Alumni dreams #11

After the BA, and including two internships, Iuna Vieira is now studying a Master in Communication for Development at Malmö University.

She is also taking two courses of Arabic (Syrian and Modern standard) and working part-time as a Media Manager for "New here".

This NGO aims to provide a multilingual, easy use map for refugees to navigate, locating services from legal aid to health care to restaurants. Similar to her student consultancy project for Xynteo!

Her big dream for next year is a job in the Middle East in her field. Good luck Iuna!

Alumni dreams #32

Fiona Glen has been working on the creative team of a small agency which builds live experiences. Early on she was sent to Abu Dhabi to help stage manage the WorldSkills competition!

It had 1,500 competitors from 59 nations, 10,000 guests, dozens of international (and sometimes aerial) performers and a last-minute inclusion of a troupe of Russian folk dancers :)

Between large-scale events she is adapting to fast-paced London life and constantly changing tasks in the creative industry. Every day, Fiona uses the critical capacities, teamwork skills and global cultural awareness she garnered through the BA.

See her in action in the photos! Amazing Fiona!

Alumni dreams #44

Timo Schmidt is pursuing a MSc in Migration Studies at the University of Oxford, he focuses on the economics of migration, as well as migration governance and policy.

When not studying in one of the many Bodleian libraries, he plays for his college’s football team, practices mindfulness, plays theatre, and works as public relations officer and editor for the Oxford Middle East Review (OMER) journal!

Next to his studies he produces a documentary series, Refugee Roads, on the broader migration discourse in Europe.

After Oxford, he plans to work in the Middle East, the region specialization he studied in the BA International Studies at Leiden University.

See that career path develop Timo!

Alumni dreams #100

Verena Ulrich,completed her cum laude degree with internship at Ashoka in Cairo, PRINS project on refugees and Best Thesis award for "The Integration Process of Immigrants from the Middle East in Austria".

She returned to Austria to follow Transcultural Communication with Arabic and migration and integration courses to understand how her topics of interest are delivered and dealt with there. 

Verena works at the Federal Centre for Interculturality, Migration and Plurilingualism aimed at embedding these topics in the Austrian education system. She also volunteers as counselor to exchange students on intercultural competencies and intercultural integration.  Verenatook on the challenge to apply knowledge gained during experiences abroad to the situation in her country. She aims to work these mechanisms into the direction that she thinks is the most profound, effective and necessary.

Super inspirational Verena! 

Alumni dreams #116

After graduating Jip Dresia continued studying part time Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam now in her 2nd year. She hopes to combine International Law and/or Human Rights with the specialization she chose in BAIS: Middle East.

Since law school is part time Jip began looking for internships and found the perfect combination: an internship at the Amsterdam office of Human Rights Watch an NGO whose work she has always admired!

In fall Jip will do another internship at the Dutch embassy in Oman! She is very happy to know what this year will look like and hopes it will bring inspiration to find the right master’s programme to start next year.

It surely will Jip! If we can help inspire let us know!

Alumni dreams #147

Oscar Galeev graduated cum laude specializing in the Middle East with Arabic language and additional honours courses in International Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis. After his BA he rewrote and published his thesis in the Musicology Research Journal and continued his academic career at the Yenching Academy of Peking University!

He decided to pursue his multiregional vision of Area Studies and shifted focus to China and its role in the modern world. As a Yenching Scholar he did his Master in Politics and International Relations.

In Beijing he joined the team of the local chapter of BenCham, Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China to help develop a platform of European trade and business in the world’s second largest economy.

Next to his work, he became a teaching assistant at Peking University and received several research grants to study the political economy of Chinese high-tech sector.

Incredibly productive Oscar! Enjoy your successes and your (Beijing) life!

Alumni dreams #180

After graduating from the BA International Studies, Charlotte van Gemeren chose to pursue a MA in International Relations at Leiden University. She combined her studies with an internship at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (European Integration Department) during which her work focused mostly on the EU's external policy vis-a-vis the Middle East North Africa region.

This included EU decision-making on current affairs as well as the discussion of long-term strategies expressed by foreign aid programmes such as the European Neighbourhood Instrument. Area courses in her BA had made her aware of western centric discourses so she was able to better understand and contextualise policies.

The highlight of her internship was to be involved in the negotiations on the draft declaration for the high-level European Union - Arab League summit in Egypt!

Currently she is looking forward to complete her thesis research on EU policy on the Jordan River in the West Bank and to explore career opportunities which combine her two passions: climate change challenges and the Middle East.

Committed Charlotte! Enjoy contributing accumulated knowledge and (area) expertise in practice!