● A TU Delft AI Initiative program

Keep AI talent in Delft — by connecting it.

A mentorship program that pairs master students finishing or starting their thesis with TU Delft alumni already working in AI. Real guidance, real networks, and a reason for our best people to stay close to home.

1-on-1
Student ↔ alumni matches
6 months
Per mentorship cycle
AI-only
Focused on one domain
The challenge

Brilliant AI graduates leave — and take their knowledge with them.

Every year TU Delft trains some of Europe's strongest AI talent. But at the exact moment they're most valuable, students hit a gap: they don't know who to talk to, where they fit, or what the field really looks like from the inside. So they drift — often abroad, often out of reach.

  • 1
    Knowledge leaves the ecosystemGraduates' expertise disappears the moment they walk out the door.
  • 2
    Students lack a real networkTalented people make career choices with almost no insider guidance.
  • 3
    Alumni want to give back...but there's no structured, low-effort way for them to do it.

The idea in one line

Turn TU Delft's AI alumni into a living mentor network — so the next generation stays connected to the people, projects and companies that keep talent here.

How it works

Simple to join. Light to run. Built to last.

1

Match

We pair each student with an alumni professional in their AI sub-field — based on interests, ambitions and where they want to go next.

2

Meet

A light rhythm of conversations over six months: career direction, thesis sparring, portfolio feedback, and honest insider perspective.

3

Stay connected

Mentors open doors — to teams, projects and companies in the Delft ecosystem — so talent has a reason to stay close after graduating.

Who it's for

Two sides of the same network.

For students

Master students in AI

Finishing or just starting your thesis in an AI-related track.

Guidance from someone who's actually done it
A clearer view of where you fit in the field
Real connections to teams and companies
Sparring on your thesis from a working professional
For alumni

TU Delft AI professionals

Working in AI and ready to give back — without a heavy commitment.

Give back in a structured, low-effort way
Early access to standout emerging talent
Stay connected to TU Delft and its research
Shape the next generation of the field you love
Why it matters

A small program with a compounding return.

↑ retention
More AI talent stays in the Delft & NL ecosystem
2-way
Students grow; alumni stay engaged with the university
scalable
Start with one cohort, grow into a lasting network

Let's pilot this with one cohort.

The hard part — the talent and the alumni — already exists. All it needs is a bridge. Let's build the first version together.

Start the conversation →