Education

DIS does it right

‘Any questions? Please ask’ read the T-shirts of the smiling volunteers greeting many of Holland’s international students at the entrance of the World Forum convention center in Den Haag.

This was the ‘Day of International Students’ (DIS) hosted by Nuffic on 13 November, an event attended by more than 2000 international students from across the country.

The amazing, Nuffic-hosted ‘Day of the International Student’ was definitely the place to be last week. This day was different from other university-oriented events, as the attention was all on international students. The day started with the organizers handing out DIS T-Shirts (guess what colour?), followed by the attendees then proceeding to the DIS plaza, where information about various scholarships and alumni associations was available, as well as personal meetings with embassy representatives. Students from more than 100 nations descended on the plaza to learn more about opportunities in Netherlands and also create new networks of friends. The opening ceremony, held in the World

Forum Theatre, was spectacular, featuring a riveting BMX stunt bike show. Nuffic’s director general then spoke, expressing how grateful the country was that some 60,000 international students had chosen to study in the Netherlands. The attendance at the event of the Dutch minister of sport, culture and science also helped show that the Dutch truly care about the welfare of international students. The minister said the openness of Dutch society and freedom given to people makes the Netherlands an ideal place to launch a career.

The opening ceremony was followed by workshops, lectures and presentations, ranging from the informative to purely fun. To say participation in these events was good is an understatement, since even the events held in the building’s basement, such as clog painting, attracted hundreds of students. Long queues of eagerly waiting students were a common sight at many events.
Elsewhere in the building there were lectures and presentations on how to land jobs in Netherlands, integrate in Dutch culture, and even how to write blogs about one’s stay here. There was also ice skating, which left many internationals bruised, traditional Dutch games and Bollywood dancing. At the DIS lounge, international students could meet and exchange experiences.
Later in the evening, the day’s events concluded with a plenary session in World Forum Theatre and a fashion show, with the winner being decided by means of cheering and clapping from the assembled crowd. The audience was also shown a spectacular way to network by comedian Adam Fields, who threw a knitting yarn ball to audience member, instructing him to then throw the ball to another person in the crowd, with this process continuing until the entire audience found itself under a huge network of yarn.

Food, drinks, a DJ and performance by the cover band, Tour de Funk, then entertained the crowd well into the night. This incredible day, mixing conferences, seminars and networking opportunities with what was ultimately a hugely entertaining party, served as further proof that the Netherlands is a great place for internationals.

Aanleiding is het afscheid van prof. Herman van Bekkum als voorzitter van de BTA-commissie (Begeleiding Toepassing Allocatiemodel). Van Bekkum heeft 10 jaar in de BTA-commissie zitting gehad. De laatste 5 jaar was hij voorzitter.

De schaaksimultaan wordt Van Bekkum aangeboden door scheidend Rector Magnificus Jacob Fokkema als dank voor zijn inzet. Fokkema is van plan zelf de eerste zet van de simultaan te doen.

De simultaan heeft plaats in de Aula van 16.30 uur tot 19.30 uur. Medewerkers en studenten van de TU Delft kunnen het opnemen tegen Giri. Inschrijven kan bij Ted Barendse (015-2787489; T.J.M.Barendse@TUDelft.nl).

Editor Redactie

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