campus tour delft

TU Delft Backstage Tours

   take a look behind the scenes, tu delft / backstage.

The Delft University of Technology consists of more than 40 buildings and in every one of them research is being conducted. As a visitor those research facilities are normally off limits. But the Delft University of Technology offers special guided tours to give a glance of the newest developments. You can choose from various guided tours that take you around the TU Delft campus. Each guided tour offers a unique experience of the Delft University of Technology and will show you around the different aspects of the university.

The guided tours of the Delft University of Technology will give you an opportunity to not only see new technologies but also what the future holds here at the Delft University of Technology!

Our backstage tours:

Backstage tour

Climate Neutral by 2030

Architecture

   contact, tu delft tours.

TU Delft Tours is an organization that consists of a team of students and we organize tours on campus. We are part of TU Delft Science Center. We make campus tours for prospective students and we make backstage tours for external visitors. Our tours are with a guide as well as virtual.

You can book a tour from the existing offer.

Request a tour Please send all requests for a tour (at least two weeks in advance for the desired tour day) by e-mail [email protected]

Rate Per tour € 175,- All prices are ex VAT 21%.

How to reach us? TU Delft Tours can be reached on: Mon to Thu by telephone of TU Delft Science Center (see below in blue frame) and preferably by email [email protected]

Good to know

• Tour request: at least two weeks in advance for the desired tour day
• Cancel a tour: must be reported no later than 3 days in advance. After that, 3 hours will be charged in accordance with the cancellation conditions (CAO).
• Changing a confirmed tour to another date and/or time: is only possible if a guide is available and at least 3 days in advance. We charge 1 hour extra for this. If no guide is available for this modified tour, we are forced to cancel the tour on our part.
• We do not arrange catering or specific locations for meetings, for more information see: Campus Life

Our guides are students who enjoy working as guides alongside their studies. The guide students have study agreements that we take into account when planning our tour.

Campus tour

Tu delft campus tour.

On the first day of the conference (July 1st) and before the evening registration and Welcome reception, the first 60 registrants (first come, first served!) will have the opportunity of a guided tour of some of the prominent premises of the campus of TU Delft, including the world-renown faculty of Architecture, the TU Delft library, the Echo building, and the Aula Congress Center. The 90 minutes tour will start from the Aula Congress Center (Mekelweg 5, 2628CC, Delft) at 16:30. Details of the tour are available at the following page . Don’t miss this opportunity!

Overview activities

You’re NEXT! 

NEXT is an impact driven, scale up community building in Delft.

Feel welcome in our accelerator building, designed to connect NEXT to Europe’s Leading Tech Incubator, YES!Delft; t his is where tomorrow’s leading firms are built.  

Who’s NEXT ? 

You’re NEXT !

Your NEXT location A NEXT level innovation campus,  at TU Delft Campus,  a  leading location for R&D in Europe.

Our NEXT community  We believe in serendipity. We offer a dynamic mix of workspaces,  and places to meet, create & showcase. We believe YOU are NEXT…

NEXT to you We are a community that wants to create impact, for us and for future generations.

NEXT Delft is partner van

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Our locations

Personal and accessible learning in the Randstad region.

Selecting a university of applied sciences is not simply a case of finding a degree programme that suits your talents and career choice. It is also about finding a place that makes you feel at home.

Our programmes are spread out over eight campuses across the cultural, political and industrial  heart of the Netherlands: the  Randstad. These locations are strongly linked but each of them has its own individual character.  Our English bachelor's degrees are taught in Amsterdam/Diemen, Delft, Haarlem and The Hague.

Inholland Alkmaar offers exchange courses in Business Studies, Marketing, Management & Finance.

Address Bergerweg 200 1817 MN Alkmaar  Tel: +31 (0) 72 - 518 34 56 

The campus in Alkmaar has recently been renovated in a sustainable way. The location is well rooted in the Northern region of North Holland and offers education in the field of business, education, healthcare and welfare and technology. Students can practice their skills in modern technical labs.

The city of Alkmaar Alkmaar is a medium-sized city, known for its warm and friendly atmosphere. The city is internationally famous for its traditional Dutch cheese market, canals with drawbridges, courtyards, old gables, historic buildings and narrow shopping streets.There are also numerous cultural events organised in Alkmaar every year. A perfect place to experience living in the Netherlands!

From September 2024 Inholland Amsterdam will open our new University of Applied Sciences building in Amsterdam.

Inholland Amsterdam offers bachelor's degrees in Business Innovation, Applied Mathematics / Data Science, and Tourism Management, and exchange courses in related courses.

We will start the new academic year for the above-mentioned degree programs in September 2024 at our new location: Pina Bauschplein 4 in Amsterdam. Please check the Google Maps for the exact location.

