connected

22 November 2014
Connected
‘ For the
Netherlands
international
students are the
premium fuel
for our engine’
Freddy Weima
Workshop
Bluff your
way
into Dutch
‘ Some came
for love,
some came
for the
bitterballen’

Rashad Shirinov (Azerbaijan) “Inspiring The diversity of
the participants! It is so refreshing to meet people
from other countries.”
Sandile Mathenjwa (South Africa) “I met a lot
of people today! I especially liked the workshop
about finding a job in the Netherlands.”
Contents
Words of welcome
8
10
How to bluff
your way
into Dutch
18
Words of welcome by
Freddy Weima
The NL4Talents-conference is one of the yearly
highlights for Nuffic. As director-general of Nuffic,
the organisation promoting internationalisation
in higher education, I can truly say that for
the Netherlands international students are the
premium fuel for our engines. With your presence
we create an international classroom that
stimulates not only our knowledge economy,
but also the level of education at the universities
and universities of applied sciences.
The numbers of international students in our
country are good, but we keep working on
making them better. Last year the “Make it in
the Netherlands!” programme started. With this
programme our Ministry of Education stresses the
importance of attracting international students
and keeping them connected to our country after
their study period, whether they choose to stay
here or decide to go back to their home country.
6
COLOPHON
‘Connected’ is a single
edition of the Nuffic occasion
of NL4Talents, Holland
Alumni and Career Forum
On behalf of the
Nuffic team:
Sabine Amft, Karin Boers
Team
‘magazine on the spot’:
Editors
Hermen Visser
Julie de Graaf
Jorieke van der Geest
Sonja Uittenboogaard
13 23
What connects
you to Holland
Final editing
Ben van den Enden
Design
Lot Broekhuizen
Photography
Edwin Weers
Movie
Jan Stap
Coordination
Karlijn Broekhuizen
www.magazine-on-the-spot.nl
At Nuffic we conducted research into the
reasons why international students choose the
Netherlands to study. We concluded that students
value the Dutch society as “open”, “tolerant”
and “internationally oriented”. They judge the
institutions by their rankings on prestigious
international lists and are actively convincing
other students to do part of their studies in
the Netherlands or somewhere else abroad.
If you travel back to your home country after a
stay in the Netherlands, we hope you will do so
with more knowledge in your field of expertise,
more skills to deal with different cultures and
people and a better knowledge of this country
where you spent an important period in your life.
We hope you will be ambassadors for our country.
Freddy
Weima
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Veronica Minaya (Ecuador) “I liked the workshops,
but you had to subscribe really fast because
the popular ones were full in no time.”
Xiaoli Gou (Netherlands) “The presenter was
really good! It was an energetic day. I now know
how to adapt my resume to the Dutch market.”
Facts of the day
18
rooms
Students from
96
different
countries
720
participants
1700
including
cups of coffee
720
badges
7
case
studies
presentations
3 golden
tickets
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Mohamad Ayham Alkawi (Syrian Arab Republic)
“It is astonishing that Holland is accepting so much
foreign talent. It is great that big companies are willing
to interact with us.”
Kurniawan Tjiang (Indonesia) “This edition
of NL4talents was great! I especially liked the
interaction between the presenter, professionals
and students.”
Overview
“ My advice for
international
students: make
sure you are part
of a network.”
Ingrid van Engelshoven -
deputy major The Hague
An impression of the
day. Watch here!
winner
VANMOOF
bike
“ We will make sure the experience
you have here, will stay with you for
the rest of your lives.”
Lilianne Ploumen - Minister for Foreign Trade and
Development Cooperation
Watch the video message
of Lilianne Ploumen
“Do not hesitate to
get in contact with
the people you want
to work for.”
Jos van Erp -
Program Director Human
Capital Holland High Tech
“ Quite a lot of you came
here for love. Some
came for the bitterballen.”
Aldith Hunkar
“ Students often ask us for
free transportation. Well,
learn to ride a bike. It may
be cold, but it is healthy!”
Ingrid van Engelshoven -
deputy major The Hague
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Olivier Tuyishimire (Rwanda) “Today was a good
opportunity to meet people and network. It was very
interesting to meet people from different fields.”
