EA. November 2018 (English) by Erasmus University Rotterdam

11 2018 / # 17

for alumni & friends

GENTRIFICATION IN ROTTERDAM:

Ingenuity or Danger?

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WWW.RSM.NL/PROFESSIONALS ROTTERDAM SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT ERASMUS UNIVERSITY

PREFACE

Coverillustration Hyshil Sander

And Then There’s This Hooray! Erasmus University has turned a 105! From its earliest days the EUR has been firmly rooted in the Rotterdam community. It’s no surprise that we’ve chosen ‘Science meets the city’ as the theme for this lustrum. Which is why this issue isn’t only dedicated to our scientists, our students and our alumni. Rather, it’s a tribute to the people of Rotterdam who invest in making their city a better one, a welcome haven for those who seek it.

CONTENT

12 The Family Portrait Karina and Cock Raaijmakers both studied Economics and enjoy standing in front of a classroom. ‘Work? It’s simply fun.’

In this issue of ea. we have for you stories on the 21st century’s big issues: gentrification, migration, the accessibility of medication – and how the coming together of cancer researchers on an international level resulted in Oncode. Alumni tell the story of why they support their alma mater in achieving her goals of outstanding research and education. And last but not least: our students, whose contribution cannot be overlooked. With their bottomless reserves of energy, they dedicate themselves to making their peers’ lives as easy as possible, despite their own study load. In the end, that’s what science is about: how others might be aided through research. And in turn, it’s about how we, too, can learn to ask better questions – how we learn to apply that acquired knowledge in society. Erasmus University and Rotterdam is where we study, where we work and where we live. Sometimes alongside one another, oftentimes together, and always as equals.

04 Campus inside out 05 Update 06 Erasmus & You 07 Throwback 08 Interview With the Rector Magnificus 14 Doing Good Work 15 Doing Good Work 16 That’s Why Rotterdam 23 Science in Practice 28 Our Campus Locations 30 Practical Science 41 Brilliant Minds, Great Ideas 42 Development 49 Education and Innovation 52 My Student Time

38 A Great Goal

18 Old and New Residents The public research centre Leefbare Wijken (‘liveable neighbourhoods’) looked into the ways in which gentrification is changing Rotterdam. ‘Neighbourhoods are advancing, but how are the original residents experiencing this change?’

The Editorial Board

Top scientists join forces through the virtual cancer-institute Oncode in order to improve the field of oncology. ‘The goal is to be able to give every patient better treatment.’

CAMPUS INSIDE OUT

Heartbeat Festival 6 september 2018 PHOTO: Â© Jennifer Remme

UPDATE

Eurekaweek Got a Record

PHOTO: © Chris Gorzeman

A record number of participants for this year’s Eureka week: almost 4000. Last year hundreds of students couldn’t participate due to full capacity. This year the capacity has been upped and so no student had to go home disappointed. The opening ceremony was moved to Ahoy.

In the Footsteps of Erasmus With Der Stein des Weisen

Lustrum Celebrations Erasmus University

The artwork in Park Noord was made by artist Kathrin Schlegel. The artwork weighs a few tonnes, is six meter in height and four in width. The piece stands on the oldest column in the Netherlands, which stood in the Laurens church between 1667 and 1963. The artwork was revealed during the lustrum week this last September.

This year Erasmus University Rotterdam will be celebrating its 105th birthday. This lustrum theme will be: ‘Science Meets City.’ Up until June of 2019 the programme will be full of activities such as meetups with Rotterdam residents and social partners. This lustrum programme underlines the spaces where Rotterdam and the university meet. It shows the ways in which science contributes to solutions for urgent urban questions on health, economy, sustainability, and cohabitation. The opening of the Academic Year, which this year took place at the Laurens church, marked the start of the lustrum year. President of Erasmus University, Kristel Baele, spoke of the lustrum theme in connection with the university’s new strategy which will be implemented over the course of the coming few years. For the full programme, see: www.eur.nl/lustrum

Become a Member of EUR Connect EUR Connect already has more than 4000 members! This online network for alumni, students, and staff makes it possible to keep connected to each other and to the alma mater, to exchange ideas ,and offer coaching. Sign up now via eurconnect.nl

‘Der Stein des Weisen’ PHOTO: © Chris Gorzeman

ERASMUS & YOU TEXT: Carien van der Wal PHOTO’S: © Antim Photography

Adit Ram

‘We can’t make it without nature’ Upside-down world The main focus of Tree to Be is trees and their role in climate systems and ecologies. ‘Our goal is help restore 2 billion hectares of degraded desert-land that came about due to non-sustainable farming, deforestation, and the use chemicals. At this moment Tree to Be offers the opportunity of contributing to this mission in places like Uganda, Malaysia, and more recently – the Dutch Siddeburen.

Adit Ram argues: if we we’re not giving nature the chance to recover, then at least let's try and give it a helping hand. His initiative, Tree to Be, uses the world as its canvas. Social awareness has always played a big part in Adit’s life, even in childhood. During his time at university questions of sustainability featured prominently, and he graduated with a thesis investigating a wind-energy company. From there on, and before he set up Tree to Be – a movement that came out of respect for nature – Adit worked as a market researcher for Schiphol. There his goal was to improve costumer satisfaction. He also worked for Face the Future as a concept developer. Face the Future is focused on helping ecosystem recover, with a focus on reforestation. It was his time at Face the Future that inspired him to start the Bhopal concept: a concept to make the fast expansion of the Indian city Bhopal more sustainable. This means that several answers to questions in and around sustainability are implemented on the surface of the city. In 1984 Bhopal suffered an industrial disaster of unprecedented proportions in the form of a city-wide gas leak. The consequences are still noticeable to this day, for the people of the city as well its nature – and in legal terms the battle is still ongoing. The Bhopal project is not an easy one, which is why Adit is currently in conversation with the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies. This latest connection has helped the project along, and has made a collaboration possible where solutions are designed together with Indian students.

It’s simple: plant a tree Adit’s big challenge is making people aware of why the rehabilitation of the ecosystem is important. Why it shouldn’t just stay a conversation, and why action is imperative. ‘The issues we face when it comes to climate are for the most part down to communication. The solutions already exist. Don’t take nature for granted, but consider it an equal. To anyone who wants to contribute to a greener world and wants to do something positive for our climate, I’d say: plant a tree. You can also do this in an urban environment, you can plant a miniature forest,’ Adit explains. Livability By planting trees that are native to an environment it’s possible to develop a full forest within ten years, something that usually takes about a hundred years. ‘Trees are the most simple and effective way to challenge climate change. They make for a livable environment for both humans and animals. Don’t consider them capital, but realise: nature isn’t dependent on us, we are dependent on nature. Nature carries on, with or without us.’ www.treetobe.nl

NAME: Adit Ram AGE: 33 EDUCATION: RSM,

specialised in innovation management COMPANY: Tree to Be

THROWBACK TEXT: Cora Boele – Academische Erfgoed UB / SUHK PHOTO: © Hans Koreman

Erasmus in a Bunt, lustrum 1998

Erasmus in a Bunt The flimsy strips of blue and yellow nylon – bunted together to make for cheery decoration – barely disguise what is clearly a grand present left at the roundabout of the main entrance.

hundred-thousand gilders. The University might have been named after Desiderius Erasmus, but until then the namesake was noticeably absent on campus. His only representation could be found in bronze above the entrance to the mail hall. About time to give Erasmus a rightful place out on campus.

It’s November 1998, and everything at Erasmus University is about its 17th lustrum celebration. Around midday of that November day a festive moment has been scheduled: the official gifting of the students’ present to their university. A real eye catcher, partly due to its formidable size of two by one meter ninety.

The choice to go with an enlarged version of the then-recently minted Civiltate[1] can certainly be called subtle. The small-sized variant can be bestowed on a student by the Executive Board as a distinction for good work. The fact that the statue is an enlargement of the same image serves, of course, as a reciprocal show of appreciation from the students to their Alma Mater. Twenty years later, the design by the artist Ad Haring is gracing the entrance to the E-building.

Representatives from across student echelons – joint together in the ad-hoc society Ad Fontes – have managed to scrounge together a scant

[1] Starting 1997 the Executive Board has been honouring outstanding students by gifting them with the Civilitate. The name is borrowed from the De civilitate morum puerlilium libellus: a little book of good manners for children. Erasmus has written a lot about education and the raising of children. His 1530 work De Civilitate became a bestseller, translated into many languages and used as a schoolbook up until the 18th century.

WORD FROM THE RECTOR

Rutger Engels

A Thinker and a Doer Prof. dr. Rutger Engels is excited about his new job. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I get to take up a position with an eminent and international topuniversity that prioritises societal impact.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

WORD FROM THE RECTOR

TEXT: Eva Hoeke PHOTO’S: © Aurélie Geurts

in that. If you, as a director, think you can achieve that top-down – then you won’t get very far. It’s also an outdated attitude: the voices of the students have gotten louder, and what they have to say also has quite an impact these days.’

What was so touching about that concert? ‘I guess it’s still those roots. The way Lohues talked about the people and the nature, that love for earthly matters. The poems by Rutger Kopland have the same quality, that earthy element. And of course the fact that Emmen is now participating in the Premier Division – that helped along the emotion.’

What makes you the right man to be here? ‘I’m a thinker and a doer. I think it’s important to have solid plans but even more important to implement those plans. I also bring in an outsider’s perspective – I don’t assume much and I’m open to just about anything. That can be an advantage.’

he new rector magnificus currently lives in Zeist. He was born in Velp, studied in Groningen, worked in Nijmegen, moved altogether about twenty times, but his formative years – those were in Emmen. Engels: ‘That’s where the writer and journalist Peter Middendorp grew up. He once said that Drenthe is the one piece of land on the planet that no one’s ever fought over. I think there’s some truth in that.’ And still – when Engels was invited to sit in on a concert of the Drenths singersongwriter Daniel Lohues he found himself overcome by emotion.

That earthy quality is something Engels wants to take with into his office, which now looks rather bare. It’ll stay like that in part. Engels is not a man of ‘stuff’, but there will definitely be a big wooden table. ‘A desk doesn’t work for me. I need a laptop that I can put anywhere. Besides, a wooden table has something very symbolic to it. It almost says: let’s get down to work.’

The university has democratised. ‘Certainly, more so than when I was studying. The students bring their own ideas and themes to the table. From my very first interaction with students it was clear that sustainability was a very important issue to them. And if it’s an issue that they’re concerned with, it’s something we’re concerned with, too.’

And why did you choose for the EUR? ‘At some point I noticed that a lot of what I was doing within the sciences remained rather static. Your work is appreciated, but it doesn’t have much effect on the outside

And how will you achieve that impact, that relevance? ‘I think that collaborating with the city is very important. Rotterdam faces the same challenges as many big cities around the world: poverty, mobility, sustainable energy. Science can contribute to solving those issues. By, on the one hand, actively aiding in starting up neighbourhood projects where residents and scientists can work together to implement changes. Or on the other hand, by setting up longterm studies in connection with those collaborative efforts. There’s about a seven-year life-expectancy gap between the richest and poorest neighbourhood in Rotterdam. That’s unacceptable. Another thing: the representation of students with different cultural background is different than what you’d expect, considering how prevalent the topic is right now. We need to change that, actively. Those young people need to get the same chances to get to university. We as a university have a responsibility in that.’ You yourself studied Psychology in Groningen and graduated on the topic of ‘Cheating and Safe Sexual Intercourse.’ What kind of a student did that make you? ‘I was quite timid! It was during the AIDS crisis, end 80s. So there was a lot of money for research that looked into safe sex and AIDS prevention. And I was really interested in it, not just in why people cheat, but in behavioural change. How can you motivate people, even if they will cheat, to do so safely? But at the same I was a very timid. I met my then-partner at nineteen. But I could be found at the bar quite often, especially when I started out.’

What about your new position as rector has stood out so far? ‘Before I had my first interview here I came by and had an undercover walkabout. It was a Saturday and I was just scoping out the place, getting a feel for it, and was so surprised by how busy it still was. People who were here to study, or for sports or lunch. It was vibrant, which hadn’t seen in Utrecht or Nijmegen. The university is made up of people, not buildings. I like that.’ NAME: Rutger Engels

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said: ‘Every rector stands on the shoulders of his predecessors.’ What advise did you get from your predecessor, Huib Pols? ‘His message was connectedness. Between people, but also between faculties. I believe

world. Here I’d get to take up a position with an eminent and international top-university that prioritises societal impact. That seemed wonderful to me, also an honour.’

