your research methods in June and that you found useful for your final projects. Many congratulations for the 2018 Class of 2021. And best of luck in your future careers. Students, this is Joe Brown from the University of Chapel Hill, Geeling School of Living Public Health. And I want to add my congratulations to you on completing this milestone, graduating and going back to your lives, making contributions to sanitation and public health. I wish you the very best of luck and incredible success as you pursue your careers. And I look forward to hearing from you. Congratulations and take care of yourselves. Great graduates. This is Nuka Omvisa from AIO and Scouts around. And I want to send you a huge congratulations today on your graduation. Enjoy it today. And I hope to see you sometimes somewhere in the sanitation sector in the future. Bye-bye. Thank you so much for allowing me. I'm an educational advisor at Delta University of Technology. And I want your future in the teamwork skills course. This must be a very special day for you because you finally made it. And it's well easier. I've seen you work so hard in my course. And I've seen through teamwork. Being open, working and with others you and help to support each other. Be proud of yourself. And I wish you lots of happy teamwork and all the best in the future. That's it. That's how I'm doing. That's the plan. You can't just, you can't just not use your graduation. So well done on this great student. I hope that you have a graduation day. I hope that you are doing well with you. And all the best in the future. I would encourage the world and the members that don't take your entrance account. Thank you. It was really a great experience for me to teach you and what I learned from you, a number of things, especially to ask questions, to participate fully and to be ready to do it. Today is a great day for you, so I hope you all have passed and I wish you all the success for you. Keep doing good work and keep doing good sanitation. Thank you very much. Oh, sanitation students, nice to hear you all gradate it. Congratulations. All of you are known as an achievement, I have to say, because it's not an easy time. I've come far and also played away at it in an environment that's not familiar to you and also online. I was happy to meet and to work together with you in the Unitarian sessions for four days. We've been working intensively together, so hopefully this inspires you to join the Unitarian complex because your expertise is so much needed, even though you're not in the Unitarian complex. Of course, also outside, so I wish you all the best with all the expertise you have in your practice, because it's so much needed. So again, congratulations. Injection says yes. This is all how we celebrate. So there for us here is my normal person. Thank you so much. My side, congratulations to you with the well-deserved master degree. This almost concludes our program for today and I hope you enjoyed it and you will have a very nice day today for all. And I would just like to take the opportunity to thank everybody for making this afternoon possible. I hope you enjoyed your studies experience here and that you will stay in contact with our institute as an anonymous. Furthermore, I need to stress that this diploma is a unique issue and handling with care in case of loss cannot be reissued. We do not hold copies. Therefore, strongly advise you to make open copies and scale up your diploma and see for yourself. After the closing of the ceremony, I would like to ask the graduates to follow the cortege, leaving this room and join in front of the building so we can do some road pictures. And I'll get the floor back to the director of IHC with the side emails. Thank you. And like I would like to do, I start by congratulating you already before you got to diploma, but I think I would like to repeat that. So a big, big congratulations to all of you. I hope you will enjoy that. I also think that with your diploma there are also some, I think, a little bit more serious things related to that. And you already heard from various speakers I'm not going to repeat that. That is a big expectation from you. So we really hope that you will make a big change in the world, I think, where we need to make changes. But I also think that you have now some academic responsibilities with you. So that is following the academic ethics. I think it's also important that you have the responsibility to also share it with others. So I hope that you will also look at that. I think that if I may ask you to give me one, I think big applause, not only for all the people that have been lecturing, but also for all the people that have been supporting you, mentally, but also in the administrative sense and all other different ways. And I think that that is the case. And I myself, I was also very happy to see the people that have been here also as guest lecturers to all of you. So I hope that you also appreciate that. But hearing the sounds in the back, I think you did. And I hope you will continue doing that. I think it was also an open invitation. If I may do that to all of you to stay in contact and also to let us know what you're doing. And I think there were some quite supportive messages that you have heard. You also all received the blue book. And I think the blue book is something that is coming actually from some of your predecessors here from years back. But also some other people that are heavily engaged in the water sector. And I think the blue book is also a little bit meant in the case that you're in a period where it's maybe a little bit more difficult or you need some reflection or something like that. Just have a read in one of the stories that's in there. And I hope that will give you inspiration actually to make the next step. And to see how you can look at the next day that is to come. So with that, I would like to thank all of you. Congratulations again. And I hope to see you as well. Not necessarily here, but hopefully also in one of your countries where you are doing, I think, the right things that you make a choice and that you will show where your leadership is. So thank you all. And I get to talk to you. Please rise. I'll take the talk here.