Karolina Brochado Jorge (Brazil) “My idea
was to learn more about the Dutch market,
and I did! Now I am even more motivated to stay
in the Netherlands.”
Career test
Interview with alumni students
1
2
3
4
Thinking of starting a
career in Holland Not
before you took this
fancy career test!
4 important advices.
We don’t mean to brag, but
life is pretty sweet in the
Netherlands. Finding the perfect
balance between family, social
life and making a career is
considered very important here.
Business hierarchy in the
Netherlands might not be as
apparent as it is in your country.
Of course managers and
high-level staff are respected,
but employees at lower levels
are equally acknowledged in
their value for the organization.
This, combined with a certain
pride all the Dutch possess,
leads to a fair amount of equality
between junior and senior levels.
Some might say that the Dutch
communicate in a very straight
and direct manner. They are
right; the Dutch like clarity, and
if they have something to say,
they will usually say it. The
Dutch also enjoy offering their
opinion, regardless of their
position. So don’t be surprised
when a junior employee gives
his opinion in a meeting.
In the Netherlands, time is
money. The Dutch often show
up a little early, and arriving
late without warning is a no-go.
So make a call when you are
running late.
Get used to the Dutch
What do you need to know about the differences
between the Dutch culture and your own Today
you could participate in the career test of the
Holland Alumni Network to find out. We asked
3 students about their experiences.
Amirhoessein Sadeghian
“Two months ago I came from Iran to
study international management at
the TIAS Business School in Utrecht.
I discovered that everything here is in
order, there is a routine. That is totally
different in Asia. I find it difficult to get
close to Dutch girls, but I do already
have some local friends.”
Kun Liu
“In China the culture is totally different.
For example Dutch people say directly
what they mean and time is money for
them. In order to find a job or even to
perform well on a job interview, I will
have to adapt to that. For me adapting
is not that difficult, however this test
was useful to me.”
Leva Biliunaite
“I come from Litvania and currently I am
doing my masters in clinical psychology
at Leiden University. In the three months
I have lived here, I have learned that
the Dutch can be quite direct. After my
masters I want to do a PhD, but I do not
know if that will be here. If I stay, the
language will be my biggest challenge.”
Do the test!
Zhenhao
Li
from China
A good place to start
your career
“In 2009 I moved to The Netherlands to study
logistics at the University of Amsterdam. Only
a quarter of my fellow students was Dutch and
in the beginning it was difficult for me to get in
contact with the locals. At first Dutch people can
seem a bit cold, but if you keep trying, you
will discover that they are really normal and
pretty friendly.
PhD
After my studies,
I started with a PhD
at the University
of Amsterdam. In
contrast to many
‘If you keep trying
you will discover that
the Dutch are really
normal and pretty
friendly’
other countries here PhD students get an income
from the university. What I like most about the
Netherlands is the freedom. People here do not
live in fear like in China. Why you should stay in
the Netherlands
A lot of international companies are located here,
so this is a good place to start your career.”
Evrim
Akar
from Turkey
The Holland Alumni Network counts almost 50.000 members.
An interview with two of them. ‘What connects them to Holland’
Valued knowledge
“What I like about the Netherlands is its
international character. It is a country with many
different cultures, but everyone speaks English.
I came to the Netherlands for my masters because
the quality of education in the Netherlands is high.
I really want to stay here after I graduate because
it is easy to meet
people from
many different
countries. Most
importantly,
my knowledge is
valued here.
‘In Turkey this would
never have been
possible; if you study
mathematics, you
will need to work in
mathematics’
Advice
I studied mathematics and now work for the
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
In Turkey this would never have been possible;
if you study mathematics, you will need to work
in mathematics. My advice to international
students coming to the Netherlands Learn
the language! Too much knowledge gets lost in
translation, knowledge we need for international
development.”
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Iulia Pisca (Romania)“There were so many pro-active
international students here today. It is nice to know
you are not alone.”
Thais Khater Santo (Brazil) “I made a lot of
Dutch friends during my study and now I want
to stay and work in the Netherlands.”