EDUCATION: Psychology

at Groningen University, PhD at Maastricht University. POSITION: rector magnificus since June 15th 2018 at Erasmus University.

Are students more serious these days? ‘Far more serious. There’s a lot of pressure on choosing the right track, and – once you have made a choice – to do it right. I worry about that. They’re all young people in their formative years, and already they’re not allowed to make any mistakes.’

WORD FROM THE RECTOR

In Nijmegen you did a lot of research into smoking and drinking among youth. Do you see that happening here? ‘For years I also smoked, and I wouldn’t say no to a glass of wine, so I don’t want to give the impression of a disapproving disciplinarian. But on the other hand I also think that we as a university must take responsibility when it comes to preventing excessive drinking and smoking.’ You’re also concerned with issues like depression among young people. How will your knowledge come into play in your new position? ‘There’s students who struggle with their self image, which is quite a recurring theme among students. Same goes for university staff members, by the way, if you’re talking about work pressure and burn outs. It’s become a social issue. There’s TV-shows about it, and Sophie Hilbrand did an interview about her burn out – that would’ve been unthinkable twenty years ago. We have around 27.000 students here, so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that at least a few of them will have issues.’ How are you going to approach this? ‘I hear from students that there’s a need for ‘soft skill’ development next to more knowledge-based education. In other words: social skills. That kind of education can be aimed at making yourself more resilient when it comes to stress or negative life experiences. You can’t change the fact that sometimes people go through tough times, but you can give them the tools to help them deal.’ Huib Pols used to have an open-office hour. ‘I’ll have one too, between five and six in the morning. Just kidding. But I’ll definitely organise something similar.’ You live in Zeist. Would you consider moving to Rotterdam? ‘Well, that’s an issue, because me and my partner just moved to Zeist because of our jobs. Because I used to work for the Trimbos institute, and Karlijn worked for the GGZ as

a psychologist in Utrecht. And considering that her career is as important as mine, I don’t want to drag her with every time I get a new job. But on the other hand, I’m noticing that it’s a bit of a challenge, not living here. It would make sense. And of course Rotterdam is a wonderful city, so who knows.’ You have two daughters, Sophie (21) and Iris (19). What do they study? ‘Iris is doing Lifestyle Studies at Fontys in Tilburg, and Sophie is studying Medicine in Groningen. And it’s going well. During my professorship, what would happen on the Sunday morning is that I’d finish breakfast and then open my laptop. Colleagues would come by the house, people from here or from abroad, and I think that gave them a certain perspective, a work ethic. I didn’t have to push them at all.’

‘If you, as a director, think you can achieve that top-down – then you won’t get very far.’ But if you were on the laptop after breakfast, that means they didn’t get the father who baked cookies, or took them to the zoo. ‘That’s true. They didn’t get that part of me. I was travelling a lot.’ Now you also have two young children. What’s going to be different? ‘That’s a tricky question. I don’t regret the way I raised my oldest daughters. But I’ve grown in the meanwhile, too. And at the same time, yes, I have a busy job with a lot of responsibility.’ And now the question that women in this position are always asked: how are you going to combine life with work? ‘Well, it is a bit of a puzzle, just like it is for many modern families. But we’re getting a

lot of support from our environment. It’s a complex situation, though, so it’s possible that I’ll have to cancel something at some point for the sake of the kids.’ What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? ‘Cook. Lately I’ve really gotten into the Peruvian kitchen. I went to this restaurant in San Francisco called La Mar, and that was so good… Mindblowing, really. And then I found out that there are also really good restaurants in Lima. One thing that’s wonderful about cooking is that it needs your full attention and a lot of energy. When I get home my brain keeps on whirring, but cooking is cognitively so tasking that I don’t have the mental space to think about anything else.’ In your office there’s also all kinds of film posters. ‘I also love TV-shows. I can easily keep binge-watching until two, three in the morning. And if I haven’t been able to finish watching a whole show I’d rather just call in sick. I loved House of Cards, but Homeland was even better.’ And to conclude: your predecessor’s – Huib – word of advice to his students was to flirt as much as they could. What’s your motto? ‘Do other things next to studying. That’s what ends up shaping you.’ Were your years studying your best years? ‘No. My best years are yet to come.’

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Erasmus University Rotterdam Make it happen.

FAMILY PORTRAIT

TEXT: Marjolein Stormezand PHOTO: © Antim Photography

Connected Karina (35) and Cock Raaijmakers (67) Karina (director of the Dutch Healthcare Authority) and Cock Raaijmakers (independent educator and advisor) are clearly father and daughter. He is proud of his eldest, and she is respectful and loving toward her father. At Karina Raaijmakers’ kitchen table in Rotterdam Zuid the two tell their family about their time at Erasmus University. Cock Raaijmakers went to study economy at Erasmus in 1973. ‘It was a good education that would allow me to go anywhere.’ During his time at the university he also taught on the side. After graduating he became the director of Doordrecht’s municipality school of economy (now known as the Da Vinci College). Starting in 1993 he began advising

‘My father always said that economy could take you anywhere. That really appealed to me.’ schools about the implementation of new finance structures following country-wide educational expansion. By now Cock has reached his retirement age but he won’t stop anytime soon. Because work is joy, whether it’s paid or unpaid. This is why he’s currently helping students in Oud-Charlois set up a business plan. His daughter also went on to study Economy. ‘My father always said that economy could take you anywhere. That really appealed to me.’ Next to that she studied Law. Karina: ‘I noticed that I was good at it, so I did everything in my power to make sure I was able to do it.’ In 2007 she finished both majors with honours. She still feels connected to the university, in part because she still gives guest lectures at the School of Law. Just like her father, teaching comes naturally to Karina and she enjoys standing in front of the class. Occasionally Karina’s father joins in on her classes to watch his daughter capture the students’ imaginations.

DOING GOOD WORK TEXT AND PHOTO:

From left to right: Sadaf Soloukey, Jason Stokker, Narimen El Ajaji.

Jason, Nariman and Sadaf were all there when the Rotterdam-based Surgery for Medical Students Society (VCMS) was still in its infancy. How did you get the idea to set up this student society? Jason: ‘We don’t spend much time on surgery during the BA. But a lot of the students are very interested in it, just like we were at the time. We wanted to change that up. Our student society was meant to give medical students the chance to see what a surgeryoriented trajectory is like, what can be expected from it later on in a career, and what’s it like to graduate as a surgeon.’ Why not just focus on your own studies? Isn’t that hard enough as is? Nariman: ‘Yes, it is. The first year that we started doing this was extremely hard. We worked all the time and were around each other all the time. But I’ve learned so much from it. Also things that have nothing to do with medicine but that were very useful all the same.’ Would you recommend doing this kind of extracurricular project to other students? Sadaf: ‘Definitely. It teaches you so much, and it also broadens your perspectives.

‘We’ve learned to make something out of nothing’ I know so much more now about entrepreneurship, about how you sign up at the Chamber of Commerce, how to get people excited for something that doesn’t even exist yet – about how to carry out a vision.’ Nariman: ‘You often hear that students take on extra curricular projects because it looks good on their CV. Of course it does, but if that’s the only reason you’re doing it, then quit while you’re ahead. For me it’s about the experience. That’s what matters most.’ Jason: ‘Medicine forces you – no matter how interesting it is – to think in boxes. I missed the broader vision. I think a lot of students will recognise this. Doing this has taught me how you make something out of nothing – and that’s incredibly valuable. What’s the future like for VCMS Rotterdam? Sadaf: ‘We started in 2015, and we’re now entering into our fourth year. The society is now active in every medicine faculty in the Netherlands – we have different branches for each university. In Rotterdam we’re about two-hundred-men big. Looking back, I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.’

NAME: Jason Stokker (24),

Nariman El Ajaji (24) en Sadaf Soloukey (22) MAJOR: Medicine SEE www.vcms.nl/ Rotterdam/

DOING GOOD WORK

TEXT AND PHOTO:

You two designed a minor in Sustainability for the Economy Faculty Society Rotterdam (EFR). What was your driving force? Dunvel: ‘The goal of the minor is to create awareness on the importance of economical pluralism. We want to do this by discussing social and environmental borders – and by showing the different ways you can tackle today’s big issues. Emma and I have both been on the board of the EFR. She was the one who set up the minor, and I took over the year following.’ Why sustainability? Emma: ‘I’ve always been concerned with the environment, in childhood too. I even wrote a letter to primeminister Balkenende when I was 7, asking if he could maybe solve climate change. Which is funny. And then when I saw that Erasmus had the ‘Grand Challenges’ Honours Programme – about sustainability and leadership – I got inspired again. We can definitely solve this if we all do our very best. That’s when I started seeing what we’ve been missing at the university when it comes to sustainability and education. I’m also a United Nation’s youthrepresentative for sustainable development, and Dunvel used to be on the Enactus-EUR board, an organisation for social entrepreneurship.

Emma and Dunvel

invested in a more sustainable world

You have a lot of extracurricular activities. What motivates you? Dunvel: ‘I want to do more than just study. I want to try to contribute now, not only later. Be part of something. That’s my motivation. I’m learning so much from it. Of course it’s all great on your CV, but if I didn’t have that intrinsic motivation – I wouldn’t have been able to do this.’ Emma: ‘Same for me. To really go for something, together – it gives you a rush.

Yes, it looks good on my CV. But it requires so much, especially now that I’m a UN youth-representative. It wouldn’t be very clever to have been doing all of this only to bump up my CV.’ How’s the minor going? Dunvel: ‘The first edition was a huge success – a lot of positive feedback from the students. We changed the name to ‘New Economic Thinking & Social Entrepreneurship’. The second edition is already sold out – we have forty students on board. So people are noticing!’

NAME: Emma Clemens (23)

& Dunvel Délias (21) EDUCATION: Emma – Economy and Law; Dunvel – IBEB

Pieter Zwart

‘ The City that Fits Like a Glove’ 16

THAT’S WHY ROTTERDAM TEXT: Karin Koolen PHOTO PAGE. 16: © Dik Nicolai

Pieter Zwart did’t get his degree in Business at Erasmus University – he left in his fourth year. Now he runs one of the fastest growing internet companies in the country. There’s one thing he knows for sure: he’ll never leave Rotterdam.

Pieter Zwart (41) gets up and walks to the window. With his hands in the pockets of his navy-blue jeans he peers out at Rotterdam Central Station, right outside of the Coolblue offices. Zwart’s office is an oasis of calm compared to the offices outside the door where there’s a constant buzz of people typing, calling, attending meetings. Every desk is covered with blue boxes and coffee mugs with that now-famous orange dot. ‘It’s not strange that we ended up here,’ says the CEO. ‘Rotterdam fits us like a glove. We share a certain DNA – a core of honesty and transparency, of being communicative, of getting down to business.’ What does Rotterdam mean to you? ‘I’m originally from Zoetermeer, but my heart belongs to this city. I’m never going to leave this place. I sometimes say that Rotterdam is like whiskey. Just like you need to learn how to drink whiskey, you need to learn how to work the city. It has hidden gems, it’s not in your face. On top of that I just love the views. My office has a great view of Central Station, and from my home – I live at the Kop van Zuid – I look out over the Maas. I love the river. It’s the city’s vein, always full of life. At the same time looking out over it gives me serenity. I like that kind of tension.’ Why did you choose Erasmus University back in 1996? ‘I’ll be honest, it was a no-brainer. A degree in Business is incredibly versatile. And the Rotterdam BA had a good reputation. I moved out, got a room in Kralingen. I liked studying, but I liked the city and the nighttime even more...’

Did that have anything to do with the fact you never graduated? Zwart laughs. ‘Perhaps, yes. I was already starting up as an entrepreneur and was spending most of my time doing that. Life is about making choices, that’s the only way you get anywhere. I started Coolblue with two good friends – the company was still called mp3man.nl back then. We’d often sit around smoking and drinking, coming up with plans and writing them on coasters. On one evening like that we were at café De Dijk, near Oostplein. We were bouncing ideas off of each other, and that’s when we landed on the idea. After a year I called my father: ‘Dad, I’m going to put university on pause for a year.’ At the end of that year, going back wasn’t even an option. Hundred of orders a day, people in employment. By the time we got to the second year everything was going at such a high speed that I never thought about going back to university.’

And finally: what’s your aim as an entrepreneur? ‘I want to keep growing. Increase customer satisfaction.’ Zwart pauzes, then decides: ‘And I’d like to serve as an example to other companies. That would be nice.’