Virtual Tour 
 Get an idea of what our new building looks like, please follow the links below.

Check out the outside

Check out the inside

Should you want to visit our university of Applied Sciences in person, please visit our current location at the address below until the 30 th of June 2024. After this date, we will be moving to our new location in Amsterdam.

Address Wildenborch 6 1112 XB Diemen Tel: +31 (0)20 495 11 11

Inholland Amsterdam is also the center for education in care and welfare, both at bachelor and master level. The Midwifery course is offered by AVAG, a collaboration between Inholland and VUmc, with training places in Amsterdam and Groningen.

Address 
 OZW-building Boelelaan 1109 1081 HV Amsterdam Tel: +31 (0)20 - 495 11 11 

The city of Amsterdam Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. The unique combination of Amsterdam’s picturesque canals lined with quaint houses and the cosmopolitan culture of this city make it one of the most attractive and popular places in Europe to visit and study. Here you will find plenty of trendy bars, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, cinemas and theatres. There is always something happening in the vibrant city of Amsterdam!

Inholland Delft offers a bachelor's degree and exchange courses in Aeronautical Engineering.

Address Rotterdamseweg 141 2628 AL Delft Tel: +31 (0) 15 - 251 92 00

Education at Inholland Delft is all about nutrition, food security, nature, environment, living environment and technical developments. Students contribute to sustainable innovations with a social relevance. Unique is the Aeronautical Engineering programme. With the Composite Lab (Inholland Composites), Inholland Delft also has a wonderful facility for education and research.

Virtual Tour Get an idea of how the building looks like from the inside and check all the hotspots via the   virtual tour of Inholland Delft .

The city of Delft Delft is not only a beautiful town with over 600 historic monuments, but most importantly, it is the technological heart of the region. This is the city of innovation with plenty of international companies and a vibrant student community from four universities. All institutions work together to provide the best learning environment as well as trigger and facilitate processes of innovation in business and technology. Technical professionals are always in demand, so this is the place to be for young professionals.

Inholland The Hague offers a  bachelor degree in Creative Business and   exchange courses   in (Creative) Business, Education and Finance.

Inholland The Hague is a small-scale campus located in a bustling shopping street near The Hague Central Station. It is home to close-knit community of international Creative Business students, who can usually be found in the Creative Lab or one of the studios. Inholland The Hague has the official status of UNESCO school. With this status we show that we are a socially engaged and enterprising university. Take a look at the Inholland campus in The Hague and the surrounding hotspots.

Tour of Inholland The Hague

The city of The Hague The Hague is the seat of the Dutch Royal Family, the government, international courts and over 160 international organisations, which is why it is widely known as the International City of Peace and Justice. The Hague has eleven kilometres of coastline and plenty of seaside recreational areas. Check out the surroundings of Inholland The Hague in this video .

Watch the video below to get an inside look into studying in The Hague or find more information on Study in The Hague .

A day in the life of a new student in The Hague

Address Theresiastraat 8 2593 AN Den Haag Tel: +31 (0) 70 - 312 01 00

We will start the new academic year in September 2024 at our new location: Pina Bauschplein 4 in Amsterdam. Because the new area is still in development, it does not yet appear in Google Maps.

Address Wildenborch 6 1112 XB Diemen Tel: +31 (0) 20 - 495 11 11

Inholland Haarlem offers   bachelor's degrees   in Information Technology and Creative Business, and   exchange courses   in finance, media, marketing, nutrition and tourism.

Address Bijdorplaan 15 2015 CE Haarlem Tel: +31 (0)23 541 24 12

Inholland Haarlem offers a wide range of courses in the sectors of technology, economy, media, education, healthcare and welfare. The Start Up Campus Haarlem (SUCH) is the meeting place where students, teachers, entrepreneurs and government collaborate.

Virtual Tour Get an idea of how the building looks like from the inside and check all the hotspots via the virtual tour of Inholland Haarlem.

The city of Haarlem Haarlem is the capital of the province of North-Holland, and has a wonderful historic centre with surprising shops, unique museums, excellent restaurants and pubs. It is only in a short distance from the beaches of Bloemendaal and Zandvoort aan Zee and it is near the city of Amsterdam. This charming town is the historic centre of the tulip bulb-growing district and bears the nickname ‘Bloemenstad’ (Flower City) for this reason. Haarlem hosts many cultural events and concerts all year round. 

Inholland Rotterdam offers exchange courses   in Business Studies, Finance, Communication Management, Law and Tourism Management. 