Workshop
Presenters
Camille
Krone en
Jack Li
Presenter
Jolanda
Zeeman
Reverse culture shock:
Back “home”
Workshop
How to bluff your way into Dutch
“Dutch is not a difficult
language. It is the
pronunciation that makes
it challenging.” Jack Li
explains the premise of
the workshop “How to
bluff your way into Dutch”
that he is presenting with
his colleague Camille
Krone. Both Li and
Krone are teachers at
the Institute for Dutch
Language Education in
Amsterdam.
Whoever walks by the workshop
room, will hear almost
continuous laughter. Li and
Krone have a lot of jokes up
their sleeves and create an
open atmosphere, which makes
people feel free to practise their
Dutch out loud. Li and Krone
“This workshop is very relaxed and the
teachers are nice. I am not sure how
much you can learn in such a short
time, but I can now at least introduce myself
in Dutch.”
Longjie Yao (China)
VU Amsterdam
teach them the basics: counting,
telling the time, ordering food
and drinks, the alphabet, and
various ways of meeting and
greeting. Li: “Do not leave a
job interview saying ‘doeidoei’
though, because then you will
definitely not get the job.”
There is a typical Dutch prize for
fast learners. The first student
who is able to call Jack Li
after he recites his number in
Dutch, earns some delicious
‘stroopwafels’. Krone and Li
also focus on other Dutch
delicacies such as karnemelk,
poffertjes, hagelslag, drop
and (get this for a tongue
twister) beschuit-met-muisjes.
They even give the students
an easy recipe for ‘stamppot
boerenkool’. Li even encourages
everyone to try the nation’s
famous raw fish ‘haring.’ “But
beware: do not eat it before a
date. The smell lingers for up to
24 hours.”
To end the workshop Krone
brings out his guitar. He plays
a song from children’s book
author Annie M.G. Schmidt and
hopes for a sing-along. The
students listen in silence. They
learned a lot today, but singing
in Dutch will probably take a
little more practise.
“The workshop was a fun and
interactive way to learn some basic
Dutch. I think this is very important
for international students living in
the Netherlands.”
Marcela Rdim Perez (Brazil)
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Studying abroad is an adventure that
broadens your horizon. You learn to
adapt to a new country, discover local
customs and embrace a new culture.
After some time you realise that you
have settled in quite nicely. And then it
is time to go back home again...
In the workshop “Reverse Culture Shock”
anthropologist Jolanda Zeeman from the Dutch
Royal Tropical Institute talks about returning
home after a long stay abroad. According to
Zeeman international students do not expect
their return to be an issue, but it sure can be.
She knows what she is talking about from
first-hand experience: Zeeman studied abroad
in India and still travels a lot for her work.
“You embark on an journey when you decide
to go studying abroad.” Zeeman explains.
“You experience a new culture, adjust to a
new educational system and develop new
relationships. You observe, you digest, you
wonder and sometimes you get a little culture
shock.” A lot of the students attending the
workshop immediately relate to this. An Italian
student recounts how shocked he was by the fact
that the Dutch eat a cold lunch. (And, as if that
is not bad enough, they tend to eat it in twenty
minutes, behind their desks!). “Luckily, you learn
to adapt.” Zeeman continues, “After that initial
shock wears down you work hard and get to know
the people. You obtain new knowledge and pick
up cultural habits. By the time you go back home,
you might look at your own culture a bit differently.
You can even experience a sort of ‘reversed’
culture shock.” Zeeman advises students to take
a moment to reflect on the things they learned
in their new country and urges them to be aware
of their new more global mindset. “Take this
opportunity to reflect and to grow.” she says.
“Think about how you have changed and
about the change you want to bring to your
home country.”
“It is interesting to think about how
you adapt to new cultures. I am not
planning to go back to Romania anytime soon,
but when I do, I expect it to be difficult. I have
changed during my time in the Netherlands.”
Alexandra Dragne (Romania)
HKU Utrecht School of the Arts
“It is useful to think about staying
connected to the country you visited.
When I go back home to India I want to tell the
people there about cultural differences and let
them know that there are multiple ways to do
certain things.”
Heartrin Selvam (India)
HAN University of Applied Sciences
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Xiaoyan Wu (China)“Today was about innovative
thinking and creativity. About how to switch
from the negative to the positive to find a solution.”
