Recently, TU Delft’s international student community has finally raised its voice, declaring that there is an integration problem. Foreign students at the University Twente are also calling for more social contact with Dutch students.
Apart from the academic challenges facing them, foreign students want their years living in the Netherlands to be a socially and culturally enlightening experience as well. Yet, it seems there’s still some effort needed to make this happen. At both TU Delft and the University of Twente, the international and Dutch student communities are considered to be separate.
Min Zhang, an MSc student from China at TU Delft, says that this is primarily because of the language barrier between the ‘two’ communities, but also because of cultural differences and lack of interest from Dutch students.
Pavan-Kumar Chilukuri, a Process Design and Development MSc student from India at the University of Twente (UT), disagrees. He argues that it’s not that Dutch students aren’t interested in foreign students, but rather, “Living in their home country, Dutch students have more social responsibilities and therefore just don’t have the time to socialize with foreign students. The initiative to socialize must therefore come from international students themselves.”
Gokaldas, a MSc student from South Africa at UT, reckons that it’s only natural for Dutch students to mingle more easily with their Dutch friends living here: “People from all over the world tend to stick to their own community.” Students at both universities however are unanimously in favor of having more contact with Dutch students.
Besides the appeal of having more friends, they consider communication with Dutch students to be useful as well. Suarez-Mendez, a Biochemical Engineering MSc student from Colombia at TU Delft, says that Dutch students can play an important role in facilitating the introduction of the “Dutch way of living” to international students. “The best way to understand and appreciate the cultural nuances of this country is by socializing with Dutch students, as they’re the first link between foreign students and the broader Dutch society,” he says. Chilukuri believes it important to know the cultural “do’s and don’ts”, especially for those wishing to reside in the Netherlands for a longer time.
Despite a genuine interest of international students to socialize with Dutch students, activities that would make this possible are few. According to Zhang, too few parties are organized for international students, “or if they are, they are badly promoted.” Suraz-Mendez says the international community should be involved in organizing parties in order to capture cultural nuances. “Sometimes the activities organized are based on a Dutch perspective, making them not always easy for foreigners to understand and appreciate,” he says.
At UT, besides weekly gatherings, a big party is organized every month for international students. “These parties are nice because you get the chance to meet international friends you haven’t seen for a while,” Gokaldas says. “But it would be nice if more activities are organized where we can socialize with Dutch students.”
Apart from the academic challenges facing them, foreign students want their years living in the Netherlands to be a socially and culturally enlightening experience as well. Yet, it seems there’s still some effort needed to make this happen. At both TU Delft and the University of Twente, the international and Dutch student communities are considered to be separate.
Min Zhang, an MSc student from China at TU Delft, says that this is primarily because of the language barrier between the ‘two’ communities, but also because of cultural differences and lack of interest from Dutch students.
Pavan-Kumar Chilukuri, a Process Design and Development MSc student from India at the University of Twente (UT), disagrees. He argues that it’s not that Dutch students aren’t interested in foreign students, but rather, “Living in their home country, Dutch students have more social responsibilities and therefore just don’t have the time to socialize with foreign students. The initiative to socialize must therefore come from international students themselves.”
Gokaldas, a MSc student from South Africa at UT, reckons that it’s only natural for Dutch students to mingle more easily with their Dutch friends living here: “People from all over the world tend to stick to their own community.” Students at both universities however are unanimously in favor of having more contact with Dutch students.
Besides the appeal of having more friends, they consider communication with Dutch students to be useful as well. Suarez-Mendez, a Biochemical Engineering MSc student from Colombia at TU Delft, says that Dutch students can play an important role in facilitating the introduction of the “Dutch way of living” to international students. “The best way to understand and appreciate the cultural nuances of this country is by socializing with Dutch students, as they’re the first link between foreign students and the broader Dutch society,” he says. Chilukuri believes it important to know the cultural “do’s and don’ts”, especially for those wishing to reside in the Netherlands for a longer time.
Despite a genuine interest of international students to socialize with Dutch students, activities that would make this possible are few. According to Zhang, too few parties are organized for international students, “or if they are, they are badly promoted.” Suraz-Mendez says the international community should be involved in organizing parties in order to capture cultural nuances. “Sometimes the activities organized are based on a Dutch perspective, making them not always easy for foreigners to understand and appreciate,” he says.
At UT, besides weekly gatherings, a big party is organized every month for international students. “These parties are nice because you get the chance to meet international friends you haven’t seen for a while,” Gokaldas says. “But it would be nice if more activities are organized where we can socialize with Dutch students.”
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