Waar gaat je collegegeld naar toe? - Univers

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20. International text Tim Staps photography Dolph Cantrijn Stefania Milan Univers 6 juni 2013 I was always attracted to the Netherlands, despite the weather Foreign lecturers about The Dutch see themselves as an open people, they think they welcome foreigners with open arms. But how do foreigners see the Dutch? ‘How do you experience living in the Netherlands, the Dutch society and its students?’ We asked two lecturers at Tilburg University. Saying things such as I like to travel, is more common nowadays. But, actually living abroad for a substantial period of time is something else. Stefania Milan is new to Tilburg University. She is a lecturer in the master track Data Journalism from TSH since the beginning of September 2012. Before Stefania moved to Tilburg, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow in an interdisciplinary lab called The Citizen Lab, based at the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto, Canada. Before that she worked for universities in Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal, California, Brazil, UK and Canada’s Montreal. “I was always attracted to the Netherlands, despite the weather. I am Italian of course, but I like to live in a country where people respect rules and I knew some Dutch people with whom I collaborated before I moved here. Why Tilburg? I was fascinated by the opportunity to start a new master, namely the master of Data Journalism. But that wasn’t all, I was also curious to work with people from other fields.” Last chance “Let’s start with the negative aspects; I hate the weather in this country and another thing I don’t get, is that you eat sandwiches for lunch. Other than that, I really like the Netherlands a lot. I think Dutch people are cheerful and relatively happy. At least, that is the impression I get cycling around. It is a good quality of life.” Asked about Dutch students she focuses on the academic aspect of student life. “This is the thing I don’t like. Doing your master, and your thesis in particular, is your last chance to be autonomous, to do something original by yourself. It seems to me that Dutch students are really task-orientated. But doing a master is not only about passing exams. I know this is wishful thinking but I’d hope to give something to students which lasts
the Dutch: That’s typical beyond the courses, and still influences the way they think in years of time. In Italy students are less forced by the system so they can explore more. My advice for my students is: ‘Take notes and leave the mobile at home’. I am so surprised Dutch students don’t take notes.” I like stamppot “Of course I don’t speak Dutch yet. But I think the Dutch are really open and helpful. But at the same time they’re a bit distant. For example, you need to plan a dinner three weeks in advance. That is different to my Italian way of doing these things.” The dish Stefania likes, is maybe the only Dutch dish apart from frikandel and kroket: “I like stamppot”. Pragmatic choice “My Dutch friends tell me ‘you are a foreigner, but a good foreigner’. They say that there are a lot of bad ones but that I am the exception.” Massimiliano Spotti (Max), assistant professor at Tilburg University at the Faculty of Humanities and deputy director of the Babylon Centre for Studies of Superdiversity, came to the Netherlands after his Bachelor at Oxford University and his MA at London University. It was in 2002 that Max first came to The Netherlands and experienced what it was like to live in a small country with a population of almost 17 million people. He knew just one Dutchman who he had met during his studies in England and he says: “He was a weird guy. I remember having a meal with him and he would just put everything on one plate, like his meat, potatoes, pasta and salad. ‘It all goes down to the stomach’ he asserted.” Max’s move to Tilburg was motivated by his drive to write a PhD: “To be honest, it was really a pragmatic choice to come here. It was always a goal in my life to be a researcher, to study more, to understand, and Tilburg University made it possible.” Rude In the beginning he lived in student houses and experienced some differences between what he terms as the Dutch ‘normative culture’. He recollects: “In August I was cooking some soup from a tin at around eight o’clock in the evening while a housemate stormed into the kitchen. ‘Eh Achmed! It is August and it is eight o’clock. In August we don’t eat soup and we eat at six’, he told me.” This period was a bit harsh for Max. “In the beginning it was a real shock for me, there were times that I would go home ‘crying’. It was because of how rude Dutch were. I had to get used to the fact that you don’t hear the good things, only the bad when you receive feedback because, after all, what is good, is good so there's no need to waste time on it. But eventually, one understands this protestant inspired behavioral code and you find yourself thinking: ‘Geen gelul, gewoon doen (no twatting around, just get on with it)’.” → The Dutch government’s attitude towards students is harsh International .21 Massimiliano Spotti Univers 6 juni 2013
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