‘Digital skills are going to be imperative later on. For everything.’ Did anything from your time at university come in handy while setting up Coolblue? ‘Not at first. I was missing the practical skills needed when you start as an entrepreneur. Now that the business is as big as it is, the puzzle pieces are coming together. Back then there was a lot of focus on digital skills during the course of the BA – that unfortunately seems to have lessened.’ You’re on the RSM board and the Hogeschool council, and you give the occasional reading at Erasmus University. What message are you sharing with the people? ‘The world is changing quickly and we have to keep up. We won’t do that by teaching tomorrow’s working generation French or Latin. Just teach them English at a high level and give them digital skills. This process is too slow as is right now. I’m worried about that because digital skills are going to be imperative later on. For everything. I’m really pleased with our connection to Erasmus University, by the way. A lot of Erasmians work here.’

Founders Coolblue from left to right: Pieter Zwart, Paul de Jong en Bart Kuijpers.

NAME: Pieter Zwart EDUCATION: Bedrijfskunde,

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University POSITION: CEO of Coolblue

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TEXT: Inge Janse ILLUSTRATION: José Paúl Pérez Cóndor PHOTO’S: © Mark Uyl

GENTRIFICATION IN ROTTERDAM: Ingenuity or Danger? Research conducted by EUR-scientists and students looks at the effects of gentrification in Rotterdam. ‘We noticed that there weren’t that many negative consequences, but then again not that many noticeably positive ones, either.’ ‘The worst part isn’t even the fact that I have to leave my home. The worst part is that I have to leave my neighbourhood.’ One of the many poignant quotes to appear in a Volkskrant article published early this year. The article looked at the flip side of gentrification, at the rise of the wealthy middle-class within a neighbourhood – and how the arrival of this class has come at the cost of existing residents. The story wasn’t about Crooswijk, or the Liskwatier, or Katendrecht or any of the other changing neighbourhoods in Rotterdam – it was about Brooklyn. This New York borough has always had a contested history, and in 2018 it has become a battlefield: on the one hand, there’s the old tenants who pay fixed rates from a bygone age, and who often live in a certain state of poverty. On the other hand, there’s the slick real-estate yuppies, set on having the old – majority black – tenants move out of their apartments. Their goal to do a quick renovation and put the house back on the market, but then for astronomical prices. Broadest shoulders This isn’t quite the case yet in Rotterdam. ‘Since a few years now there’s been a focus in Rotterdam on appealing to ‘broad

shoulders’,’ says Roy Geurs, strategic advisor for the municipality’s Social Development cluster. That term refers to residents that don’t tax the city (by way of requiring financial aid or healthcare), but rather contribute to it. ‘But always in-keeping with the necessary investments in ‘weaker’ residents.’ There’s a good reason for this new focus on the wealthier class, according to Geurts. ‘Across the world cities have a general higher percentage of highly-educated people in comparison with the national average. In Rotterdam this percentage is actually lower.’ Geurs can see in the numbers that the appeal of Rotterdam among young professionals is growing. ‘But when they want to settle, have children, then it becomes difficult for them to find a good home. That’s when you lose them.’ That’s when these young professionals move to Barendrecht or Langsingerland, where the homes are bigger and the back yards sunnier. That’s why, in 2014, the municipality decided on transforming ten ‘promising neighbourhoods’ in order to create an appeal for (above) middle-income families. These neighbourhoods were the Oude Noorden, Nieuwe Westen, Middelland,

het Liskwatier, Nieuw Crooswijk, KralingenWest, the Lloydkwatier, Katendrecht and the Kop van Zuid-Entrepot. Each of these are situated near the city centre and have the potential of appealing to wealthy families, and that’s how they’ve been marketed by the municipality. The layman’s term for these neighbourhoods is ‘bakfietswijken’, literally translated: carrier-bike neighbourhoods. This refers to the desired demographic’s iconic form of transportation, the carrier bike. These ‘promising neighbourhoods’ got better housing, the streets were made more attractive (think: playgrounds, clean streets), and a lot of time and attention went into improving the quality of available education. In the years since these developments have taken place there has been a rise of a few percent in new highly-educated residents moving into these neighbourhoods. Social power But what are the effects these ‘broad shoulders’ have on the neighbourhood itself and its people? To find out a research project was set up by the public research centre ‘Leefbare Wijken’ (‘livable neighbourhoods’, a collaration of the local government, Erasmus University Rotterdam and other

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‘Poor neighbourhoods are advancing, but how do the original residents experience that change?’ Mouna Ghzaoui

research institutes). The organisation analysed literature from across the world on the consequences of gentrification. The positive outcome of the research was finding out that ‘broad shoulders’ do, indeed, encourage a growing economy by way of new businesses and amenities. The social power of the neighbourhood also grows due to the fact that the new residents are often people who take on initiative and also know how to contact official organisations. However, there are also downsides to gentrification. The original residents can become estranged within their own neighbourhood, what with the influx of new and unfamiliar shops and people. Displacement is also a regular occurrence: gentrification often comes hand in hand with higher rent prices that go beyond the means of the existing tenants. Next, the research focussed on whether the demographic of the ‘promising neighbourhoods’ of Rotterdam was actually changing. Yes, the research concluded. The number of ‘broad shoulders’ in these neighbourhoods has grown faster in comparison with other neighbourhoods. But did this mean that the aforementioned side-effects of gentrification took place? In order to find out, Risbo (an independent EUR research institute, part of the Social Studies Faculty) entered in conversation with the residents of the ten neighbourhoods. The questions were: do people talk to one another? Are they active in the neighbourhood? ‘We noticed that there weren’t that many negative consequences to gentrification, but then again not that many noticeably positive ones, either,’ is how Geurs summarises the results. The lack of positive effects, according to Geurs, is mostly to do with the fact that while the new ‘broad shouldered’ residents enjoy living in a neighbourhood with ‘other people’, they don’t have the time to make new connections. ‘The contact that they maintain is usually with people who have similar lives. They meet at the schoolyard, go to the same gym, the same shops and bars. The desire to broaden their social circle is there, but they don’t have the time to do so.’

Due to the clear proof of economic progress at the hand of gentrification Geurs believes that the scales are tipped toward the positive. Social climbers A drawback of the Risbo research is that it doesn’t differentiate between ‘social climbers’ (residents from within the neighbourhood who’ve made a certain career) and ‘newcomers’ (the ‘broad shoulders’ residents who have moved into the neighbourhood). This is why Erik Snel, university professor of sociology at the Erasmus School of Social Behavioural Sciences and coordinator of the research centre ‘Leeftbare Wijken’ had his students take up the research. One of these students is the 26-year-old Mouna Ghzaoui, whose look into the Afrikaanderwijk earned her her Master in sociology. ‘I myself live in Bloemhof, also in Zuid, and I’ve noticed I’m not there very often. I also think gentrification is a fascinating topic. Poor neighbourhoods develop, but how do the original residents experience that change? That’s why I picked this research.’ In the last months she’s spoken to the people of African Inn, an eight-floor flat at the Afrikaander square. Her research question was: do ‘social climbers’ (who want to move from social housing to private rentals) stay in Zuid if the neighbourhood becomes more appealing? And is there a difference in how social climbers and newcomers each engage with the neighbourhood? After speaking to about forty private-rental residents of the African Inn, Ghzaoui noticed that about half of them were social climbers. This means that internal growth within a neighbourhood happens in Zuid as well. This stands in contrast to the common assumption that people from the city who come into money will leave, or cross the Nieuwe Maas. Ghzaoui also noticed a pattern in the family structure of the people she interviewed: only two had school-attending children. The rest were starters with either no or very young children. In-depth interviews with the residents showed that there was no difference between the

social engagement of social climbers and newcomers in the neighbourhood: both don’t do much of it. ‘They all give the same reason: an expensive house is only affordable if both partners work full time. Once they’re home they’re mostly happy if they can get a moment to sit down, watch TV.’ Gzhaoui emphasises that the ‘broad shoulders’ are engaged with the neighbourhood. ‘They’ve all come to live here because the neighbourhood has improved, but they don’t want their presence to cause displacement.’ According to the interviewed, there’s already more than enough inequality. For example, not every building is maintained to the same standard. One interviewee said, ‘There’s no difference in tenants, only in homes.’ Another remarkable find of Ghzaoui was the fear among the ‘broad shoulders’ of being displaced themselves. ‘They came to live here because the homes were more affordable than for example the centre, or Blijdorp. But the rent prices go up every year. Before you know it and they won’t be able to afford it either, that’s their fear. The question is, will the local government and other corporations make sure that the ‘broad shoulders’ won’t have to leave the neighbourhood again.’ For strategic advisor Geurs the main priority is a new research that focuses on how the old and new residents can better benefit from one another. He believes that a collective interest can play a big role, make people come together to ensure a neighbourhood has better traffic safety, for example, or a better street design. The advisor insists that being an active part of the neighbourhood shouldn’t be an obligation. However, he points out that because of the democratic nature of our current society – where the emphasis on social participation is quite strong – it’s good for there to be more social structures. ‘Independence, loneliness, health: it’s better to have a good network. Social cohesion doesn’t only mean having a better living environment, it also means knowing you can rely on someone.’

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Eric Snel

Alexandre Furtado

Mouna Mbarki Ghzaoui

Oy Geurs

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MEANWHILE, IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD A socially-engaged resident who sees gentrification changing their neighbourhood. That, in short, is the profile of Alexandre Furtado Melville. He is in his thirties, grew up in Cape Verde and lived in and around the outskirts of Rotterdam until the age of 22 – after which he moved to Zuid. He started but never finished majoring in Consultancy at the EUR, but still ended up consulting on social issues: as an art director, fotographer, writer and designer. ‘Call me a multidisciplinary researcher of the urban environment,’ he laughs.

back to, and at what price? We have to get out and make ourselves scarce, that’s how people feel.’ According to Furtado, it’s a certain lack of understanding and humanity that creates these situations. ‘As if new bricks make everything better. Someone has to stack those bricks, and it’s the workers ho work on these builds that are entirely disregarded.’

And yes, of course the young entrepreneur wants the city and its residents to thrive. ‘No one is opposing change. It’s about the way change is taking place.’ Furtado argues for keeping and supporting mixed neighbourhoods, even if that means that the ‘broad shoulders’ Furtado lives at live in the more the Kop van expensive houses. Zuid-Entrepot, Living in expensive one of the ten homes also means neighbourhood spending more time that the working, less time municipality is investing in a livable determined to neighbourhood. get popularised Furtado also stands – with people like for what he calls Furtado himself. Roy Geurs interventions of ‘Yes, I’m one of integrity: ‘make sure those broad that everyone is shoulders – even getting theirs. if my income doesn’t reflect that,’ he adds. Don’t chase people out, but give good Furtado works for Gemaal op Zuid, a cultural alternatives and perspectives. Wish for a meeting spot at the Afrikaander square. brighter future for every Rotterdammer.’ There he gets to experience first hand the widening gap between the worlds of the Furtado tries to contribute to that by putting rich and the poor. ‘Take, for example, all the old and new residents in touch with each new houses and towers rising out of the other. He does this by putting together an nearby Katendrecht. You can already tell by art programme at ‘his’ Gemaal. ‘Oftentimes the way they’re making the commercials that’s the first time people get to interact for these places that they’re meant for with something like this. Art-loving people highly-educated people, all these images and this new crowd appear to go really of hipster guys with mustaches. The people well together.’ He’d also like to see a future living in these neighbourhoods are on a where outside spaces, like the Afrikaander completely different rung on the ladder.’ park, are more welcoming for people and make it easier for them to come together. In early July there was an informative ‘Right now that park is dirty, full of trash evening on the renovation and new-build from the market. It doesn’t feel like a safe project Tweebosbuurt in the Afrikaander space for the residents.’ His advice: appoint neighbourhood. At the end of this evening, a manager and make sure there’s regular many of the residents ended up at Furtado’s programming. ‘A community doesn’t terrace of the Gemaal op Zuid, cursing the materialise out of nowhere – you have to municipality and the housing corporation. work on it. This park is a nice place to do ‘They already had complaints that have that – it has a great view of the city. But been ignored, and now they’re told to leave right now it’s mostly a gathering place for their homes. Some of them will be able to the birds.’ come back, but what will they be coming

‘The desire to broaden their social circle is there, but they don’t have the time to do so.’

