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Dear student,
When you read this, you have probably decided to come to hanze university GroninGen, university of applied sciences, or are seriously considerinG to do so. this maGazine is not meant to Give you need-to-knoW information about schools, proGrammes or the application process. you may already have found all the information you need on WWW.hanzeuniversity.eu. hanzeXperience aims at GivinG you a more General idea of What you can eXpect as an international student cominG to GroninGen. maybe the proGramme you chose looks Good, but you are stuck With some questions or doubts. What kind of city is GroninGen? What is it like to live in an international student house? is a dutch class very different from What i am used to? Who orGanizes parties and trips for international students? What do food and drinks cost? all these questions Will be ansWered in this maGazine. in addition, you Will read intervieWs With staff, international students, interns, and alumni of hanze university GroninGen. enjoy hanzeXperience and hopefully We Will see you soon in GroninGen!

Contents
We Care For You

page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 8 page 10

Meet your first Dutch friends Housing: How to find a student room in Groningen The International Student Team: We Care for Students! ESN-Groningen organizes events for international students Sport: Move Your Body! Money: What does it all cost?

Xperience Groningen

page 12 Things you should know about Groningen page 14 Hot Spots: Ten cool places to visit page 16 Event Calendar: What to do in Groningen
Xperience Hanze University Groningen

page 20 page 22 page 24 page 26

Internship: Aulia explains what its like to work for a Dutch company Alumnus: Ziren is PR officer at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing First Class: International Business School First Class: International Communication

International Student Office cares for you from start to finish

probably the first person you are in touch With before you arrive at hanze university GroninGen is a staff member of the international student office (iso). janine brons, head of iso, eXplains What they can do for you.

The best way to meet people from all across the globe is to live in a student house, says German student of International Communication katja lepenies, who spent her first year in Groningen in a student house she found through the Housing Office. Groningen has ten international student houses where students from all over the world live. The rooms are furnished and can be rented for five to twelve months via the Housing Office. Since you share the facilities with other international students, it is impossible to get bored in one of these student houses. But when and how should students apply for a room in a student house? It is always possible for students to register at the Housing office. Applying with the Housing Office has the advantage that foreign students do not have to compete with the Dutch students in their search for rooms. To register for the Housing Office it is necessary to have a foreign passport. However, September and February, when new semesters start, are peak months. So it is wiser to register way before these months if you wish to have a room that meets your preferences. On the website of the Housing Office foreign students can find information about all student houses, including pictures and maps of the locations. When aplying online, it is possible to state personal preferences. The student houses differ a lot in size. There are huge ones with hundreds of students like the one at Winschoterdiep offering a vibrant ambiance. Other student houses are smaller and more private. It is important to think about what you prefer before you register, Katja recommends. Living in an international student house offers several advantages. It is a great opportunity to make lots of friends. Moving to a student house made the transition from Bulgaria to the Netherlands easier for me, International

Communication student ana velkova remembers. You learn a lot about other cultures, almost more than about Dutch culture, she laughs. You are never alone in a student house, but you also give up some privacy. For students who do not wish to have company all day and who do not like to share facilities, there is the possibility to apply for separate housing. In that case the Housing Office acts as an intermediary between the landlord and the foreign students. Design student betje schroeder preferred to have some more privacy and applied for separate housing with the Housing Office. The room I have is nicely furnished and right in the city centre. I could not imagine sharing my shower and kitchen with so many other students. Obviously, international students also have the possibility to look for housing via internet, newspaper ads and real estate agents. But this mostly requires being physically present. It is no secret that finding rooms in Groningen is difficult, even for Dutch students. This should not be underestimated. Therefore, it is a good deal for foreign students, who cannot look for rooms on the spot, to register via the Housing Office. Save yourself some headaches and register with the Housing office straightaway, Ana recommends. I tried to find a room on my own from Bulgaria, but it was really difficult, so I finally registered with the Housing Office. Once the housing problem is solved you can start your new exciting life in Groningen. Nothing to prevent you from exploring Groningen on your bike, meeting new people from all over the world and getting involved in new adventures in the best student city of the Netherlands.
More info

What happens when a student first contacts ISO?

will still try our best to get you a room, but it is a lot trickier.
Once the student arrives, your job is done?