Address Posthumalaan 90 3072 AG Rotterdam  Tel:  +31 (0) 10 - 439 93 99

Inholland Rotterdam is a large location with well-structured education. We set the bar high for everyone. Knowledge workshop Plint010 is the creative base for enterprising students.

The city of Rotterdam Known as the Gateway to Europe, Rotterdam boasts the largest port in Europe, making it one of the most important trade centres in the world. With its many skyscrapers, Rotterdam’s skyline is truly exceptional! It is a cosmopolitan city offering a wide range of events, excellent nightlife and a unique atmosphere.

Watch our virtual tours

Amsterdam/diemen.

Biotech Campus Delft is the largest open innovation campus in Europe focused on biotechnology that boosts the transition to a sustainable, biobased economy. We support the entire innovation cycle, from research and pilot to production.

We accommodate several companies: startups, scale-ups, established companies and knowledge institutions. They all contribute to the transition in their own way. Planet B.io is our accelerator for innovative biotech solutions and centrally located on Biotech Campus Delft. It is happy to welcome start-ups, scale-ups and (technical) service providers active in industrial biotechnology

Continue  here  to learn about our campus and  here  for more information about the resident companies.

Latest news

Plant One new owner of Bioprocess Pilot Facility at Biotech Campus Delft  

Plant One, an established pilot plant company specialized in sustainable production processes, will be the new owner of the Bioprocess Pilot Facility at Biotech Campus Delft.

Innovation boost for the Biotech Campus Delft

The province of South Holland has allocated a financial contribution of € 3 million via the Opportunities for West program, to several innovation campuses in the region, including the Biotech…

Professor Henk Noorman explains: "Microscopic protein can be a great thing"

Protein made of yeasts, fungi or bacteria? It may not sound very attractive, but it is.

Organizations on Biotech Campus Delft

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• International

April 22, 2024 - Protests at Columbia and other schools escalate

Matt Egan, Alicia Wallace and Chandelis Duster

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it is 'determining next steps'

From CNN's Jillian Sykes

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a statement Monday regarding tents on its campus.

"MIT officials are aware of the tents, and are determining next steps with a focus on ensuring campus is physically safe and fully functioning. MIT Police were on scene throughout the night and will continue to be present."

Robert Kraft says he is willing to support The Kraft Center at the university

From CNN's Chandelis Duster

Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots and backer of Columbia University, on Monday said he is still willing to support The Kraft Center at the school that supports Jewish students, calling it “a haven of safety.”

Kraft, an alumnus of the university, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” that he loves the school and “we have to have accountability.”

“There are both professors and students within the university who say things that I think cross the line and there should be accountability. I believe in free speech. Say whatever you want but pay the consequences. And don't have your face covered. I don't think that should be allowed,” he said.  

“I can’t believe in New York City at Columbia University Jewish students are afraid to go to classes in the United States of America in 2024. It’s amazing to me and horrible,” Kraft also said.

Asked where he drew the line at Columbia University regarding both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests and what he finds objectionable, he said “there is a lack of education on the situation” happening in the Middle East. 

“I’m concerned about America and what’s going on in this country. And to keep it open and free for all people of all backgrounds to do as they wish,” he said.

Asked if he has confidence in Columbia University’s president, Minouche Shafik, he said he thinks she is “very well intentioned” and said “we have to look at what goes on with faculty.”

Columbia faculty stage walk-out in solidarity with students

From CNN's John Towfighi

Hundreds of people gathered on Low Plaza Monday afternoon as Columbia University faculty delivered speeches in support of the student protesters who were suspended and arrested Thursday.

Faculty who spoke denounced university president Minouche Shafik’s decision to authorize the New York Police Department to remove protesters from campus and demanded all legal and disciplinary charges be dismissed and expunged from students' records.

Faculty held signs that read, “Hands off our students,” and “End student suspensions now.” Some faculty donned their academic regalia and wore sashes that read, “We support students.”

Speeches were met with cheers and claps from the crowd, as well as chants for Shafik to resign.

Christopher Brown, a professor of history, said, “I’m here because I am so concerned about what is happening at this university, with where we are now and with where we are going. Thursday April 18, 2024, will be remembered as a shameful day in Columbia history.”

“The president’s decision to send riot police to pick up peaceful protesters on our campus was unprecedented, unjustified, disproportionate, divisive and dangerous,” Brown said.

US Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose daughter Isra Hirsi was among the protesters arrested Thursday , posted on X that while she’s glad to see faculty demonstrate in solidarity with students, she wants the protests to focus on Gaza.

"On Thursday, Columbia arrested and suspended its students who were peacefully protesting and have now ignited a nationwide Gaza Solidarity movement. This is more than the students hoped for and I am glad to see this type of solidarity. But to be clear, this about the genocide in Gaza and the attention has to remain on that," Omar wrote.