And this is where the local government is heading After a long period of give and take, the Rotterdam coalition (VVD, D66, CDA, ChristenUnie-SGP, PvdA and GroenLinks) presented their new plans on June 26th. As far as the city’s living environments go, the Coalition Agreement 2018-2022 means that the focus on middle-income households will remain the same. Rotterdam will be focussing on making neighbourhoods more family and child friendly, and on the diversification of the housing market in Zuid. The takeaway is that the coalition has decided to reduce the number of affordable-housing demolisions by 3000. Additionally, they will invest in the renovation of 5000 affordable houses. On a side note, however, those renovated homes will be made easily accessible for middleincome households, which means that the market for these houses will become more competitive. The housing market for ‘narrow shoulders’ will be made better by getting rid of the ‘income criteria’ (part of the so-called Rotterdam law) for lower-income neighbourhoods. The additional criteria – meant to reduce public disturbances – will remain, which means that people with a contested background can face rejection from the housing board.

ILLUSTRATION: Â© Sly Masmeijer

W Wetenschap IN DE PRAKTIJK 23 25

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TEXT: Yasmina Aboutaleb PHOTO: © Claudia Broekhoff

Tineke Fokkema

The Motivational Force of the Older Migrant Tieneke Fokkema is the newly appointed Professor of Ageing, Families and Migration. Her research is part of the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. She herself hasn’t considered moving abroad. ‘You need a lot of courage to migrate,’ says Fokkema. And she should know: she interviewed tens of older migrants on what motivated them to move, and the consequences of their decision. Fokkema’s research is conducted at both Erasmus University and the Dutch Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) in The Hague, and the group of migrants involved is a diverse one. ‘When the word ‘migrant’ comes up, people usually think of specific groups in the Netherlands: Turkish migrants, Moroccan or Surinamese migrants, but there’s also a large subgroup of elderly migrants.’ Fokkema recently visited in Le Merche, an Italian region where a handful of hopeful Dutch people moved to retire. But she also travelled around Morocco, where she ran into Dutch pensioners, also of Moroccan descent who re-emigrated in their old age. It’s not surprising that pensioners move to the south of Europe, but how does Morocco fit into the mix? ‘I wondered the same thing, because it’s a whole different move, going somewhere outside of Europe. And it’s also a country with a completely different culture and way of life. Though what I noticed with Dutch people who moved to Morocco is that they’re far more cosmopolitan. They’ve travelled a lot, and some of them have worked for embassies in African countries. For them the move wasn’t that big of a leap.’ Doesn’t it make you want to move? ‘I’ve actually never thought of that. In general I feel that being a migrant isn’t easy – be it as a Dutch person living in Morocco or Italy, or as a Turkish person living in the Netherlands. You have to have gumption, a sense of adventure. Because if you overthink it, you probably won’t do it. Take, for example, the Dutch people in Le Merche. They have taken a language course, all according to plan. They’ve been to Italy on vacation before, and move there with every intention of interacting with Italians. And yet it’s hard for them to find a connection. Conversations with the neighbours are shallow and usually don’t go any further than farming life. These migrants are far more direct than the Italians, and some topics – Berlusconi, the Pope, the church – are quite sensitive. That’s when

More and more Dutch people spend their pension years abroad. The advantages seem obvious, but in reality the move can be quite tasking on older migrants. Professor Tineke Fokkema looks into their experiences. they realise that they’re far more Dutch than they thought they were. And then they end up seeking out other Dutch people.’ But despite the difficulties, people do aspire to it. The hit show ‘Ik vertrek’ (‘I’m moving’) has been following people in their big move for over ten years. ‘When I interview people, they often say: my story isn’t going to be the kind of story you see on ‘Ik vertrek’. And after a while I think – but it does sound a lot like the same kind of narrative. It’s all harder than they initially thought it was going to be. This, of course, also applies to migrants in the Netherlands. But they won’t tell those stories to their family back in Yemen or Iran – they don’t want to be seen as having failed.’ What do the migrants to the Netherlands have in common with those from the Netherlands? ‘Everyone’s roots run deep. Sometimes people are quick to say things like – you just need assimilate and integrate. But where you grew up really defines you. The longer you’ve lived somewhere else, the harder it is to let go of your own culture and to adjust.’

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NAME: Tineke Fokkema EDUCATION: economy and PhD research at the

Free University. Postdoc research at the EUR. POSITION: researcher for the NIDI on the topic of successful ageing and migration. Member of the research-team Families in Context. Chair of the Journal for Gerontology and Geriatrics. From 2018 professor of ‘Ageing, Families and Migration’ at the Erasmus School Social and Behavioural Sciences.

Elderly migrants in the Netherlands often dream of re-emigration, and usually it’s the men. Why? ‘In Turkey or Morocco these men get their freedom back. But women and children often don’t want to move back. For them, it’ll be a loss of freedom. It’s really a man’s world. The lives of women are for the most part centered in and around the house. They appreciate the freedom they get in the Netherlands. For women, that’s the main reason for not returning.’

‘There are a lot of assumptions right now and not enough scientific proof.’

Hassan Cetin (62) migrated to the Netherlands in 1969. Since he retired he’s been going back and forth between the Netherlands and Turkey. ‘I’ve worked for Shell for 39 years as an engineering teacher, and now I’ve retired early. I enjoy the freedom. Whenever I feel like it I book a ticket to Turkey. On a yearly basis, we go three to four times. How long we stay there per time depends, usually on my wife. And my kids. They live in the Netherlands with their families. We don’t want to miss out on the grandkids for too long. I’m lucky to have two homes: one in Spijkernisse and one in Kapadokya. That’s where my parents’ home is. It comes with quite a bit of land. I always swing by there to have a look. I have a motorcycle, and I drive around in the nature. My connection to the Netherlands came at a later stage, but I do feel at home there now. I have a lot of friends and we also get along well with the neighbours. They get the keys whenever we’re gone.’

What other reasons are there to stay in the Netherlands? ‘The children and the grandchildren. Especially for the women that’s an important element, which shows in qualitative and quantitative research. And healthcare – it’s well organised here. Often it becomes a compromise: going back and forth between the Netherlands and their country of origin.’ There’s also a group that purposely goes back and forth, because they don’t want to choose between the two countries. ‘For the most part those are people who’ve been doing that for a majority of their lives – but they continue with it in their pension years. Going back and forth does have some drawbacks. When you’re there, you miss all the amenities of here. And when you’re here, you miss your place of birth. And in terms policy it gets tricky, because while people are gone their homes are empty. And moreover, people on the dole aren’t supposed to go abroad for months on end.’ What’s your view on initiatives like convalescence centres, designed for Dutch migrants in the homeland? ‘In the coming years there’s going to be a large group that goes back and forth but that won’t be as mobile anymore, and that’s going to get increasing issues with their health. For that group this will be a good solution. I have nothing against it, it’s a matter of supply and demand.’ Your research is aimed at the wellbeing of migrants. The common belief is that migrants aren’t as lonely as other Dutch people because they come from bigger families. This isn’t true, you argue. ‘A big family isn’t a guarantee for a good life. It’s about the quality of the relationships. You can be with the whole family together, but if you don’t communicate or you feel like no one’s listening – you can still be lonely.’ And your research will raise awareness for this issue. ‘That’s the best part: the attention this will get for elderly migrants and their wellbeing. Expanding our knowledge is necessary, because this group of migrants is growing.’

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Ali Konyali

An emphasis on individual achievements Ali Konyali worked as a junior lecturer at Maastricht University when he saw an enticing PhD position come by at Erasmus University’s Sociology department. ‘It was part of ELITES: Pathways to Success, a project focused on the upcoming Turkish elite in sectors such as law, education, and corporate life in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden.’ He did hesitate for a moment: ‘I’ve always been very critical of ethnic categories. My parents are from Turkey, but my interests vary wildly – I wanted to make sure I wasn’t pushing myself into a niche.’ But the research seemed to have been made for him: ‘I was born in Germany, had gotten to know Sweden and the Netherlands during my other degrees and I wanted to get my PhD.’ Underprivileged In general the second generation of Turkish immigrants don’t come from highly-educated households, and have more often lived in underprivileged environments. This is in part due to society’s persisting prejudices. ‘A good few of them have still made it: how did they do it, how do they explain their own success? Those were my main questions.’ Konyali believes his research is important in that it illuminates previously-unquestioned processes and counters further stereotyping.

‘One of the Few’ was the title of sociologist Ali Konyali’s dissertation. In the context of his research he interviewed descendants of Turkish migrant workers in high positions at banks and consultancy firms, and asked them about their journey to the ‘top’. His conclusion: people from poor and marginalised minority groups attribute success to individual efforts and achievements. After many in-depth interviews, at times in offices – at times in luxurious skyscrapers or small cafés – Konyali’s conclusion is a clear one: his demographic believes their success was achieved on an individual basis, and with much effort. ‘Almost all of them emphasized their migrant background – some of them even made it their gimmick, aiming at the Turkish market. Surprising: I was expecting that they’d present as professionals in an international environment who’d rather minimise the story of their background. But instead they made a point of saying, “I come from an underprivileged environment, but I got to where I am by working really hard.” They emphasised their own achievements. By framing it like that, you’re also implying quite a lot about the people who haven’t made it. It’s their own fault, essentially, there’s no reason not to make it this far if you’re working hard enough. By putting the emphasis on individual effort you run the risk of glossing over certain systematic societal issues.’

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TEXT: Karin Koolen PHOTO: © Claudia Broekhoff

It’s not that they haven’t worked hard, Konyali hurries to add. ‘And we do live in an age where individual achievements are lauded. But it’s good to take a moment to realise that it’s not an equal playing field. What seemed to be missing from their reflection is a realisation that they, considering their background, had to work harder than most to get to go to Gymnasium, had to prove themselves even more to get that one internship – that scholarship. It’s a shame. It makes it more difficult for others and feeds into the same system of inequality.’ Does Konyali think that this group has a responsibility to help along the less successful descendants of migrant families? He thinks about this, then decided: ‘They can be a source of inspiration, could maybe even made a difference from their privileged position within a company. But responsibility? We all have that responsibility.’

‘By putting the emphasis on individual effort you run the risk of glossing over certain systematic societal issues.’ Stress His research has made him reflect more as well. ‘I’ve started looking at my own achievements differently, how certain people played a role in them. But I’ve also become more reflective when it comes to society. Companies, universities, they all aim for more diversity. But how many women, how many second-generation immigrants, actually get that high-end position? Or have tenure as professors? He himself isn’t vying for professorship. ‘Way too stressful – writing my dissertation was intense enough! But I hope to contribute to a society where persisting inequalities are made as explicit as the individual stories of success.’

NAME: Ali Konyali EDUCATION: arts & Culture

(BA), European Studies (MA) at Maastricht University. PhD in Sociology at Erasmus University. POSITION: researcher at Osnabrück University

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‘You Can’t Get Everything From a Book’ To those who think that all that scientists do is sit in ivory towers and write up theories: try living a day in the life of an MA student of Ubran Management and Development (UMD) at the IHS (Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies). These students try to use their knowledge in making for a more sustainable city. MA students Maja Mercina (32, from Slovenia) and Joan Lyons (23, from the U.S.) were in for a surprise when they went to the Feijenoord neighbourhood for a workshop Action Planning. In the course of this workshop they had to identify – and develop a solving strategy – for an urban problem. ‘But in talking to people we realised we didn’t want to change that much,’ says Maja. ‘We wanted to promote the neighbourhood as it was, with its curious mix of people of all backgrounds.’ Action Planning, taught by Carolina Lunetta, and the more in-depth specialisation course Urban Strategies and Planning (USP) – taught by Els Keunen – are classes designed to bring the UMD students in touch with the city. ‘Urban planning isn’t just about theoretical plan, but also about the process. How do you involve stakeholders, how do you develop ideas in collaboration?’ explains Lunetta. ‘Students learn the theories in class, and then get to apply those theories in the city itself – they get to make the connection between practice and theory.’ Students were at times surprised at what they learned during their more practical classes. For example: Feijenoord doesn’t have a very good reputation, but the

students found that the people of the neighbourhood were open and welcoming, and that a sense of belonging kept them together. In Joan’s group, the discovery was made that a lot of women migrants have trouble with finding ways of participating in society. ‘That’s why our goal was to set up a self-managing interest group that would give the women the chance to organise their own programmes, ones that were relevant to their own environments.’ Another thing that the students noticed during the USP specialisation course, which held the theme of ‘Food and the City’, was that there wasn’t a good connection between locally produced food and the people themselves. Joan: ‘So much of Dutch food is exported. But at the same time there’s people who don’t have access to quality food.’ Maja: ‘We often talk about how good locally produced food is, or how good organic food is, but not everyone can afford that locally produced food.’

