Work and thrive in an international environment
Three years after the very first cohort of the Leiden University Bachelor of International Studies graduated, approximately 40 alumni and staff got together for a day of recollecting pleasant memories and sharing new stories. The BAIS Alumni Board collected some ‘Lessons learned’ from their alumni.
Eke Kronieger ‘16
“One thing I learned is to approach issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, which really helps with problem solving. Also, the Chinese courses in which I learned the Chinese language is still helping me today.”
Victor Jarzagaray ‘16
“Coming together as an international group and ending as a big family in 2016.”
Jonatan Buttet ‘16
“Most important thing I learned from International Studies, is the international aspect, being with more than 80 nationalities and a lot of languages spoken in the class. Because of this I realized that having a global perspective is important, having an eye for example on how the world is globalized, not only in our time, but across time, and how this is important to analyzing the world today.”
Nahema Maduro ‘17
“Most important thing is how to deal with different cultures. I was working in an international recruitment agency, and as such dealing with a variety of cultures, while trying to explain how things work in the Netherlands, were a part of my skillset thanks to International Studies.”
Minke Sijbrandij ‘17
“One of my fondest memories was getting involved in a project with fellow International Studies students, a food saving initiative. This has now expanded to a broader initiative, bringing me in touch with a variety of people and learning experiences.”
Sebastiaan de Goeijen ‘15
“One of the biggest takeaways from International Studies was being able to work and thrive in an international environment. Working in an environment with a variety of cultures brings its own unique set of challenges, however it also brings a lot of strategic value. My experience from International Studies has helped me at the international company I work at, and has helped me take advantage of this on a daily basis.”
Milan Assies ‘16
“Not only learning to have a global perspective and interdisciplinary mind-set, but also living it by studying with people with so many nationalities and backgrounds, really helped me on both a social as professional level. The many unforgettable memories I have make that I often think back to the good ‘ol days with a smile on my face, sometimes regretting it went all by so fast.”
Pim Teeuwisse ‘15
“The focus on intercultural communication and creative thinking proved to be a perfect kick-start for my professional career”
Iris Bekker ‘15
“One of the biggest takeaways from International Studies, was to work very hard for everything yourself, and organize yourself well in order to achieve your desired result in time and in the right way.”