NYC Mayor condemns "vile" and "disgusting" rhetoric at college campuses

From CNN's Alicia Wallace

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday condemned “vile” and “disgusting” rhetoric being used at campuses such as Columbia University, where students are holding protests over the Israel-Hamas War.

Adams told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he supports First Amendment rights but said law enforcement officials are on the ready if any of that speech goes too far or if there’s an imminent threat to people or property.

"That is one of the fundamental rights we hold dear as Americans: The right to protest," Adams said on CNN's "The Lead." "What we have seen playing out on many of our college campuses, and particularly Columbia University, is hate. We’re seeing vile language being used."

Adams noted that he can feel the "duality of this moment" and how the events of the past six months are weighing heavily on Jewish and Palestinian New Yorkers. He added that the police escorts of Jewish students through campus were reminiscent of the Army soldiers who escorted nine Black students into a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, nearly 67 years ago.

"There is no place for hate in this city," he said.

New York Police Department officers have a “large presence” surrounding Columbia but have remained off the campus grounds at the request of the school’s administration, NYPD deputy commissioners said earlier on Monday.

Adams told Tapper that the NYPD’s commissioner of legal matter is monitoring the protests for any speech that violates law. Additionally, police officers will take "appropriate action" and go on private property if there’s an "imminent threat."

Protesters gather at The New School in New York City

From CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald

Protesters have gathered at The New School, located near the Chelsea area of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

An encampment of four tents was set up in the lobby of the building that houses auditoriums, a cafeteria and a library. Roughly 75 students, and other people who have The New School IDs, gathered inside the building.

"Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not stop, we will not rest," was repeatedly chanted. 

Outside the building, protesters from the school, as well as outsiders, joined in chants from the sidewalk.

There is a stark difference between the inside and outside of Columbia University's campus

From CNN's Ramishah Maruf

There’s a stark difference between the inside of Columbia University's campus and the outside, where there are protesters gathered on the street. 

The encampment is only open to those affiliated with campus. Only those with a Columbia ID can enter the campus gates. Inside the encampment, programs include teach-ins, poetry readings and film screenings. Some students are quietly finishing assignments, while others are painting posters.

Elsewhere around campus, students are eating and completing assignments. Many students take graduation pictures at this time, and some are in graduation gowns walking down Broadway. Risers are set up for an upcoming commencement ceremony.

Other students are holding large American flags underneath Butler Library.

But the students can still hear the tension that is taking place yards away at the university gates. There is a gathering of pro-Palestinian protesters, who in the early afternoon were chanting “I believe that we will win” and “Long Live the Intifada.” There was a smaller group of pro-Israeli protesters, who chanted back “Down with Hamas” and “Victory to Israel.” A line of New York Police officers were monitoring the street.

What it's like inside the Columbia University encampment

The inside of the encampment is quiet – most of the noise comes from protestors outside the gates of Columbia University's campus, who are chanting “I believe that we will win” and “Long live the Intifada."

It was a sunny day on campus, and in one corner, students were painting posters. One person strummed a stringed instrument, and other students are reading books or on their laptops finishing assignments. Others have donated provisions, ranging from a table of snacks to hygiene products. There was also a pile of blankets.

“We’ve just been trying to keep students mobilized and keep pushing for divestment,” Dalia, a first-year student at Columbia College, told CNN. “We are a very mobilized student body and a very unified student body. Hundreds of people have been in and out of the encampment.”

CNN agreed not to publish her surname due to safety concerns.

She said the students at the campus “refuse to be complicit in the genocide, the apartheid, and the occupation of Palestine.”

There are strict community guidelines for the encampment. One rule says not to share names or details of anyone met in camp, and asking for permission before photographing or taking video.

The encampment is filled with dozens and dozens of tents, from students to neighboring Barnard College staff. Today’s encampment program included an Earth Day performance, poetry reading and a Dabka lesson, a traditional dance from the Arab region. Prior program events included dance performances from different cultures.

Democratic House members tour Columbia campus

Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Dan Goldman of New York and Kathy Manning of North Carolina, who are all Jewish, spoke at a news conference Monday after touring Columbia University’s campus. 

"We saw it firsthand as we walked past the encampments on the university's main lawn full of protesters spewing incendiary antisemitic hate and vitriol. Many aren't even Columbia students I've been told. Their campaign of intimidation is sickening and shocking and as the White House said yesterday, ‘echoes the rhetoric of Hamas terrorists,'" Gottheimer said. 

He also criticized Columbia University leadership, saying, “toothless combinations from administrators aren't going to stop the anarchy we’re seeing.”