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From left to right: Carolina Lunetta, Maja Mercina, Els Keunen en Joan Lyons.

At the end of the specialisation students came up with a list of actions that the local government can take to minimise food waste and improve access to food. They presented their work at a congress – organised by the students themselves – where they’d invited several concerned parties. Joan: ‘We learned how to get in touch with stakeholders, what it means to set up a plan and how to keep it relevant for everyone involved.’

ANDY FELLMAN (85) Andy Fellman (85) has

been living in Feijenoord since 1999 and keeps involved in the neighbourhood through a cultural centre. He helped the students get in touch with residents. ‘I asked the students if they wanted to know their books said, or if they actually wanted to get to know real people. You’re here for yourself, to learn and to expand your horizons.’

While the question remains of whether the students’ plans will actually be realised, Joan and Maja have learned a lot. Joan, for example, is currently taking an MA class where she’s applying certain aspects of USP specialisation. Maja: ‘We’ve learned so much and have expanded our network by going out into the world. It’s a very important part of the specialisation. You can’t get everything from a book.’

TEXT: Loes Singeling-van der Voort PHOTO: © Claudia Broekhoff

‘It’s wonderful that students get out of the classroom and meet people from different backgrounds. The work they do is good publicity for the neighbourhood.’

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Stipriaan talking to student Daniël Uzorka

Alex van Stipriaan

‘ Tell the Full Story of Colonialism’ Alex van Stipriaan, professor of Caribbean History at Erasmus University, researched methods used in secondary-education history teaching. He is currently working on a book about Rotterdam and the history of slavery.

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

TEXT: Sjoerd Wielenga PHOTO: © Ramona Deckers

‘From the 80s onwards there’s been a growing trend in teaching methods where more time is spent discussing the colonisation of Caribbean countries at the hand of the Dutch – including the history of slavery that comes with it. In the years leading up to that shift, history was something that just moved in next door. Think of the wave of Surinamese and Antillean people who migrated to the Netherlands. This made it possible to look at the person next to you and ask: how come you look like you could be from Africa, even though you’re from South America? For a long time Dutch people weren’t taught much at all about the history of slavery. This was mostly due to the fact that the history lessons of the fatherland were meant to create proud citizens. 2010 saw a new decline in the interest for our colonial history. Some teaching methods were sold with taglines like, now with more focus on our national history!’ Isn’t the history of slavery part of the Dutch national history? ‘That’s what I think, but far from everyone agrees. A lot of people want history to be something positive and are done with the discussion around ‘Zwarte Piet’. Or they say: the history of slavery has already been mentioned in the history books. Which is true, schools are obligated to teach it, but the issue is one of the tone of the conversation, the perspective. Take for example this sentence reflecting on colonialism: “Usually a few sails and a few cannons were enough to get the indigenous people to cooperate.” In 2018! Or the repeated use of the term “black slaves”, even though those who exploited them don’t get the marker of a colour. This means that colour and position are only indicated on one end of the scale. And this even though the students who read these books are of multi-ethnic backgrounds. Not a single of the available methods properly represents the centuries of misery of the lives of enslaved people. The texts that are taught say things like, “they tilled sugar and tabacco on plantations” and “the colonies of the Dutch West-Indian Company could only make profit if there was a constant influx of new slaves.” Oftentimes slavery is called a “black page in Dutch history”, but that in itself suggests that this period was an exception in an otherwise faultless record. But the full story is what matters.’

the Enlightenment. If you tell a story about how we come from the Enlightenment, then you have to also tell the other side of that story, because that’s also the blueprint that our society is built on. Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood was in part paid for with the lack of freedom in the colonies. Teachers can make this issue more contemporary by asking questions like: what is freedom, where does racism in the Netherlands come from, and why do Afro-Dutch people face so much discrimination? But also: why are there so many Sranan and Papiamento words in the way young kids talk nowadays? What’s the origin of rap?’ Rotterdam Alex van Stipriaan is currently working on two books. One is about the cultural history of slavery and is due to appear in 2020. His other project, a book titled Rotterdam and its History of Slavery, is being written on request of the Municipality of Rotterdam and is set to appear next year. Van Stipriaan: ‘That book discusses questions such as, how was Rotterdam involved in slavery? And: what was the city’s presence in slavery colonies? Forts and plantations were named after Rotterdam, seamen and soldiers from the city ended up there, and some Rotterdammers came back from the colonies quite rich – and used that money to buy nice houses. The company Coopstad & Rochussen was one of the biggest traders in enslaved people, and many Rotterdam merchants’ homes had millions’ worth of mortgages on the plantations. You must realise that the majority of the products used in slave trade were made in and around Rotterdam: ships, cheese, gin, sewing needles, rope, shovels, nails, guns, candles, writing utensils, household items, clothes, etc. Not only the richest of merchants had a finger in the pie.’ Did the Rotterdammers of the time know about slavery overseas? ‘Of course they did. Preachers would talk about it, whether in positive or negative terms. And then some people who struck rich in the colonies came back to the Netherlands and brought with formerly-enslaved servants. They stood out because of the colour of their skin and would be questioned about their origins everywhere they went. There were also thousands of Dutch seamen, soldiers, and clerks who went back and forth. Stories must’ve circulated.’

NAME: Alex van Stipriaan

What’s the story that should be told, according to you? ‘Teachers should combine their lessons on citizenship – which are obligatory – with the history of slavery. Slavery is the ultimate contrast to modern citizenship, an idea that came from

EDUCATION: PhD at the

Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam FUNCTIE: Professor of Caribbean History

PRACTICAL SCIENCE TEXT: Sjoerd Wielenga PHOTO: © Jennifer Remme

‘ In history books there’s usually just the one page on colonisation and decolonisation.’

TEACHER

STUDENT

‘I share the non-European story as well.’

‘My grandmother’s grandma was enslaved.’

Rick van Lente studied Social History at Erasmus University between 2003 and 2008. He currently works as a history teacher at the Melanchthon Schiebroek school in Rotterdam. Because the available teaching methods aren’t made for teaching the history decolonisation, Van Lent has been putting in extra hours trying to tell the full story. ‘When I was a student in Social History I took one of Alex van Stipriaan’s classes and it really stayed with me. He talked about how a lot of historians often describe the history of non-western countries as though it started the moment white people arrived on land. Of course people lived there before then. The decolonisation of former colonies has a set place in history teachings, but at the same time when I look at the available teaching methods, the history of slavery seems to be an afterthought. I believe every human life is equal in worth. But this doesn’t show through in the teaching methods. Students who are sitting for their final exams are required to know about all the amazing things J.P. Coen did for the Dutch East India Company – and then there are two short sentences talking about how those things related to slavery. Historical education still tells a story of a powerful Europe and how the Dutch culture bloomed during the East India Company era. As a teacher you have to go out of your way to tell the full story. I try to do that, to tell the other side of the story, the nonEuropean perspective, and then to link that to contemporary issues.’

Maxime Miedema (18) is a student in Rick van Lente’s class. Last summer she graduated from high school and is currently studying Journalism in Utrecht. ‘My grandmother’s grandma was enslaved in Suriname. When we talked about decolonisation at school I always knew what I wanted to contribute to that conversation. Which is why I also wrote my final project on black and white relations in the United States. There’s so little time spent talking about the history of slavery in education. In history books there’s usually just the one page on colonisation and decolonisation, even though I had to learn so much about the Netherlands in the Golden Age and how they became powerful. Unfortunately not much is said about the crimes that made this power possible. Mister Van Lente spoke about ‘Zwarte Piet’ in class, and how the origin of the archetype can be seen in connection with the idea of the white ruler and black servant. If young people would get to learn more about this, they’d have a better understanding of why some people are so angry. People who are ‘pro’ Zwarte Piet pretend like those who are ‘anti’ are only whining. But it’s not just about Zwarte Piet, it’s about how he’s a symbol of centuries of oppression. If you get into that history you understand far better where the current discussions on the matter come from. It’s nice to see how word can make a difference. That’s why I want to be a journalist. I want to contribute to creating a common understanding of complex themes.’

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

Ali Bilgiç

A New Approach to Migration ‘I argue for a new approach to migration, based on the research I’ve done. The goal is to set up a policy that prioritises the safety of both migrants and European citizens, rather than pitting them against one another.’

Dr. Ali Bilgic approaches migration from the perspective of human safety. ‘My goal is to set up a policy that prioritises the safety of both migrants and European citizens.’ From 2017 to 2019 Dr. Bilgic will be chairing the Prince Claus Professorship at the International Institute of Social Studies. Can you explain you mean with ‘human safety’? ‘The European Union sees migration as an issue of border security. This is in part due to the fact that European citizens feel unsafe at the notion of illegal migration, and in part because border security keeps on being linked to anti-terrorism measures. But it’s quite counterproductive to think of migration from that perspective. Hard measures, like stricter border patrols, have only contributed to the rise of illegal migration. In turn Europeans feel unsafe but so do migrants, which only makes it more likely for them to risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean sea.’

TEXT: Loes Singeling-van der Voort

NAME: Ali Bilgiç

PHOTO: © Jennifer Remme

EDUCATION: PhD at the

University of Aberystwyth POSITION: Lecturer political and international relations at Loughborough University. Chairs the Prince Claus Professorship at Erasmus University’s International Institute of Social Studies.

How can this human safety be achieved? ‘It’s complicated. But there’s initial small steps to be made that will help us forward. For example, when migrants come to Europe legally they can be registered and checked so that they can join the workforce. This way, migrants won’t be exploited and Europeans won’t have to be wary of migrants taking over their jobs with the promise of lower wages.’ Don’t you think there’ll be a lot of pushback against the opening of borders? ‘I actually think that a lot of European citizens will welcome migrants – it’s been proven by a European study. The issue is that a lot of people are heavily influenced by the hate mongering around immigration, which only makes the animosity worse. Asylum seekers, refugees, illegal immigrants – these terms are used interchangeably the media and also by policy makers. This doesn’t help in solving this very complex issue. That’s why I’ve come up with the broader concept of beschermigzoeker (‘shelter seeker’): someone who’s been forced to leave his or her home due to a variety of reasons.’ You yourself came to Europe as a migrant. Does that give you a different perspective as an academic? ‘While I consider myself a privileged migrant, my background did allow me to better understand how migrants feel. On top of that I’m from Turkey, where we have quite a lot of Syrian refugees. So I have an intimate knowledge of how society thinks of large numbers of migrants. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of citizens who might be worried or afraid, but at the same time we must provide for the needs of migrants.’

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

Carin Uyl-de Groot

‘ Eventually the tides will have to turn’ Professor Carin Uyl-de Groot has taken on the tough fight against rocketing medicine pricing. ‘It’s the injustice that especially bothers me.’ NAME: Carin Uyl-de Groot EDUCATION: Health

On her desk there’s a framed quote of Nelson Mandela: ‘It always seems impossible until it is done.’ She got it from her kids for mother’s day. The quote fits. Professor Carin Uyl-de Groot, of Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, has a clear mission: honest medicine pricing and better medical accessibility for everyone. Earlier this year Volkskrant called her the ‘promise of 2018’. It’s a title that she lives up to: she’s managed to get as far as the European Parliament.

TEXT: Pauline Bijster PHOTO: © Claudia Broekhoff

What’s your research about? ‘I’ve been researching cancer medicine for about a year now. In a particular I’ve been looking into access patients have to these medicines. The last twenty years the costs of these medicines has multiplied by twenty. Treating one patient

Sciences, PhD in Health Economics. CARRIER: Professor of Health Technology Assessment at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Director of the institute for Medical Technology Assessment. Analyses cost efficiency of expensive medicine for the Health Institute. Has been a member of the Oncological Aids Review Committee since 2013, and has been a member of the Health Council since 2015.

