IHE Delft Institute for Water Education

About IHE Delft Institute for Water Education

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, located in Delft, the Netherlands, is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world. Operating under the auspices of UNESCO as a Category 2 institute, IHE Delft was established in 1957 in the aftermath of the devastating 1953 North Sea flood disaster, initially founded as the International Course in Hydraulic Engineering by Delft University of Technology. Since its inception, the institute has conferred Master of Science degrees and doctorates upon more than 23,000 water professionals hailing from over 160 countries, primarily across the Global South and emerging economies. Specializing exclusively in water management, hydraulic engineering, environmental technology, hydroinformatics, sanitation, and governance, IHE Delft offers world-leading Master of Science degrees accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). Programmes include the innovative one-year regular Master of Science in Water and Sustainable Development (68 EC) with tailored thematic tracks, the intensive two-year Research Master of Science (120 EC), Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (Flood Risk Management and Groundwater and Global Change), and joint PhD degrees conducted in partnership with Dutch research universities including TU Delft, Wageningen University, University of Amsterdam, and University of Twente. Positioned along the picturesque Westvest canal in the global hydraulic capital of Delft, IHE Delft functions as a vital UN knowledge hub bridging scientific research, capacity development, policy advising, and international water diplomacy.