Alumni interview: Madoche Jean Louis

Madoche Jean Louis, a native of Haiti, turned his dream of studying in Europe into a reality when he graduated from IHE Delft in May 2022. His Master’s degree in Water Science and Engineering, with a specialization in Hydraulic Engineering and River Basin Development, was made possible through the SIDS scholarship (Small Island Developing States) funded by the Netherlands’ government. In this interview, he shares his post-graduation journey and the memories he made along the way, inspiring others with his story.

‘’It has been two years since I left the Netherlands. Delft feels like home, a sense of belonging, where I made great memories. Currently, I am a PhD candidate at Louisiana State University in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science; I am halfway through now. I give lectures at universities and conferences in Haiti. I also work as a hydraulic engineer consultant at the World Bank regarding floods mitigations and adaptation.

When writing my thesis, I was already looking at future PhD opportunities. In February 2022, I got admission to start my PhD research at Louisiana State University; this was three months before my MSc defence at IHE Delft.’’

‘’I am currently studying coastal eco-hydro-morpho dynamics, how vegetation transport processes at different spatiotemporal scales. I currently study coastal vegetation dynamics modelling of the Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana. Our results will hopefully be relevant for other coastal areas. I am reading a lot, writing papers and preparing for conferences. My day revolves around research, modelling, etc. I also lecture for the State University of Haiti.

Challenges in my role

‘’As a PhD candidate, you cannot be productive every day; sometimes, you get stuck. As a consultant for the World Bank, you have to balance the technical and social sciences, and politics, and reach consensus with different stakeholders, which can be a challenge but interesting as it is the way to go. I hope to finish my PhD in December 2025.’’

How my work relates to my study at IHE Delft

‘’The first project that I worked on as a consultant was in Haiti; my MSc thesis research was in the same city (Cap-Haitien); I looked at the floods and hydrology of the city. I had solid knowledge of the area; therefore, I was able to inform and give insights for decision-making in the area. For my PhD, it feels like the natural next step after my MSc thesis. My knowledge gathered at IHE Delft is being applied.’’

How my work helps to improve the water situation in Haiti

‘’The lack of data problem is still there; many countries face challenges. My work as a lecturer is to help students who will most likely be my colleagues in five to ten years and who will potentially solve these issues. I have other responsibilities, such as sensibilization and teaching people about the overarching problems and some starting points to tackle them, but there is still a lot of work to do. Unfortunately, the priorities of the country are far from my objectives.’’

My advice as a Hydraulic Engineer Consultant for the World Bank

‘’In general, funding helps in the realization of sustainable development projects; in countries like Haiti, you not only need funding, but the local government also needs to implement them well. The World Bank and different NGOs are trying hard to work with local governments, but there is still work to do, and we are the one to do it.’’

‘’The lack of data problem is still there; many countries face challenges. My work as a lecturer is to help students who will most likely be my colleagues in five to ten years and who will potentially solve these issues."

Madoche Jean Louis

Hydraulic engineering projects

‘’Many projects that I am working are related to climate adaptation and nature-based solutions. The impact can be life-changing for local people. Implementing these changes can help the economy, tourism, and health of local people at risk of climate change effects. I am mainly working in Haiti, but many of these projects can be translated to similar contexts around the world and hopefully create some spill-over effects.’’

Have you been able to fulfil the ambition to help rebuild your country?

‘’It is far from what my dreams are, but I am working hard to make an impact; I aspire to be an inspiration to my students so that we all work towards capacity building in the country.’’

My favourite IHE Delft memory

‘’The fieldwork conducted in the South of France is my favourite memory. Despite COVID, we could still learn, have fun and connect with professors and colleagues. I still have contact with some of them. Many are doing their PhD, and some are working in the Netherlands. I like to keep in touch and see what they are up to. I still have contact with my advisors. We worked on a paper based on my master's thesis; it was nice to see them again. In the future, I would like to stay connected and collaborate with IHE Delft.’’

Madoche Jean Louis is from Haiti and he is studying the Master Water Science and Engineering with a specialization in Hydraulic Engineering and River Basin Development. One year ago, he was searching on the Internet for a Master’s degree in Europe. It was a dream for Madoche to study in Europe. Madoche has a SIDS scholarship (Small Island Developing States), funded by the Netherlands Government).