“The only way to do it is with deeds, not words,” Gottheimer said. “Colleges have a legal obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to provide students, including Jews and Muslims, a school environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race color or national origin. Yet just feet from here, Jewish students are being verbally and even physically assaulted.”

Gottheimer continued, “To the administrators of Columbia and beyond, here are our demands: Stop the double talk and start acting now. Discipline harassers, restore civility on this campus, encourage peaceful constructive dialogue.”

He also gave a message for students: “While the leadership of Columbia may be failing you, we will not. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe and do everything in Washington we can to make sure that you feel welcome at this university or any university across the United States of America. And Columbia University, if they don't follow through, will pay the price.”

Goldman said he was "encouraged" the Columbia University president issued guidelines about additional security, calling it a "very important first step" and criticized what is happening on campus.

"That is unacceptable for a university, that is unacceptable for an academic institution. There is no question that everyone has a First Amendment right to speak out in this country and that must be preserved," Goldman said. "But a university and all universities have an obligation to maintain the safety and security of their students from all backgrounds."

Manning said university leadership should "do more to keep Jewish students safe and to re-establish an atmosphere in which all students can learn, study and participate safely in campus life."

"Columbia must also move forward with its promised efforts to teach its students and its faculty about the nature and history and dangers of antisemitism. It must ensure that Columbia professors are not encouraging and spreading antisemitism," Manning said.

"I call on the US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice to work with the White House to ensure that all universities take steps necessary to keep Jewish students and faculty safe. I also call on Congress to enact legislation to implement the steps outlined in the US national strategy to counter antisemitism, to address the scourge of antisemitism which is a threat to the foundations of our democracy," she said.

President Joe Biden condemns antisemitism on campus

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

President Joe Biden decried antisemitic protests around college campuses Monday and said his administration was working to combat anti-Jewish hatred.

"I condemn the antisemitic protests, that’s why I’ve set up a program to deal with that," Biden said when questioned about the events at Columbia University in New York.

"I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians," he said, without expanding upon what he meant.

Biden was speaking after an Earth Day event in Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia.

When asked whether Columbia's president should resign, Biden appeared to mishear: "I didn’t know that. I'll have to find out more," he said.

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Tour of Maker facilities (Makerspace and BioLab)

Time: 12.30pm – 1.45pm Location: Science Centre Number of participants: 40

The Makerspace and BioLab are two free facilities that provide you with all the tools needed to do research, prototyping or product design. Do you have a product in mind, but not the tools to make or prototype it? Maybe you can start building and developing your business idea here! The lab and makerspace can provide extensive lab equipment, laser cutters, high level soldering stations, 3D printers and more. They are both located at TU Delft Science Centre, where Daniel (BioLab) and Rudi (Makerspace) are waiting for you to show you all the tools and possibilities of these spaces for you 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

Please be on time – the group will be split in two, that will alternate between the BioLab and the Makerspace.

Program 12:30-12:45 Arrival 12:45-13:30 Tour

Get in touch

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Contact TU Delft Campus at [email protected]

Sign up for the Campus Community newsletter.

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Texas MS 150 Bike Tour Returns To Aggieland

Texas A&M University will once again serve as the finish line for thousands of cyclists riding in the Texas MS 150 when the 40th annual charity bike tour concludes Sunday on Houston Street between Kyle Field and Aggie Park.

The two-day event benefiting people with multiple sclerosis — a condition that damages the body’s nervous system by eroding the protective coating of nerves — will run April 27-28, with a variety of routes beginning in Houston and Austin before converging in La Grange and again in College Station. Texas A&M Transportation Services is advising drivers to anticipate multiple road closures and potential delays beginning early Sunday as the riders make their way through campus.

A section of Lamar Street starting at the bell tower will be closed to drivers throughout the day, while Houston Street will remain closed from George Bush Drive to Joe Routt Boulevard. Riders will make their way down Olsen Boulevard and Old Main Drive before passing the Memorial Student Center and Kyle Field on their way to the finish line. A map of the route through campus, as well as accompanying road closure and parking information, can be found at transport.tamu.edu/ms150 .

Visitors planning to watch the participants finish are invited to park in one of the three nearby garages: Gene Stallings Boulevard Garage and University Center Garage will both charge a flat $10 entry fee, while West Campus Garage charges an hourly visitor rate. Additional parking information is available on Transportation Services’ event parking page .

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bike MS, which encompasses the Texas MS 150 and a variety of other charity rides across the country, traces its roots to 1980, when the first MS 150 was held in Minnesota. Today, it is the largest fundraising cycling series in the world. Participants in this year’s Texas MS 150 have already raised nearly $7 million to fight multiple sclerosis, with an overall fundraising goal of $9.425 million. More information about the Texas MS 150 and Bike MS is available at events.nationalmssociety.org .