We assist international students with their application and inform them about study programmes. But we also pave the way, so to speak. If students encounter problems, we help them as much as we can. Will I be admitted with my diploma? Im not graduating until then or then, can I still apply? They send their application to us and we check it, send it to the schools, and they sign it. We try to work as quickly and effectively as possible. When students apply, we try to respond within two working days. We strive to complete an application within two weeks, provided the student has sent all necessary documents.
After a student has permission to come, he or she needs a place to live

Our work does not stop once a student has arrived. Of course, the most important work is done by then, but we always keep track of students. We check if they have a place to live for example, or if their residence permit has not expired especially if you are a non-EU student, we keep bugging you, but in a positive way. We inform students about the necessary steps that they have to take to extend their legal stay. We always want to make sure you dont get into any trouble. But we are open to all questions from all types of students. No question is too silly!
Why a special international student office? The schools cannot take care of that themselves?

these changes and communicate with the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service). This way we can provide better and faster services to students. For other practical matters, laws and rules also tend to change from time to time. Its important for the students to have a central point of contact who can always provide the best information.
How does a student communicate with ISO?

thought-over decision, because it is not a small step. Make sure you ask us as many questions as you can, it might help you make the decision more easily.
What kind of questions do you usually get?

Living in Groningen

Once you get in touch with ISO, you get your own personal contact person. Any time you have questions or problems, you can contact him or her. This way you already know someone when you arrive and you know who to approach when you have questions or problems.
What do you advise students who are thinking about studying at Hanze University Groningen?

Most questions, besides visa, housing, and application, are about what students can expect in the Netherlands. What are the costs? What kind of clothes do I need to bring? How do I get a phone?
What are the most original questions that students asked you?

How to find housing in Groningen from abroad?

GroninGen offers a dynamic atmosphere and at the same time the narroW streets and the small houses neatly in line Give it an idyllic flair. the doWnside of this is that GroninGen has more students than adequate housinG. this is Why the housinG office in GroninGen offers support to international students in their search for an appropriate student room.

We try to make sure that every student has a place to live when he or she arrives, but its important for them to apply before June 1st. We can guarantee housing for anyone who applies before this date. If you apply later, we

ISO is important, because it has gained a special expertise that the separate schools dont have. Dutch immigration law is extremely complex and changes almost every year. We keep track of

Make sure you apply in time, preferably before 1 June. Prepare yourself well and think hard if this is really what you want to do. It has to be a conscious and

Do I have to eat in a restaurant everyday? (No) When is breakfast served? (Sorry, you have to make your own breakfast!) Can I bring my pet snake to the Netherlands? (No, you cannot). We also had an American student who arrived with a snowboard, all ready to go. Where can I find a place to snowboard? he asked. Unfortunately the Netherlands is as flat as a pancake, so we had to disappoint him!

You can find more information about all houses that the Housing Office offers on www.housingoffice.nl

ESN-Groningen organizes sailing trip for international students

Are you ready to tack!?

ISTeam provides information from a student perspective

We care for students

as a neW student in the netherlands you probably have many questions. What if you can Get the ansWers from a felloW student, possibly even from your oWn country? that is the mission of the international student team. this enthusiastic Group of hanze students from all over the World Will help you before your arrival to GroninGen. tim buitinG, the General coordinator of isteam, eXplains What his team has to offer.