Vinicius Zimmermann Simoes da Costa (Brazil) “I started to
look at my experience differently. I now know I am a good mix
of the Dutch and Brazilian culture.”
Workshop
Presenter
Shirley
Legdeur
What connects you to Holland
We have asked all the participants what connects them to Holland.
That yielded surprising answers and warm feelings.
Connected!
Spice
your
speech
I love the
open-mindedness,
positivism and
professionalism
of Holland.
The Netherlands has a unique
study environment and high
standard of education.
I fell in love with The
Netherlands and its culture
because of their values:
responsibility, efficiency
and directness.
History. Education. Living.
The Dutch are hardworking
people. The work environment
is very pleasant here, with a
lot of freedom and creativity.
Why the Netherlands
Because of:
Study 193
Innovation 52
Culture 174
Personal Development 52
Work 51
Family 29
Rem Koolhaas recently said
that The Netherlands have
finished building and now it is
just maintenance, and there
is comfort and security in that.
This relaxed and calm
atmosphere leaves society,
and myself, the time, money
and energy necessary for a
progressive arts culture.
Astronomy, the
cold weather and
the bikes!
The hospitality and international
orientation of the people
and universities here are
amazing. On top of that, the
social consciousness for
technical and environmental
challenges of the future is
refreshing compared to other
places I have studied at.
Holland typifies an environment
that embraces diversity and
strives for excellence in all
spheres. This makes me feel at
home here and eager, not just
to learn from this culture but
also to contribute to its growth
with a variety of people in
different environments.
The tolerance of
Dutch people,
peace and calm
places.
Infrastructure
Freedom
Motivation
People
Clarity
Accessibility
Holland is famous
for its water
management and
applies its knowledge
to made-to measure
projects in developing
countries.
Watch here! The ‘Get
connected’ - contest
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Alsu Fakhrutdinova (Russia) “The Netherlands is really
empowering students. It is such an efficient country.
Realising this makes me want to work in such a society.”
Ekatrina Kochkina (Russia) “The Netherlands
really makes an effort to attract foreign students
to their companies.”
‘ Stay in
touch
with the
Dutch’

Iorver Ikeseh (Nigeria)
“The jobs are out there, but you need to adapt your resume to
the Dutch system. They really want to keep you here, but only if
you are on time and well prepared.”
Yunus Emre Duyar (Turkey)
“This was the first event I went to where I
truly felt welcome.”
Workshop
Staying after your studies:
immigration rules
Presenters
Hatice Hüyük
en Floor van
Donselaar
Presenter
Dolly
Heuveling
van Beek
Career planning
Workshop
Today is all about convincing people
like you, international high potentials,
to stay in the Netherlands. However,
on your way to living and working
here, you might stumble upon some
‘mobstacles’ (mobility obstacles). In the
workshop ‘Immigration Rules’ Hatice
Hüyük and Floor van Donselaar explain
to non-EU-students how to take these
mobstacles.
A little quiz with green, red and blue cards reveals
that most participants are master students,
some are bachelor and PhD-students. All of them
want to stay in the Netherlands, mostly because
they want to work here. But what are their
options Hüyük and Van Donselaar discuss five
possible scenarios:
“It was very useful. All the information
regarding my interests were mentioned
and questions cleared. The presenters
were knowledgeable and the information
was clear.”
Santiago Valencia Vagas (Colombia)
University of Amsterdam
11. You can apply for the orientation year for
graduates with a Dutch bachelor or master
degree. The advantage is that you do not
need a work permit. Remember, you
need to apply within four weeks after your
graduation day.
22. The orientation year for highly educated
immigrants is meant for both PhD and
master graduates. You can apply to stay up
to three years after your graduation, but you
will need a work permit. For master graduates
scenario 1 is advisable.
33. You can use the highly skilled migrant
scheme if your employer is a recognized
sponsor and you meet certain income
requirements.
44. For scientific staff the scientific research
under dir. 2005/71 is an option. No minimum
income is required here, however at least
50 percent of your time should be spent on
scientific research.
55.
Or… find the love of your life and get a
residence permit.
The participants have more questions than
Hüyük and Van Donselaar can answer. Luckily
they can go to the website of Nuffic and the
Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service
to find out more.
“Thanks to this workshop we have
a general understanding of the
requirements to apply for a visa after
our graduation.”