Media contact: Tad Fifer, Texas A&M Transportation Services, [email protected]

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Kyle Rittenhouse, deadly shooter, college speaker? A campus gun-rights tour sparks outrage

Kyle Rittenhouse is not a typical college campus speaker.

In 2020, at the age of 17, he took an AR-15-style rifle to a Black Lives Matter demonstration and fired it, killing two people and injuring a third. Rittenhouse said he pulled the trigger in self-defense and was acquitted of wrongdoing .

He has since penned a book, “Acquitted,” and has set out on a series of college speaking events dubbed the " Rittenhouse Recap ." He is slated to appear Thursday at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Rittenhouse is selling books, and ostensibly promoting the right to bear arms on campus, but he’s also trying to persuade young people to join the conservative movement. The key group behind the appearances, Turning Point USA, is led by the self-described “youth director” of President Donald Trump’s first campaign and a key ally rallying votes for Trump this year.

The group told USA TODAY that it isn’t a nationally organized tour – that its chapters independently requested Rittenhouse. Student chapter leaders told USA TODAY that Rittenhouse is an important conversation starter. “I think sometimes you have to be kind of polarizing to pull a crowd," said Brady Seymour, president of Turning Point USA's chapter at Kent State University in Ohio.

The provocative choice of backing the Rittenhouse tour is par for the course for Turning Point and its local affiliates, which have hosted controversial figures like Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist and Holocaust denier . But it has stirred up devastating pain and disdain in a man he almost killed.

"He has used every moment to gloat and to make light of taking life," Paul Prediger said, speaking publicly for the first time about what happened in protest of a Rittenhouse speech last week at Kent State. "As if that were not enough, Kyle has embraced and been embraced by those who peddle hateful rhetoric, who believe in nationalism that excludes those who do not look like or think like them, and who have sought to amplify a troubling desire for violence against supposed political, cultural, and religious enemies."

Rittenhouse's message on his campus tour – that students should be allowed to take up arms, including to fend off "these Hamas, Palestinian terrorists" if they invade dormitories – has sparked protests and raised questions about free speech and just how far it should be allowed to go. A similar question helped lead to the resignations of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University , who stepped down amid fierce criticism for equivocating when asked if calls for the genocide of Jews would be allowed on campus.

Rittenhouse, in a statement provided by spokesperson Jillian Anderson, said his campus appearances are not part of an official tour or book-selling venture, and he is reminding students of their rights. "Every American has a constitutional right to bear arms," he said, "and it should not be infringed by a college campus."

Experts say context matters. Tom Ginsburg, a law professor at the University of Chicago and faculty director of the forum on free inquiry and expression, told USA TODAY that federal regulations require colleges and universities to ensure their learning environment is not hostile. Within that framework, some incendiary language could be permitted in a general public space but prohibited if directed at an individual or group.

"That's a key distinction," he said. "Is it said in general, as part of a general demonstration, or is it shouted at a particular group of people who might then reasonably perceive it as being a threat of some kind? And if it's the latter, then it could be punished."

Kyle Rittenhouse says students should carry guns on campus

On the evening of Aug. 25, 2020 , Rittenhouse brought a rifle to the site of intense protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. Amid a scuffle with protesters, Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Prediger.

In a trial that drew national attention in 2021, Rittenhouse said he shot the men in self-defense after Rosenbaum threatened his life and Prediger pointed a gun at him. Prediger said he thought Rittenhouse was an active shooter. Critics said Rittenhouse had no right to fire his weapon and was illegally acting as a vigilante militia. A jury acquitted him of all five charges he faced, including intentional homicide.

Rittenhouse soon took on celebrity status in right-wing circles where the right to bear arms and use them to defend life and property is sacrosanct. The weekend after his trial, he flew to Florida to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort and to appear on Fox News for an interview with conservative host Tucker Carlson.

At Kent State, Rittenhouse implored students to fight to be allowed to carry guns at school.

"We have these blue boxes that are on the campus – we've all seen them, you push a button, it calls the police, and you get connected to a dispatcher," he said. "How long does it take a cop to show up, though? When somebody is trying to kidnap you or somebody is threatening your life, is that the quickest option to be able to protect yourself?"

He encouraged students to join conservative groups like Turning Point USA and said elected officials don't care about them.

"What makes me really scared, and I get really upset that people, especially young campus students, aren't allowed to carry firearms, just because I'm scared that what happens if these Hamas, Palestinian terrorists come to the U.S. and try to attack us?" Rittenhouse said. "Are we supposed to be left defenseless? Are you supposed to be left defenseless because you're not allowed to have a gun in your dormitory?"