more than fifty international students decided to eXperience somethinG truly dutch: salinG on a lake in the province of friesland. esn-GroninGen made it all possible by orGanizinG a four-day trip to heeG . i have already eaten stroopWafels, ridden bikes and Worn cloGs, so this is the neXt step!
It is one p.m., the sun shines like it hardly ever does in the Dutch province of Friesland and the wind blows quite strongly. The perfect conditions for a sailing day. Are you ready to tack!?, the skipper asks his crew. Ready!, they excitedly answer him. The tacking manoeuvre, which is used to change the direction of a boat by turning its bow through the wind, goes perfectly and the sailing seems to go smoothly. But all of a sudden a strong irritating noise shocks the crew and they throw a loud shout into the sky. Nobody knew what was happening, we thought we might even fall into the water. We did not have an engine to move from our position, so other boats had to come and rescue us, remembers crew member sebastian sanchez (22, Mexico). What happened was simple and not unusual: the old welding that joined the mast and the boom of the boat broke. It is just one of the experiences that will last forever in Sebastians mind. He is one of the 52 international students that joined a sailing weekend organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) in Groningen. The reason why we have organized this trip is to show exchange students one of the most typical Dutch experiences. Dutch people have been sailing for centuries, explains nick broekema, president of ESNGroningen. For four days, students had the opportunity to learn the basics of sailing, practise canoeing, discover the lakes of Heeg, experience the Frisian life style, and sleep in an old farm that still smelled of horses. Geertjan Woudsma (25, the Netherlands) is one of the instructors. He is an experienced sailing instructor and gives private lessons, but he has never spent four days on a boat with four girls from different continents before. I have been sailing since I was eight years old. I normally practise this sport on weekends. I love sailing. For me, it is a great way to blend in with nature. It cleans and frees my mind, explains Woudsma to his curious crew. Did I ever fall off a boat before? Oh, yes! But dont worry, that will not happen to us, it only happens when the wind blows very hard. That is good to hear because the first time you sail it feels like the boat could capsize any moment when it is very tilted. Shouts and nervous laughs fill the air in the first hours. At the end of the weekend, every student has a different opinion about sailing. One Canadian girl thinks that sailing is boring and prefers speed boats. A German girl who sailed before loves it so much this time that she wants to take more private lessons. A Spanish guy enjoyed the sailing but had to fight sea sickness. He had to stop in a village to buy some pills and get rid of the dizziness to feel the adrenaline again. However, everyone keeps great memories about this experience. The weekend was not just about feeling like riding a horse in slow motion, but also about sharing this motion with other people.

ESN-Groningen

How does the ISTeam work?

The ISTeam has two main tasks. We do follow-up activities, providing as much information as we can to students. The follow-up process starts when we introduce ourselves to students who have requested brochures or have contacted us in other ways. We send them the HanzeXperience magazine and we call them to find out if there is anything else we can do for them. Besides this follow-up process, we have our online activities and social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It is very important to keep in touch with prospective students. Through communities like Facebook, we inform the members about activities and news from Hanze University Groningen, so they

have an idea of what is going on over here. We also have chat sessions, so new students can chat with current students in Groningen or with other prospective students.
Whats new this year?

country because they have been through the same experience. Our motto is We care for students.
Which are the most common questions you receive from students?

Unfortunately, the University does not offer a laundry service.

Is your work over once students have arrived?

We have become more active online. There is more communication through social media because we recognize how important it is to provide formal and informal information.
How many people work for the ISTeam?

We are about ten people from all over the world. We have a multicultural team with people from, for example, Peru, Germany, Bulgaria, and Indonesia. Our team can help students from their own

Questions about practical matters, scholarships, courses, but the questions differ from country to country. First they are more practical, but later students usually tend to ask questions about life in the city, places to hang out and our own experience. Sometimes we receive unexpected questions, like whether they are able to buy books here. We also had this question from a student who asked us who was going to do his laundry in the international student house. We had to disappoint him.

We do not actively pursue contacts with current students but we do care for them. We are a very flexible team and we are open to provide help when needed. For example, there was a new student from Vietnam and she asked if we could find a Hanze University student from her country to talk to her before her arrival. We managed to find someone and made her very happy.
Contact information

Erasmus Student Network is one of the largest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe, founded in 1989 for supporting and developing student exchange. They are present in 297 Higher Education Institutions from 32 countries. ESN-Groningen organizes 10 trips per year and 70 activities per semester. They are very active in Groningen and their parties have become very popular among students. They have three main objectives: organizing sociocultural activities for exchange students at low prices, integrating Dutch and international students and informing Dutch students about studying abroad.
Contact info

Telephone number: +3150 595 2516 Email: isteam@org.hanze.nl Website: www.hanzeuniversity.eu/isteam

Address: Grote Rozenstraat 23 Email: info@esn-groningen.nl Phone: +31 50 363 7176

Move your body! Student

Its easy to think about the differences, but are there also similarities between your life in Holland and Zimbabwe?

perience
international communication zimbabWe, 11,4 million inhabitants, 9,4 times biGGer than the netherlands

hanze university GroninGen offers you many Ways to train your brain. but hoW about your physical health? after a lonG day of studyinG, you miGht Want to forGet about everythinG and Work those muscles a bit. studentsports association aclo provides tons of facilities that Will keep you movinG!
Open Hours

rumbi Wadi (22)

studies: home country:

If you only looked outside you would say no, haha! But Dutch people are very welcoming, which is a very strong quality of Africans as well. I like it because Dutch people seem to easily adjust to different atmospheres.
What do you tell to your friends in Africa about the Dutch landscape?