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

can sometimes cost up to a hundred-twenty thousand euro – and that’s for a three months’ life extension. And when there’s a lot of patients, you can imagine that there’s a problem in insuring it all. At the same time it’s the pharmaceutical industry that cashes in the big money. For comparison: banks make a profit of about ten precent, the pharmaceutical industry – twenty. Some pharmaceutical companies claim, ‘We haven’t made a profit.’ But their CEO makes about 17 million a year. Well.’ How is it possible that the profit margin is that big? ‘The producer of every new medicine has its patent, which means a monopoly. With a monopoly you can ask for whatever price you want. The pharmaceutical companies feel pressured by stakeholders – they need to make a large profit. We also see that when the rights to a patent end, the producers find ways to still keep it running, keeping the prices up. Sometimes old medicines are rebranded in order to get them a new patent that’ll last another twenty years.’ Wouldn’t anyone in their right mind say that we shouldn’t want that? ‘I’m in talks with everyone including the European Parliament to see what we can do about this. The tricky thing is that we’re dealing with a lot of lobbyists who want to keep the prices the way they are. The pharmaceutical industry has people everywhere.’ You say that the pharmaceuticals have lobbyists in politics – isn’t that a bit cynical? ‘It’s just the truth. So we also have to lobby. As citizens we have a right to be healthy, a right to get treatment. This isn’t quite yet reality in Netherlands, but in some Eastern-European countries the scales have completely tipped. Everyone can see it. Eventually the tides will have to turn.’ Will they? ‘Of course they will. I’m not doing this research on my own – at Erasmus I have twelve PhD students, we’re a whole team. Also doctors and patient organisations are participating. The KWF, for example. But I do think we’re going to be playing the long game here. It’s mostly the injustice of it that bothers me. For example: a lot of medical research is funded by the people, but then at some point it’s bought up by a pharmaceutical. They’ll be charging for production costs, but in truth those have already been paid for – by us.’

Is your solution to put a stop to the free market? ‘No, but there needs to be a certain transparency when it comes to production costs. Companies can do whatever they want. My formula is: by all means take on the development costs, the failures, the profit too – but be transparent about the costs.’ Are they all bad guys? ‘I’m not inherently against big pharmaceuticals. But they need to know their role in the healthcare system. If they develop medicine: fine. But make sure it’s happening more ethically, that companies take some social responsibility. Right now they do this by supporting a project here and there in Africa. But at the same time they keep on making massive profit off of the people who are sick and dependent on them. And of course there are good aids, ones that really matter. Not every single aspect of it is bad. But the goal is to get the numbers to make sense. Make the prices reasonable.’ Which company is going to say: you’re right, we’re earning too much? ‘There needs to be transparency, there need to be organisations that can check the prices and say, ‘You have sky-high production costs? All right, show me how.’ Beyond that we can have a look at what’s feasible for each country. For example, we can make patients’ medicine accessibility far better.’

‘As citizens we have a right to be healthy, a right to get treatment.’

In what ways are patients dealing with the current high pricing rates? ‘A lot of people simply don’t have any access to certain medicine. The Netherlands is really behind in this aspect. It differs depending on where you are, which hospital you go to, which doctor you have. I believe that everyone should have access to the medicine they need. Right now what’s happening is that budget agreements are being made with health insurers: ‘We’re going to treat ten more people and then that’s that.’ And if you’re number eleven, you either don’t get treatment or you have to go to different hospital altogether.’

Are you an activist fighting the good fight? ‘I’d rather call it a mission. I have three of them, this is one.’ What are the other ones? ‘Next to this I’m doing real world data research. Clinical researches often use patients that are young and healthy. We look at who gets what kind of aid, and what happens when the cancer patients who get certain aids are older, or have different illnesses? The third mission is to help cure pediatric cancer. There’s certain tumours that haven’t seen new treatments in thirty years. Because the demographic is so small and so full of risks the development just halts to a stop. I think that’s unacceptable. I want to stimulate international research and knowledge exchange.’

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

Joost Gribnau/Hanneke Takkenberg

On the cancer-research institute Oncode and the importance of equality in the sciences This year saw the founding of Oncode, a virtual cancer-research institute where acclaimed scientists pool their knowledge in order to improve the field of oncology. Their budget? 120 million. The goal? Curing cancer worldwide. A beautiful mission, but the responses from the weren’t without criticism.

The main points of critique were: not enough women scientists were affiliated with the project, and too many men of over 60 who got their position by way of nepotism. On the Oncode website the message is one of diversity, because cancer manifests itself differently in every single person’s body. There’s more awareness these days when it comes to how differences in gender or ethnicity influence the way sickness can manifest in a body. But how are these different forms of diversity connected? Professor Joost Gribnau is biochemist and in charge of a research group at Erasmus MC, part of the Procreation and Development department. Currently he’s chairing a research group for Oncode. Professor Hanneke Takkenberg is distinguished professor Clinical Operations Research for cardiovascular interventions at Erasmus MC. Takkenberg has been fighting for

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

gender equality throughout her academic career. Over the past three years she’s operated as Chief Diversity Officer for Erasmus University. More recently she’s received the Els Borst Ouevre Prize. Gribnau and Takkenberg talked about the importance of equality and diversity in academia, among researchers as well as in the research itself. Joost Gribnau, what is it that you do for Oncode? JG: ‘My research focusses on differences between men and women. On a molecular level there’s one important difference: one has a y chromosome, the other has an x chromosome. That difference and everything it entails is relevant when researching cancer. I might be an odd one out at Oncode. They asked me to hand in my CV, and a written piece on my view on cancer. They had a lot of applications, and from those they made a selection. I was part of that selection. At the university we’d just started a research into epgigenetics (a field that focusses on how genes turn on and off), looking into cervical cancer and colon cancer. Oncode’s invitation came at just the right moment: because of the multidisciplinary institute I can now expand my network and enter into collaborations.’

What’s the purpose of an institute like Oncode? JG: ‘In the last years there’s been a lot of budget cuts, especially when it comes to ‘pure’ scientific research (research that’s driven by curiosity and aimed at unpacking the basic mechanisms of molecular cel biology). We’ve felt the consequences. In my lab there’s almost no one who does ‘pure’ research anymore, even though that’s exactly the kind of research we need in order to ever cure cancer. In the Netherlands there’s a lack of long-term investments. It’s a good thing that the KWF is basically saying: this is important, let’s invest in it. The great thing about the institute is that it’s made funding available for basic and long-term cancer research. Do you agree with the critique the institute has gotten in the media? JG: ‘I think that from the very beginning it wasn’t very clear on what grounds the selections were made. Were people brought in based on personal achievements, or was it a case of nepotism? The process wasn’t transparent, and so they got all this criticism. I myself believe that a lot of breakthroughs in basic research come from the lab, not from networks. There needs to be enough money left for individual researchers. On the other hand, a network is a powerful thing. Good communication in between researchers and among institutes can ensure a fast transition from research to implementation – and can also ensure that things aren’t repeated unnecessarily, that knowledge doesn’t go wasted.’

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

TEXT: Pauline Bijster PHOTO JOOST GRIBNAU: © Antim Photography PHOTO HANNEKE TAKKENBERG: © Ramona Deckers

And Hanneke Takkenberg, as Chief Diversity, how do you feel about this sort of gender division – five men on the supervisory board but no women? HT: ‘As Chief Diversity Officer, but also as a member of the women’s network, my goal has always been: creating an inclusive academic community where people can be themselves, have the same opportunities. It’s important that people can teach or do research, and achieve those milestones that on their own. We also know that when you have a diversification of perspectives within a team you get better results, more innovation, etc. Moreover, it’s important to take differences into account when you’re doing research. That way you can help all people, disregarding gender or background, and give them the best healthcare there is.’ Do you recognise yourself in that, Joost Gribnau? JG: ‘In my field, most research was done on men, almost exclusively. Male and female embryonal stem cells behave differently, for example, and for some reason the researchers have always chosen to do research on male cells. So we still have a long way to go.’ HT: ‘Another example from the work field: we operate on patients with a widened aorta – on both men and women. We don’t change the way we operate when it’s either a man or a womwn, even though their bodies are different, if only just in size. Another example: people from India sometimes have different forms of heightened cholesterol levels. Those are the kinds of elements you want to take into consideration when doing research. It’s starting to dawn now.’ JG: ‘Up until recently those weren’t things we thought about. But now there’s a change happening, we’re realising that we need to be more aware.’ Hanneke Takkenberg: ‘Though I do see quite a bit of resistance amongst some hospital specialists. “Here they go again with the whole women spiel.” They don’t realise that if we keep on treating men and women as exactly the same bodies, we’ll miss out on a lot of good prognoses. The resistance keeps on surprising me. It’s not just a “women’s thing”, it’s about all patients getting better treatment.’ How did you feel about the criticism Oncode got, Hanneke Takkenberg? ‘I’m also chair of Athena’s Angels, a country-wide women’s network, and we also co-wrote a critical article in reaction. Since it all came out there have been stimulation-funds set up for young women scientists. needs to be done differently.’ JG: ‘The gender division at Oncode – 7 women and 43 men, I believe – is not exactly equal. The fact that it’s a majority ‘older’ men could have something to do with the fact that it took fifteen years to set up the institute. They were younger when they started.

The institute did, however, listen to the criticism: the supervisory board was initially made up of five older men, and n the meanwhile it’s been replaced by a board with two women at the table. And an open call has just gone out, looking for fourteen new women scientists. I think that they got off to a bad start, which is awkward. More transparency about the selection process would’ve been better.’ HT: ‘If you put out an open call for only women scientist, sometimes you get the comment that it’s not fair to the men. But I think if we want to achieve equality, we have to take that in stride. The Netherlands is far behind when it comes to gender equality. Not just in science but also in terms of the workforce at large. Americans are considerably ahead of us in terms of gender equality on the work floor.’ JG: ‘For years I was part of a selection committee for individual grants, and making a selection was never an issue because Hanneke Takkenberg the division was always 50-50. So I do think it’s possible, and that this generation will make sure that equality will be achieved. When it comes to achievements, women come out on top more and more often. So I’m optimistic about the future.’ HT: ‘I don’t think women will run the risk of over representation. As long as the old guard remains in charge, this will be a challenge.’

‘It’s about all patients getting better treatment.’

NAME: Joost Gribnau EDUCATION: Biochemistry at

Leiden University. PhD at the Celbiology and Genetics department at Erasmus University. POSITION: Named Distinguished Professor in Epigenetics at Erasmus MC in 2015. NAME: Hanneke Takkenberg EDUCATION: Medicine at

Groningen University. POSITION: Distinguished Professor Clinical Operations Research for cardiovascular interventions. Next to that, Takkenberg is also Chief Diversity Officer at Eramus University, and she chairs the National Network for Women Professors.

BRILIANT MINDS, GREAT IDEAS

Sofia (r) en Tania (l)

‘ Small businesses are important for the city’ Business students Sofia Ali (24) and Tania Bhulai (28) set up a social enterprise designed help refugees acclimatise to life at Erasmus University Rotterdam. They also offer aid to lowereducated entrepreneurs in setting up small businesses.

If you don’t get it The founders of Diandre know what it feels like to be somewhere where you really want to get ahead but you don’t quite understand what’s happening. Sofia Ali’s family is from Somalia. They fled to Ethopia, which is where Sofia was born. When the situation didn’t improve they came to the Netherlands. Tania Bhulai was born in Suriname and has been living in the Netherlands since 2008. She says: ‘It’s easier, knowing the language. But still the Netherlands is different to Suriname.’ This is why the two set up Diandra last year: they wanted to help refugees at the university in getting the information they needed. How can a dean or a study advisor help you? How you get an internship? How to write a good letter in Dutch? Small businesses Last year Diandre expanded. Whereas at first the enterprise focused mostly on showing the way around the university, a market research has convinced them to expand to include lower-educated people and small businesses. Tania Bhulai says: ‘The municipality helps refugees with setting up a business plan, but they don’t

have the means to help them beyond that point. That’s where Diandre steps in. This is where our major in Business is of good help. How do you go about marketing? How do you get a logo or a website? Sometimes the main focus is language.’ The goal is that students help people with residency status realise their business plan.’ Collaboration They work in collaboration with the Municipality of Rotterdam. The municipality sends us participants, and they also give us pointers. This is also to their benefit: people get off welfare. And small businesses are good for the city,’ explains Bhulai. Before Diandre there was no such thing as an enterprise that helped small-business entrepreneurs like this. And while the debate around refugees can get heated at times, Bhulai and Ali are generally positive: ‘What we see is more and more organisations being set up that support refugees. It’s a good thing.’