After Prediger – formerly known as Gaige Grosskreutz – criticized his speaking tour, Rittenhouse posted a video clip on X, formerly Twitter. It showed Prediger admitting he pointed a gun in Rittenhouse's direction before being shot. Rittenhouse did not include text in the post.

Students accuse Turning Point of 'hateful actions'

In the days leading up to his arrival at Kent State, demonstrators staged a walkout, organized a vigil, and spray painted "Welcome, killer" on a free-speech landmark. A Change.org petition urging the university and Turning Point USA to cancel Rittenhouse's visit gathered more than 3,700 signatures. The event spurred Prediger to speak out. Hundreds showed up to protest.

"I stand with the students of Kent State University who have had enough," Prediger said.

Students said it was particularly insensitive for the campus to host Rittenhouse and his message about guns on campus given the school's history. On May 4, 1970, four students were gunned down at Kent State when the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd gathered to protest the invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

Aimée Flores, a representative from the university's Spanish and Latine Student Association, said the organization encouraged students "to learn more about Turning Point USA.... their hateful actions on campus and throughout this whole year, why we don't agree with their actions."

Seymour, the school's Turning Point chapter president, said the event was about "creating conversation." It had no relation to the 1970 killing of protestors, he said.

"In his speech, he talked mostly about having the right to carry on campus, considering students aren't allowed to at Kent State," Seymour said.

"These two stories are completely different and 50 years apart," he said.

Protests at every campus on 'Rittenhouse Recap' tour

Other “Rittenhouse Recap” appearances prompted vocal opposition and protest.

At Western Kentucky University , protesters held a sit-in and march last month. His appearance at East Tennessee State University in February also sparked demonstrations – local press reports show one protester wielding a sign accusing Turning Point of empowering "stochastic terrorism" – the incitement of violence through public demonization of a person or group.

In the days leading up to Rittenhouse's appearance at The University of Memphis in March, the school fielded a barrage of complaints from students, faculty, and community members. Protesters held signs with messages like, “Put Rittenhouse behind bars, not a podium.” Rittenhouse abruptly left the stage after about 30 minutes as protesters shouted him down.

Universities said allowing the events – and the protests – upholds key tenets of American democracy and academic tradition: Free speech and freedom of assembly. Turning Point USA’s chapter at The University of Memphis is a registered student organization, the school said.

"We cannot ban speech because it would go against a core value and because of well-established laws governing free speech on public university campuses,” Kent State said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. “Upholding the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful assembly for all, the university has a long history of allowing peaceful dialogue from all points of view, including those whom some may feel are offering different and/or sometimes controversial opinions."

Turning Point has history of booking controversial speakers

Turning Point USA has a track record of booking controversial and provocative figures, placing it at the center of debates over First Amendment rights on college campuses, where it says it has grown to more than 800 chapters since its founding in 2012.

In late 2016 and early 2017, the group was behind a nationwide campus speaking tour by Milo Yiannopoulos – a former Breitbart writer banned from Twitter for harassment and dropped from the agenda at a Conservative Political Action Conference after videos surfaced of him defending sexual relationships between 13-year-old boys and grown men. Yiannopoulos said he was joking and may have used "imprecise language."

In 2019, Turning Point’s Iowa State University chapter claimed partial responsibility for extending a speaking invitation to Fuentes, a white nationalist who has said he wants a "total Aryan victory" and self-identified as a "sexist man," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Last year, representatives of the group confronted, criticized and assaulted an LGBTQ+ instructor at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Turning Point has taken action against members for promoting hate speech. In 2019, the group expelled a member at the University of Nevada Las Vegas after a video surfaced of the student shouting "white power" and using a white supremacist hand sign.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, said the Fuentes event was not sanctioned, and a local chapter official was tricked into arranging the appearance. He said that Turning Points has repeatedly denounced white nationalism . Kolvet said that in general, students should be able to hear from controversial speakers. "We do our best to make sure that there's going to be enriching discussion, that the speaker is going to be, I would say, uplifting, inspiring, productive."

He said Turning Point chapters chose Rittenhouse as a speaker. "There just happened to be schools that asked for Kyle because he came out with a book and he made himself available, essentially."

Turning Point touts itself as a key player in conservative politics , as does its founder and president, Charlie Kirk , who told conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh 's show in 2019 that he “traveled the country for about 70 days straight carrying Donald Trump Jr.’s bags and getting his Diet Cokes.” In addition to becoming Trump Jr.'s "body man," he took on the role of "youth director of the campaign," Kirk said. Speaking at the Republican National Convention in 2020, he called President Trump the "bodyguard of Western civilization."

