"It did not take long for me to be involved in other academic activities after I graduated from the MA Colonial and Global History. Back in Indonesia, I became a part of a research for a joint-publication about Indonesian history with some young historians in Jakarta. I have always been passionate about history, and now I have figured out that doing an academic career is my true calling. I believe my two-years studying experience in Leiden has influenced me so much in life."

Working on my PhD dissertation

"Since March, I live in Berlin. I work as a doctoral research fellow at Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, a German research institute devoted to an interdisciplinary and comparative study of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia from a historical perspective. Besides engaging myself in the research activities of the institute, I am currently working on my PhD dissertation about Southeast Asian women, at the Institute of Asian and African Studies of Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Training that I received in Leiden, especially in conducting research independently, helped me a lot in doing my works today."

"Currently, I work as a researcher at the Brussels office of APCO Worldwide, a global public affairs consultancy. Every day, I work with an international team to analyse EU policies and developments which are relevant to clients from all over the world."

Trimesters in Leiden, Paris, and Oxford

"Since the Europaeum MA had a diverse programme, consisting of trimesters in Leiden, Paris, and Oxford, I learned two valuable lessons. First, students had to familiarise themselves with new concepts and master them quickly. This skill proved vital when I started working in public affairs. The common denominator of my clients was that they all demanded a rapid elucidation of political or industrial policies, no matter how complicated or novel. Secondly, studying in different countries with fellow students of various nationalities taught me how to work in international groups or teams. Since my masters' degree, I continued to use this skill on a daily basis, during subsequent studies abroad, a traineeship at the Cabinet of First Vice-President Timmermans at the European Commission and my work at APCO Worldwide."

The perfect foundation for an international career

"I decided to apply for the Europaeum MA as the prospect of being taught by leading academics at three renowned European universities seemed very exciting. Moreover, it felt like this unique programme would be the perfect foundation for an international career. Looking back at precious memories, such as my discussions in Parisian bars with my favourite professor from the Sorbonne, and the new doors that the Europaeum opened for me in academic and professional circles, I can say that the programme definitely lived up to my expectations and even went beyond."

"I decided to study Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence because I am very interested in migration and the history of migratory movements. I wrote my BA dissertation about the movement of Dutch East-Indians to the Netherlands, the research for which introduced me to Leiden and then made me think a master's in this field would be a fascinating subject to study and Leiden was the best place for me."

“I currently work as an International Conversion Adviser at UWE Bristol. I work with a diverse team to provide information to students and help to make them feel welcomed and supported by the university prior to their arrival. This process goes from the initial enquiry right up to the final enrolment.“

Analyzing as an essential skill

“A large part of my MA was reading texts from different sources and analyzing it to gain an answer. Much of what I do in my job is the same: I analyze industry reports, information from regional offices and student feedback to see what trends are rising within higher education, and what we can do to meet these trends as well as improve our services. Being able to critique my own work is essential, because higher education is constantly evolving and I need to be able to adapt to these changing circumstances in order to make the student experience as positive as possible. This was a skill I learned during my time at Leiden, as was the need to make the university experience for international students as seamless and positive as possible.”