Diandre is part of Challenge Accepted: an Erasmus University campaign that supports the realisation of three ambitious projects. More information can be found at: www.eur.nl/onderwijs/ alumni/challenge-accepted and www.diandre.nl

ILLUSTRATION: Sly Masmeijer

D Development

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DEVELOPMENT

Today’s Topics 2014 saw the birth of the Erasmus Institute for Public Knowledge (EIPK). At the time, the Erasmus Trustfonds supported the institute with a donation of €20.000. ‘It’s thanks to the support of the Erasmus Trustfonds that we could really get a head start,’ says Professor and sociologist Willem Schinkel, one of the founders of the EIPK. The EIPK is an interdisciplinary research institute that looks into today’s important topics – but is also determined to keep their work accessible, much like New York University’s American Institute for Public Knowledge (IPK). EIPK wants to encourage collaboration between faculties and at the same time bridge the gap between academia and society. A lot of their events and readings are accessible for academics and students as well as for people from outside of the university. Schinkel says: ‘The Trustfonds donation allowed the EIPK to organise a few big, public events throughout the city – one of which was in collaboration with the Rotterdam media institute V2.’ The renowned German sociologist, Wolfgang Streeck, was invited to give a talk on the end of capitalism, and internet critic Evgeny Morozov came to visit the university.

A Round of Introductions RSM alumni Ninotchka de Windt is the new Grant Manager of the Erasmus Trustfonds. How did she get the job? Through an opening she found on EUR connect: ‘I believe that we as alumni can truly contribute to society, to this city.’ Alumni (and guest-researcher of Fiscal Law at ESL) Renate Buijze has recently been joined the Trustfonds as its Disbursement & Operations Manager.

‘The EIPK was founded because we see the importance of staying involved with the big social topics of our times, and not just through the lens of one faculty,’ says Schinkel. ‘Our work is interdisciplinary, and we want to collaborate with people from outside the world of the university – we want to connect to a wide variety of audiences.’

The SIR-Gran

In for a pound

Since 1984 the organisation ‘Stichting Intermediair Rotterdam’ (SIR) has been selling lecture-reports to students. This year they’ve announced their closure. The rights to the organisation will be passed on to the Erasmus Trustfonds. Former board member Christian Spaargaren: ‘This is how students with good ideas, with good projects, get a fair chance. SIR has always been an innovative organisation. We started out by renting out type writers, and this past year we had the opportunity to support the Turing Society with an Artificial-Intelligence Bootcamp. Supporting Rotterdam students aligns us to the new vision of the Erasmus Trustfonds.’

If you would you like to make a donation or use your capital to facilitate groundbreaking research, education of the highest level, or scientific collaborations with substantial social impact, please go to: www.trustfonds.nl/doneren for a click-and-go donation. If you’d rather transfer funds the traditional way, we invite you to make them payable to the order of Erasmus Trustfonds, via IBAN-code NL 06 ABNA 05 64 41 43 52 and BIC-code ABNA NL 2A. Please mention ‘donation’ and a Fund in Name if applicable. Care to know more about other options? Feel free to contact Margot van Sluis, m.vansluis@trustfonds.nl or 06 10 60 37 03, or 010 411 05 96.

DEVELOPMENT

Han de Groot

Co-creation is the future Han de Groot invests in young companies that have progressed beyond the ‘eureka’ phase. Having studied Business Economy has prepared him for his own entrepreneurial career.

There’s no specific people from his time at the university that he’d call his ‘role model’ or ‘inspiring example.’ But: ‘Most of my immediate and most important colleagues during my start-up years – end 90s – were old peers from Erasmus. They helped build this company, grew together with it.’ ‘This company’ is the Rotterdam online market-research company MetrixLab, founded by De Groot in 1999. It was one of the first Dutch companies that built a browser plugin in order to sell information on consumers’ online behavior to big companies. Metrix Lab grew fast and became a global contender. In 2012 De Groot moved to the United States were he took over MarketTools, one of America’s biggest online survey makers from Silicon Valley. Two years later MetrixLab fused together with its big competitor Macromill. Last year, that company entered the stock market in Tokyo.

‘Without Erasmus University, without its people and its knowledge base, I wouldn’t be where I am – not as an entrepreneur and not as a man. That’s why I want to give back. In America is very common for alumni to donate to their alma mater. That should be the case in the Netherlands as well.’ Investor Han de Groot (46) leans back against a wooden table in the space he calls the ‘flea market’: the Amsterdam B. Building Business, the home base of about 350 startups and numerous freelancers looking for a flexible workspace. De Groot donates to the endowment fund, and the board runs opportunities past De Groot: ‘The fund gives me offers that I can green-light. I look for initiatives that encourage academic entrepreneurship.’

New positions Eighteen years after founding MetrixLab, De Groot sold his shares to MetrixLab (business journal Quote estimates his capital at around a 100 million). ‘It took a while to get used to not being an entrepreneur anymore.’ He got a new position: that of an investor. Together with several others (three of the four partners are old peers) he started VOC Capital Partners. It’s a fund that invests in early-stage technology companies: young companies that have passed the eureka phase and that focus on some kind of internet technology. They also have to make a minimum of fifty-thousand a month

Grow Together De Groot studied Business Economy in Rotterdam between 1993 and 1997. ‘The absolute best preparation for entrepreneurship. That’s where I’ve developed all the skills I needed as an entrepreneur: analytical skills, economical knowledge, marketing, law, organisational and statistical skills.’

De Groot says that the vent (‘guy’, who – he adds – can also be a woman) is at least as important as the tent (‘place’). ‘I always start out asking: what’s your dream, your ambition, your motor? But also, what did you study? What elementary school did you go to?’ If the answers are good, the whole thing can happen really fast. MiniBrew, a company that developed beer-brewing machines for home use, had a signature and a quartermillion euro within an hour.

DEVELOPMENT

‘We need a Dutch version of STATION F. It’s a place in Paris where around a thousand entrepreneurs are working for twenty-six international startup programmes. Wouldn’t something like that fit right in at Erasmus?’ ‘Let students translate scientific research into something that be implemented on a social level. Co-creation is the future,’ he says excitedly. ‘The university, its staffmembers and students should all be a part of an ecosystem that involves different collaborative partners. No one can achieve anything on their own. We live in a world where everything is connected, where everything is about interactions. But the connections between the university and the world around it seem to be as minimal as they were twenty years ago.’

‘Let students translate scientific research into something that be implemented on a social level.’ NAME: Han de Groot EDUCATION: Business

Economy at Erasmus University POSITION: Investor

Beyond that, De Groot founded the property developer ‘Stadswaarde’ together with former a.s.r director Jeroen Messemaeckers van de Graaff. ‘We develop buildings that contribute to a sustainable, healthy, and livable city.’ Changing World Being an entrepreneur these days means being able to shift gears quickly, being able to adjust to changing needs and innovating technologies that develop at high speed, says De Groot. ‘Universities need to educate students to go along in a fast-changing world, otherwise they’ll lag behind. I can see in our interns that not much has changed in the time since I was a student. And that’s twenty years ago!’ That needs to improve, he says. De Groot visited the biggest startup campus in the world in France, and returned inspired.

No, he doesn’t want to reduce the university to a mere instrument for businesses. ‘The university’s scientific freedom and independence need to be well guarded. I can imagine that there’s someone on the Board of Executives that’s in charge of that. The university must keep its role as a research institute, but it would be good if the university – as a source of knowledge – participated more fully in co-creation, and would be there physically as well. If the endowment fund could aid in that, that would be amazing.’

DEVELOPMENT

NAME: Liesbeth Eelens-

Noordegraaf EDUCATION: Economics

and Philosophy POSITION: University Senior Lectuerer, affiliated with Erasmus University College

Zooming In On: Trustfonds Case Writing Cycle

Students who join in on working on a case within an organsation or a company of an alumnus. That’s the Trustfonds Case Writing Cycle. ‘It’s the gift of knowledge, given by the alumni, to the university.’ Five years ago dr. Lisbeth Elens-Noordegraaf, senior lecturer at Erasmus University College, set up the Trustfonds Case Writing Cycle-programme. She did this in collaboration with dr. Brigiette Hoogedorn, affiliated with the Erasmus School of Economics, and with entrepreneur Michiel Muller. It’s a programme where students get to work on a real-life case, provided to them by alumni. The goal of the programme: get more alumni involved with the university in order to create a broader, more relevant educational offer for BA students. The Case Writing Cycle is going strong by now, but there’s always room for improvement, says EelensNoordergraaf. Which is why she’s encouraging alumni to participate in the programme. Before we can explore the benefits of the Case Writing Cycle, we must go back in time. It’s the summer of 2014. Eelens-Noordegraaf and Hoogendoorn are in the Tinbergen building, brainstorming. Michiel Muller calls them. The conversation’s main question: how can alumni get involved with Erasmus in a way that goes beyond a guest lecture? The answer: why not get students

DEVELOPMENT

involved in a case, given to them by an alumnus? And why not make the case-writing part of the programme? In that way, you offer the student relevant educational material, and the organisations or companies involved get a new, fresh view on how to solve complicated issues.

Younger audience One of the first cases the students were allowed to get stuck in on was proffered by Marcella Breedveld and Giselle van Cann from the Dutch news outlets NRC and NOS. The two outlets were struggling with the question of how to appeal to a younger public. BA students of Erasmus University College and Erasmus School of Economics interviewed the two alumni, and then dove into the ogranisation. Their result, according to Eelens-Noordegraaf, was a ‘wonderful case that has been discussed in-depth by their fellow students.’

CASE WRITING CYCLE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018 Michiel Rudolphie, Erasmus alumni and former CEO of the Dutch cancer-institute Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds (KWF), participated in the Case Writing Cycle programme over the course of the 2017-2018 academic year. He proposed the following question: how can the KWF change internal structures in order to encourage the practical application of their scientific research? BA-student Karo Gamojan and two other students of Economy who had a background in ‘life sciences’ got to work on the issue. Their research took them five months. Gamojan: ‘During those five intensive months we got a behind-the-scenes look into the KWF. Through interviewing people we learned about the financial aspect of research, about the practical implementation of scientific findings, and we also learned about the challenges you run into when trying to apply research into practice.’ The student looks back on his time at Case Writing Cycle as a period that taught him to function in a team where every player has a tendency to dominate. Moreover, it was a time where he got to know the KWF, as well as Rudolphie himself, who Gamojan describes as ‘a fantastic person.’

This case had a successful result, but Eelens-Noordegraaf emphasises: ‘We mustn't forget that this research was an experiment, one that was executed by students who were still learning.’ In other words, doing the Case Writing Cycle requires time and input from the alumni who participate. In exchange for that the alumni get new ideas to help them view a complex issue in a new light, or even help in solving it. No advisors ‘At the heart of the Trustfonds is the want to facilitate knowledge exchange. The students aren’t advisors, which is something the companies who participate need to keep in mind,’ says Noordegraaf. ‘If you ask me, this programme is mostly about creating educational frameworks. It’s a gift of knowledge, given by the alumnus to the university. If in addition they get a helping hand as well, then that’s an added bonus, of course.

The Trustfonds Case Writing Cycle programme was founded in 2014 and is currently being offered to BA students of Erasmus University College and the Erasmus School of Economics. Every year 18 students get to work on a case. The cases are carefully selected to make sure that they fit within the programme. For more information on the programme, contact Lisbeth Noordegraaf-Eelens at: eelens@euc.eur.nl.

Zooming In On: The Erasmus Trustfonds Scholarship Programme

Do you want to sign up as a donor or get more information on the Erasmus Trustfonds Programme? Get in touch with secretariaat@trustfonds.nl

Students who don’t have the financial means to do a Master programme at Erasmus University can now turn to the Trustfonds Scholarship Programme. Mijke Zeegers explains. Mijke Zeegers’ official title at Erasmus University is ‘Business Developer International Education’. In other words: she helps teachers design educational programmes that involve international partners. In 2016, Zeegers made a proposal at the Erasmus Trustfonds to subsidise (initially international) students who for whatever reason couldn't afford enrolling with an MA programme. That scholarship has been realised: the Erasmus Trustfonds Scholarship Programme. Not only ideal for new students looking for extra support, but also a new way to put Erasmus University on the map internationally. This isn’t the first scholarship aimed at helping students: there used to be the Holland Scholarship Programme. This scholarship awarded students a total of five-thousand euro. For international students, this scholarship was not enough to cover the full trajectory of their education. This often meant that international students decided not to apply, and that the university missed out on potentially excellent students – so says Zeegers. And so the Trustfonds Scholarship Programme was born: a scholarship of fifteen-thousand euro, which is made up of donations. It might sound like that’s a one-sided form of support, but according to Zeegers that’s far from the case: ‘It’s an opportunity for alumni to give back to the university. At the same time it gives young people access to good career opportunities.’ Anonymous donations are possible, but often the donors choose to get in touch with the students – a kind of mentorship. The donor can even propose the sort of

student they’d like the scholarship to go to. ‘For example, the donor will have a company in China and that’s why they’re interested in supporting students from that country in developing a specific expertise. Which of course is possible,’ explains Zeegers. In the last year, four students have started studying thanks to the Trustfonds Scholarship. The year before it was two students. In total there have been eight students who have entered into an MA programme at the university, which means that each faculty has received a grant. The goal is to up this number to fifty students a year. But how do you achieve this as a university? By appealing to donors, of course. The university is blessed with a talented collective of alumni, many of whom have achieved a good amount of fame. But that on its own is not enough to make the programme work. Zeegers and her colleagues also visit different international fairs and other universities in order to put Rotterdam’s university – and its innovative educational offers – on the map. However, it’s not only donations that make up the scholarship. A good part of it comes from the Erasmus Charity Run: a run organised by students as a part of the Rotterdam Marathon. The university is currently monitoring the tangible outcome of the scholarship. Zeegers: ‘The goal is to build a track record over the coming years, show donors the effect of their donation, show them that every donation definitely makes a difference in the life of a student.’