Kirk also speaks on college campuses, where his fiery rhetoric has sparked controversy. At a speech last fall at Missouri State University , he said all immigration to the U.S. should be halted, called global warming an "academic distraction," and speculated about how many Hamas sleeper cells might be active in the U.S.

Expert says universities grappling with non-academic provocateurs

Ginsburg stressed that colleges and universities must allow free speech. "It’s pretty clear that their obligation is to make sure that event goes forward and to make sure it's not disrupted," he said. "At the same time, peaceful protest also has a long tradition on campus."  

Ginsburg said an added dimension to their challenges is the more recent phenomenon of campus speakers who intentionally draw negative attention.

"What we're now seeing is that people are sometimes getting invited to campus who aren't necessarily academics. They're not articulating a truly academic point of view," Ginsburg said. "In some cases, we have provocateurs, including some people who actually are seeking to be canceled, seeking to be protested."

He said people like Rittenhouse often capitalize on controversy. "He's certainly part of a media ecosystem in which you do have some of those kind of characters where, if you can get canceled, it ups your follower rate and you can portray yourself as a victim," he said.

To the Turning Point leader at Kent State, it's a tactic the group uses to advance conversation.

"That's the sad reality of how people are," Seymour said. "You kind of have to stir up drama or be a polarizing character for people to end up paying attention to you."

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her by email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

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Columbia students celebrate as school officials promise no lockdown or evictions over anti-israeli protests.

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Anti-Israel protesters are singing and celebrating as Columbia University squashed rumors of looming campus lockdowns and mass evictions over the ongoing “tent city” demonstration .

The school administration, which has been slammed for repeatedly bowing to protesters, said that negotiations with the students are moving forward despite the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine group claiming that the university was threatening to lay down the hammer.

“We want to be clear: There is no truth to claims of an impending lockdown or evictions on campus,” the administration said in a statement Saturday night.

Thee SJP accused the university of changing its tune under pressure after having planned the lockdown and evictions. The group claimed Columbia scheduled a briefing that was meant to allegedly announce the warning on Saturday night.

“We will not be deterred by an administration that continues to threaten students & engage in bad faith,” the SJP said.

Following the administration’s latest promise not to crack down on the demonstrations, protesters could be seen celebrating and carrying on with songs and chants at the encampment in the Manhattan campus on Sunday.

“Say it clear, say it loud, Palestine will make us proud,” the students rejoiced.

The protesters appeared to be in it for the long-haul after already more than a week of demonstrations, with students seen handing out bags of chips, fresh pasta, fried chicken, and even offering vegan and Kosher options.

One Jewish student at the protest, who identified himself as Jared, 26, said he stands alongside the demonstrators because he believes “Jewish safety requires Palestinian liberation.”

“We don’t feel safer if there is a government full of violent people that claim to do things on our behalf that commit atrocities,” Jared said of the war in Gaza.

Jared, who said he had to explain to his grandparents that he didn’t not support Hamas nor did they fund the protest. He also noted there are many Jewish students who were suspended for taking part in the protest.

Although the protesters received backlash last week following antisemitic chants heard resonating in the camp, Jared suggested the university was also guilty of antisemitism.

“For a university that is suppressing and trying to silence dissent, claiming to do it out of the interest of Jewish students, they’re certainly suspending a lot of Jewish students for participating,” Jared added.

The length of the protest is also seeing students share the showers and laundry facilities at their dorms with suspended students who lost access to the buildings.

“Everyone is pretty gross,” one student told The Post of the protesters’ hygiene.

Some of the protesters also appeared to tout the fact that they were arrested during the initial police raid on the campus that unsuccessfully sought to clear out the tents.

“Bold – Beautiful – Arrested,” one sign over a tent read.

The students appeared more organized than in the first days of the chaotic protest, with security made up of students and some faculty stationed around the gate to keep out non-demonstrators, as well as “Zionists.”

Reporters and photographers were also being kept away from the protesters because they might not feel “comfortable.”

The students have repeatedly stated that they will not leave the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” until the university meets their demands to divest from Israel and grant amnesty to the students who have been arrested, suspended or put on probation over the protests.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik has been repeatedly slammed for failing to quell the protest, with Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan becoming the latest figure to demand action from the college.

“When thousands of Columbia faculty, staff and students call for the elimination of the State of Israel and the abolition of Zionism, you must take a stand,” Dayan wrote in a letter published on X .

Dayan likened the protesters to the Ku Klux Klan and urged Shafik to put an end to the demonstration, saying the ongoing protest serves no purpose at the Ivy League college.

“A great moral conflict was delivered to your doorstep,” Dayan added. “Rise to the occasion. Lead with moral principles, not only administrative regulations. Speak up.”

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