Juliana Maia /
Julio Furtado (Brazil)
Radboud University
The workshop ‘Career planning’ by job coach Dolly Heuveling van Beek provided
an introduction towards finding a job you would really like. And, more importantly,
knowing what sort of job you love.
Most of the time we try to squeeze ourselves
into the requirements of jobs that happen to be
available at that moment. But why not search
for your dream job, instead of only looking at
job vacancies.
Finding the job of your dreams in
3 steps:
11) Realise what your wishes and dreams are.
What would your life look like if nothing were
to stand in your way Take the three most
important values of this dream and reflect on
how these values are instrumental to a job of
your dreams.
22) You will want a job that meets your talents.
So the next step is to list your talents and learn
how to communicate them. Do not hesitate to
ask others to help you! In the workshop the
students explained to each other how they
came to possess. Remember: you will only
get hired if you know how to show your
talents to others.
33) Find job openings that meet your talents and
wishes. Do not be too realistic when it comes
to job opportunities, but have the guts to aim
for your dream job!
After realising what job it is that you want, the best
way to kickstart your career is networking. Do
not try to sell yourself, but learn to communicate
your talents. And help others as well; networking
always works both ways.
Talents and
skills
Wishes and
dreams
Job and ways
to make
money
“Accidentally bumped into this
workshop, but it gave me a good reality
check. I felt the workshop gives me a good start
on shaping my vision. It also motivated me to
start setting goals to achieve it.”
Kovshik Subramanian (India)
TU Delft
“It was interesting and dynamic,
because it provided me with new ways
of thinking about my goals and talents. For
example, the workmap showed me that for
me the most important thing is working in a
transparent working structure and efficient time
management.”
Marija Boskovic (Croatia)
Tilburg University
Dreamjob
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Minah Lee (Republic of Korea) “Holland is
one of the three countries where a PhD-position
is a paying job. I hope I can stay here.”
Zlata Koleva (Bulgaria) “I was really touched
by the workshop ‘spice your speech’. It taught
me that perfection does not exist, so do not be
too hard on yourself.”
Case studies
‘We saw really creative solutions’
Capgemini
Vitens
During three inspiring sessions,
students worked on solving
problems for Capgemini, Cordaid
and Vitens. Three of them got home
with a golden ticket.
Case
Capgemini brought the students not one, but
three case studies.
1. Build a 1,75 meter high tower in 15 minutes,
using 100 sheets of paper.
2. Draw all the steps of the process of buying a
smartphone from the consumer’s point of view.
3. And most challenging of all: describe the
necessary applications and technologies in the
process of buying a smartphone.
Looking for
An analytical student who can look at things from
multiple perspectives. It can be either someone
who is specialised in business, application or
technology, or someone who can easily switch
back and forth between those fields.
Results
We brought tough cases, and the level of
expertise was much higher than I expected. For
example, a couple of teams succeeded in case 1.
We saw really creative solutions today. That is why
we awarded golden tickets to multiple teams. We
are looking forward to meeting all of them.
Cordaid
Case
Discuss how a social business model can improve
health services by providing solar energy to
health centres. Governments are withdrawing
their funding around the world, so the future of
development work needs to be more business
oriented. We need to find a new balance between
social and financial aspects.
Looking for
Cordaid is always looking for young talent to
help us develop our organisation and we make a
point of hiring international students. They bring
cultural sensitivity and new contacts.
Case
Propose a strategy and an action plan for a
project that improves the operational performance
of water companies in Africa. The proposal needs
to address the interests of the wider stakeholder
environment of the water company. Because
all students here today have different fields of
expertise, the focus is not on the technical, but on
the social and political context.
Looking for
Someone who can look at an issue from the
points of view of the different stakeholders.
Flexibility and improvisation are crucial. We
think personal development might be even more
important than a master’s degree or PhD.
Results
At first the answers from the groups were fairly
standard. But then some groups found more
creative solutions. For example, when the students
discussed ways to address overstaffing problems
and proposed to retrain employees, they showed
that they care about other people’s welfare.
