The board of the Universiteitsfonds Twente has granted the Marina van Damme Scholarship 2015 to Ms Dang Anh Nguyet. She was chosen from among 20 candidates. Dang Anh was born in Vietnam in 1988. In 2010, she came to study at the ITC faculty; in 2012 she was awarded her master's degree in Geo-information science and earth observation. Currently, she is working for the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.
EXCELLENT AND AMBITIOUS
At the jury's assessment, Anh fully satisfies the profile of a Van Damme Scholarship winner. “She is excellent in her field of study, ambitious, with a social objective in mind and could really use the support. Her excellence is evidenced by, among other things, the various awards she has received during her academic career. Her ambition knows no boundaries: After achieving her bachelor's degree in Vietnam, she travelled far from home to study in Twente and then went to work in Thailand. Throughout her career as a researcher, she has focused on the impact of a changing use of land on the ecosystem. Consider, for example, such issues as erosion, soil degradation, flooding and the preservation of biodiversity, water quality and, in particular, agricultural productivity. She develops models that may provide local governments with the necessary tools to make policy choices with respect to efficient land use. Ultimately, she wants to use her knowledge in the poorest areas of the world; also in Vietnam, her home country", the jury states in its report.
UNIVERSITEITSFONDS TWENTE
The organization of the Marina van Damme Scholarship is in hands of the Universiteitsfonds Twente. The fund has a long history which dates back to 1948, and has since contributed in different manners to new developments and additional support for the academic community. The fund contributes by supporting, for example, Chairs, scientific conferences, scholarships and excellence awards.
The Marina van Damme Scholarship is awarded annually to an excellent and ambitious UT alumna in support of their professional development. The Marina van Damme Scholarship is made possible thanks to a Fund named after Ms dr. ir. Marina van Damme. In June 1965, she was the first person to obtain a doctoral degree at what was then called the Technische Hogeschool Twente. We are delighted that Ms Van Damme is once more present at the event this year, and we are grateful to her for her involvement and the opportunities she offers to young women thanks to her gift. The scholarship is being awarded this year for the 30th time.
NETWORK
At this moment, the current 29 recipients of the Marina van Damme Scholarship are establishing an association that will ensure the further development of the network of winners. It turns out that, in addition to winning the scholarship - with which additional education can be paid for purposes of their professional development - the network among the recipients is of great value for exchanging knowledge and experience and for further reinforcing the position of women.
