At TU Delft, we are not just educating engineers; we are shaping the future of engineering and engineering education. We are empowering our students to become the kind of leaders who can navigate complexity, embrace change, and build a better world, also under VUCA conditions. In this manifesto, we develop a line of reasoning to rethink our education, moving away from ‘professional problem solvers’ to ‘individuals who care for our collective future from an engineering background.’
We believe that TU Delft has a unique opportunity to lead the way in reimagining engineering education for the VUCA world. By embracing the principles outlined in this manifesto, we can empower our students to become the future-proof engineers that our society needs. We invite all members of the TU Delft community – faculty, students, and staff – to join us on this exciting journey.

The Initiative for Innovation in Engineering Education, IDEE, is a university-wide activity at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), aiming to strengthen the capacity for evidence-based innovation in engineering education. The goal is to create a more systematic and evidence-informed approach to educational innovation at TU Delft, and to ensure that the knowledge gained is documented and shared with the wider education community. This paper describes the first steps in establishing the structures for the initiative, identifying the educational themes to be addressed, mobilising teams of faculty members and recruiting junior researchers, creating support for these teams, and building a productive community. Through this setup, IDEE has high ambitions for creating both educational innovation and associated scientific gains. It is also intended to create role models for novel kinds of academic careers with an emphasis on teaching.