Results
Students wanted to know about costs and returns
and how health centres were able to pay for
interest and repay a loan. The case study inspired
the students to think about the balance between
social and financial return. Some students were
from the countries we discussed in the case study
and confirmed the need for health centres and our
business approach.
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Kiril Kalev (Bulgaria) “After today I feel a bit more
welcome in the Netherlands. Dutch people are quite open
to foreigners. That is great.”
Fotis Alatas (Greece) “There were so many
people today, I feel more connected now to other
international students.”
Winners golden ticket
Winners
Passports
Who Jean Pierre Mujyambee
University
Erasmus Universiteit
Country Congo
Case study Cordaid
Who A whole team (Babora
Dlouha, Shuheng Shen,
Alexandros Stavroulakis,
Nurudeen Alimi)
University VU Amsterdam,
Wageningen,
TU Delft
Country Nigeria, Czech
Republic, China, Greece
Case study Capgemini
Match making
Pitches
What makes you irresistible for potential employers We asked 10 students to
pitch their talents in front of our camera. We also asked 5 companies what they
have to offer you.
Tijs Lammens
Danielle Felizardo Torchia
Elina Freydina
Ammir Farokhi
Leo Korolev
Marisol Amador
Who A whole team (Khalid
Hassaballah, Eiman Bashir,
Motasem Abushaban, Reem
Digna, Mutende Musonda,
Ouchi EnenmoOlivier
Tuyishimire, Dibesh Shrestha)
University UNESCO-IHE,
The Hague University,
Wageningen, Maastricht)
Country Sudan
Case study Vitens
Jiajie Li
Vladyslav Khromenko
Tamar Zhuzhunadze
1
Who YongQi Cong
University University of
Amsterdam
Country China
Case study Aldith Hunkar,
a ten minutes’ Q and A
Willem Tom
Gianluca Parziale
Prasanta Kumar Basa
Lena Kurzen
Bella Mirzamagomedova
Luciano Monte Leone
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Stay connected!
Did you not get the chance to participate in a workshop that
was also on your list Find them here and stay connected!
Shirley Legdeur
Jobtraining
Spice your
Speech
www.jobtraining.nl
Mariëtte
van Hoeve
Jobtraining
Super You
www.jobtraining.nl
Niek Bakker
MDF
Personal
effectiveness: a
practical, fascinating introduction
to Insights Discovery www.mdf.nl
Pauline
van Norel
MDF
The Circle
of Coherence: how to create
vital space and energy in your
network
www.mdf.nl
Jack Li and Camille Krone
Universiteit van Amsterdam
How to bluff your way into Dutch
www.uva.nl
Back “home”
www.kit.nl
Jolanda Zeeman
KIT
Reverse culture
shock:
Jacqueline
Ridder
Ridder Advies
How to tackle
assessments
www.ridderadvies.nl
Laetis Kuipers
Taalcentrum - VU
The key to a
successful PhD
proposal
www.taalcentrum-vu.nl
wetenschappers
Career planning
Debating
Dolly Heuveling
van Beek
Hertz,
trainingen voor
www.bhertz.nl
Daniel Schut
Hertz,
trainingen voor
wetenschappers
www.bhertz.nl
Marinka Verburg
Hertz,
trainingen voor
wetenschappers
Transferable skills www.bhertz.nl
Dory Grandia
Rotterdam
School of
Management /
Erasmus University
How to use LinkedIn to develop
your career without even
networking!
www.rsm.nl
Alex den Haan
Academic
Transfer
Three main
reasons to do a PhD in the
Netherlands!
www.academictransfer.com
Dik van der Wal
DUO
Create your own
Europass CV!
www.europass.nl
Floor van Donselaar en
Hatice Hüyuk
Nuffic Mobstacles
Staying after your studies:
immigration rules
www.nuffic.nl/en/entry-residence
Irma Nentjes
Nuffic
Start up your
own company:
new Dutch rules for start-ups in
the Netherlands
www.nuffic.nl
Joyce Boekestijn en Coley Stone
Undutchables
How to apply for a job in the
Netherlands
www.undutchables.nl
Nuffic is the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education.
It operates on the nexus between internationalisation and higher education, offering
a broad range of services and products designed to help research universities,
universities of applied sciences and students in the Netherlands and abroad achieve
their international ambitions. www.nuffic.nl
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