EDUCATION AND INNOVATION

Marieke Veenstra

‘ We want an education that stimulates, an education that lives up to its students’ needs’ The contemporary student grew up on the internet. They grew up with social media and videos, and have come to expect a constant stream of feedback and interaction. Education, however, doesn’t yet live up to these expectations. The Community for Learning & Innovation is aiming to change this. ‘The traditional way of lecturing, of offering books and syllabi, doesn’t seem to match the needs of a current generation of students. They think it’s all very boring,’ says Marieke Veenstra, programmer for the Community of Learning & Innovation (CLI). CLI, a knowledge and support platform, was set up a year ago, and since then has gotten the commitment of every single faculty at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Their goal? Making sure the EUR offers a new generation of students the education they need. ‘We try to encourage teachers to approach their own teaching in a different way, through a different design. We want an education that stimulates, an education that aligns with the students’ new forms of knowledge production.’ Veenstra illustrates her point by giving the example of the ‘knowledge clips’, short videos that summarise complex themes. ‘In preparing for exams the student can play these clips as often as they want, until they comprehend the issue. Or think for example of a game app where students can practice exam questions in a more playful way.’

Learning Innovation Lab In November the CLI got an actual sign: ‘The Learning Innovation Lab’, hung out for all to see in the Polak building at Woudestein campus. ‘Teachers can easily walk in and out. We can give them advice on how to rethink their courses. The lab also has a hypermodern studio where teachers can record their classes,’ Veenstra explains enthusiastically. Part of the idea is that the lab can become a meeting spot where ‘inspirational sessions’ can take place, somewhere where teachers can talk about how they’ve renewed their courses.

‘We want to invite people to join forces.’

Encouraging teachers These kinds of educational reforms don’t come into fruition of their own accord – they require the necessary involvement of the teachers. That’s why the CLI supports teachers in this process. ‘We want to involve people within the faculties to join arms and work together in making these qualitative improvements and educational reforms work,’ says Veenstra. ‘A few years ago, if a teacher wanted to bring about some change they had to do it all by themselves. Now, the Community for Learning & Innovation can support them in that.’

NAME: Marieke Veenstra EDUCATION: Social History at

TEXT: Dennis Mijnheer

The support options that the CLI offers are diverse. Teachers can follow a training course and a coaching trajectory, or they can get coaching on educational innovation. There’ll also be some financial opportunities made available for research into educational innovation. Students can also propose and carry out projects that relate to educational innovation.’

Erasmus University Rotterdam POSITION: Community for Learning & Innovation programme manager

The Learning Innovation Lab isn’t the only milestone. Last September, every teacher at the EUR joined the digital learning-platform, ‘Canvas’. Veenstra sees this as an important step in the right direction. ‘Canvas is very interactive and easy to use for both teachers as students. Veenstra considers it an important step in the right direction.

EDUCATION AND INNOVATION

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?

ESL encourages alumni to stay involved with the faculty. The yearly alumni dinner is one way to get in touch with current students via MyFuture. For more information contact Hanz Zwart at eslalumni@law.eur.nl.

Hanz Zwart/Martijn Roos

My Future After four or five years of studying – and then graduating – sometimes there’s still something missing by way of selfreflection and social literacy. That’s why the Erasmus School of Law faculty offers its students the chance to participate in the ‘MyFuture’ programme. It doesn’t happen every day: Pieter Cloo – former Secretary-General of the ministry of Justice, Security and Defence – visiting on campus to give Erasmus School of Law (ESL) students a glimpse into professional life. Alumnus Cloor freed up a few hours of his schedule this past May in order to help fifty students figure out their future. A conversation with someone that experienced is very valuable for students. Suddenly things start making sense, or they have a better understanding of where they want to go after university,’ says Hanz Zwart, Manager Development at the ESL faculty. Two years ago Zwart – together with Martijn Roos, until this summer Manager External Relations – started the MyFuture pilot. The programme is aimed at preparing students for the future. One of its goals is to put the students in touch with alumni. The archive of available names is extensive: ESL boasts a grand total of about five-thousand alumni. Toolkit Zwart emphasises the necessity of MyFuture in particular because of the shorter educational trajectory of students nowadays. ‘Back in the day you could easily study for nine years, but these days you’re expected to graduate quickly: four years, give or take. From the work-field the feedback we got was that students who left university were still a bit too young, and seemed to miss that ‘social touch’ that would allow them to prove themselves at the office.

NAME: Hanz Zwart EDUCATION: Mass-

communication & Public Relations at Amsterdam University POSITION: Manager Development at the ESL faculty

We need to give students the extra skills they need in order to prepare for that.’ Roos got the same feedback. ‘What we heard a lot of is that it’s not just about content but also about being curious, having a passion and being able to present. They want to be able to confidently send a recently-graduated employee to a client.’ That’s why students get trained in different ways. Before the Eureka week they can participate in a Pre-Academic Programme. Roos: ‘They come to campus for four days, meet about a hundred prospective students and then have to get working on personal leadership. The goal is that they learn to reflect on why they chose ESL from the very beginning, and for them to reflect on their own personal goals. This means asking questions like: who am I and what does my environment look like? What skills must I develop? The point of it all is that once they have graduated, they will have a toolkit that will prepare them for the future.’ Not Just Content MyFuture makes sure that thinking about who you are and setting goals for yourself remain recurring themes throughout the curriculum. In the first year personal leadership is a central theme. ‘Students can develop themselves by taking workshops like time management, stress management how to pitch or present,’ says Roos. ‘During the MA, more field-oriented elements are added, like applying for jobs, networking, but also advice on how to dress. It’s all aimed at ensuring that they are able to maintain a long-term position at the workplace.’ Getting a clear picture of what’s coming is essential according to Zwart. ‘You’d think that they’d all want to be lawyers or judges but that’s not the case. Not everyone is cut out for a Zuidas office, or a big Rotterdam firm. There’s a broad spectrum of possibilities for our students. Which is why it’s important that they figure out what their skills are over the course of their studies, where they want to go and what they need to learn in order to achieve that. That’s what we offer.’

NAME: Martijn Roos EDUCATION: Law, Erasmus

School of Law POSITION: Was Project leader Career Services Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, is Project Manager Goldschmeding Foundation

MyFuture also has something else going for it. ‘We’re focused on the alumni of the future, because if we make sure that today’s student has a good experience that influences how involved they’ll be in the future. And once they’ve made a career for themselves, that’s when they can – in turn – help the new students.’

MY STUDENT TIME

Brendan Jansen op de Haar

‘ If it’s in there, it’ll find a way out’ 52

He considered going to art school but ended up choosing Business Administration. By the time graduation came around he already had his own business.

MY STUDENT TIME

The glass office of Brendan Jansen op de Haar (33) looks like something of a student lab. But don’t be fooled: ‘Kleinhandel’ is a growing business and has become something of a household name in and around the city. The co-working space takes up about ten percent of the Groothandelsgebouw, and the ex-Business-Administration student provides working spaces for about 125 companies. The young entrepreneur can be found here twice a week. The other days he spends in Amsterdam at his other company, Try Catch. Why didn’t you graduate? ‘I did write a BA thesis, but I was missing two grades. One for corporate finance and one for management accounting – everyone trips up over those. I tried once to finish it, when I was just starting with my first business. But then I ran out of time…’ Why did you choose Business Administration in the first place? ‘After finishing high school in Zoetermeer I actually wanted to go to art school in the Hague. It seemed so cool, but I had doubts. My grandmother told me that her own father faced the same dilemma once upon a time, and his father insisted that he go to college. He became a very successful entrepreneur, but also made some beautiful paintings in the years after. His parents at the time told him: just go and study – if the artistic is in there, it’ll find a way out.’ So you chose Business Administration? ‘Yes. I always had loads of ideas. From a carwash service to a Berlin disco – that last one is because a lot of old metro stations became ghost stations after the wall fell. I saw potential in that. I was 14 at the time, had never been to a club but I already had the drawings ready.’ He laughs. ‘Business Administration made sense and Erasmus had a good reputation. I chose for the IBA track – the international angle appealed to me.’ What kind of a student were you? ‘A lazy one, I’m afraid. I didn’t necessarily enjoy studying. I was also not used to having to do a lot. High school wasn’t a problem, but at the university you really had to buckle down. I liked the Eureka week, a good introduction with the city and the university, but I never joined a fraternity. At the time I think I saw too much uniformity in them… I have a different view of it all now.’

But you did join the ESE student association – and you spent a year on their board. ‘That was fun! Student associations tend to be more content-driven. I learned a lot during that year. I was in charge of what we called the entrepreneurship cycle. It gave me a lot to do. Raise money, get good speakers on board. When that year was over I was at a bit of a loss. I hadn’t done much in terms of studying at that point, but I did get a feel of what it would be like to have my own business.’

What did you learn during that time? ‘My time at university was very formative. I used to have a bit of an edge – I got angry quickly, would lash out. I was very impatient, and I still am in a sense of the word. But I used to think of certain things as pure incompetence. By now I’ve learned that there’s more than one path to reach a goal. Consensus in a group is an important way to get ahead in the long term.’

‘I didn’t graduate, and yet I’m always asked to do these things!’ Do you regret not graduating? ‘No. Even though I did try, especially because my parents had saved up for me to be able to go. Friends around me did graduate. So it wasn’t fun for a while, but now we’ve gotten to a time where they can also acknowledge my achievements. You develop very quickly once you enter the workforce.’ Do you ever feel the need to prove yourself? ‘That’s not what I’m about. I want to make my companies better. That’s what I’m focussed on.’

NAME: Brendan Jansen

op de Haar

And, last but not least – are you painting? He laughs. ‘I have paint, an easel, and some canvasses at home. All blank. But that’s okay, the need to create goes into my companies. Just like with my great-grandfather: if it’s in there, it’ll find a way out.’

EDUCATION: Business

Administration at Erasmus University. POSITION: Founder of ‘Kleinhandel’, the biggest co-working space in Rotterdam, situated in the Groothandels gebouw. He also founded Try Catch in 2015, a company that matches tech-talent with businesses.

CONTACT & COLOPHON

From left to right, top to bottom Jacqueline Hoornweg, make-up artist Hyshil Sander, illustrator Yael van der Wouden, editor (English) Mark Uyl, photographer Claudia Broekhoff, photographer Maarten Wolterink, cartoonist Pauline Bijster, journalist Karin Koolen, journalist Eva Hoeke, journalist Marjolein Stormezand, journalist Jennifer Remme, photographer Hugo Koppe, editorial secerary Sanne Rooseboom, editor (Dutch) Cora Boele, project manager Academic Heritage Sjoerd Wielenga, journalist Sander Meij, corrector Dennis Mijnheer, journalist Yasmina Aboutaleb, journalist Carien van der Wal, editor-in-chief Sonja Nollen-Smith, adviser Antim Wijnaendts van Resandt, photographer Marco ten Pierik, printing Michiel van der Pol, illustrator Ronald Borremans, design Aurélie Geurts, photographer Ramona Deckers, photographer Inge Jansen, journalist Aysha Gasanova, photographer

Photos of Jacqueline, Yael, Pauline, Marjolein, Jennifer, Hugo, Cora, Carien, Sonja, Antim: © Jennifer Remme Photo Malou van Hintum: © Lucy Lambriex Photo Sanne Rooseboom: © Chris van Houts Photo Hyshil Sander: © Wimer Hazenberg

Sly Masmeijer, illustrator Loes Singeling-van der Voort, journalist Malou van Hintum, journalist Sanne van der Most, journalist & photographer

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