I dont talk too much about the environment or landscapes. I told them about the number of people Ive seen in a car in Amsterdam. The whole transport infrastructure and schedule is something you dont have in Africa. The Netherlands is really nice in this sense. I talk about the food being very bland. Nothing like the hot spices in African food.
What about the typical Dutch snacks that you can buy directly from the wall?

loves: hates:

music, the sound of my voice, the sun! hypocrites, fake people.

Thats convenient. I eat French fries at the strangest hours of the day, so as long as you can discipline yourself you can enjoy the convenience.
Are there things in your new life that you cant live without anymore or that you probably will miss when you go back?

On Zernike campus, the location where you will probably follow all your classes, you will find all the sport facilities that you could possibly need. ACLO was set up in 1945 upon the initiative of a number of sports societies and clubs. Since then, many other student sports clubs have been set up under the wings of the ACLO; the current number being 52. The ACLO works with sport centres to provide high quality sports services. It maintains all of the internal contacts between the various clubs and societies, and of course, the students themselves. The cooperation with the Sports centre ensures that students from Groningen can choose from a wide range of sports services.
International Students Sports Card

student card or registration card, valid for a period longer than three months can buy a card for 36 per semester or 47 a year.

Are you curious about one of the many courses that ACLO offers? Open Hours are offered throughout the entire year. You can simply join-in. Open Hours are offered at regular times during the week and you will not have

to register in advance. Generally speaking, the Open Hours are mostly supervised by coaches; however, participation in this training is non-obligatory. For more information, go to www.aclosport.nl

F a c il it ie s , lo c a ti o n s a n d s p o rt s
Fac ilit ies :

Constant internet access. My phone always has network coverage, I will miss this. I will miss all those things that offer convenience, for example the buses and trains. I know I will be very angry when my bus breaks down in Africa.
Tell me a little bit about your perspective of the world.

Can you give me a saying from your country?

There is a song by tracy chapman called Why that goes like this: Why when there are so many of us/Are there people still alone/Why are the missiles called peace keepers/When theyre aimed to kill. It resembles my perspective of life. Destiny is death, unavoidable. For me, it matters how much we do to count. If you count, it means you have lived.

My favourite saying is Tsabola wa kale sawawa. This is Chewa. Literary it means old chillies are not hot, which of course is not true. Basically its a warning to young people not to dismiss the words or advice of older people. Respect for elders is deeply ingrained in my culture but with good reason. From sitting in a thatched roof hut with my ambuya (grandmother) to sitting at a table with my dad, older people are full of fiery flaming knowledge that no textbook can ever teach you.

Through the activities of ACLO, Hanze University offers its students and staff many extracurricular sporting activities. If you want to use the facilities of ACLO, you need to buy a sports card. This card is a kind of passport with which you can access these facilities. Foreign students in possession of a

12 outdoor tennis courts 4 indoor tennis courts 1 swimming pool 4 soccer fields 2 hockey fields (grass) 3 artificial grass fields 1 beachvolleyball field 1 budo hall 2 small sport halls 4 big sport halls 4 squash courts 1 climbing wall 2 fitness halls 5 swimming pools Skating rink
Oth er loc ati ons :

Athletics track Dance school

Spo rts :

American football Aquarobics Badminton Basketball Beach feet volleyball Beach volleyball Bodyfit Bodypump Climbing

Courtyard basketball Fitness (Cardio/power) Football Frisbee Handball Hockey Indoor football Squash Table tennis Tennis Unihockey Volleyball

What does it all cost?

(and how do I save money?)
the netherlands is the siXteenth larGest economy of the World based on its Gdp. althouGh the cost of livinG in the netherlands has increased steadily in recent years and can be quite hiGh, it remains loWer than in some other european countries. the netherlands is one of the tWo cheapest countries in europe to buy Groceries, thouGh, alonG With Germany. of course livinG costs Will depend a lot on your lifestyle and your social life as Well. on these paGes, you can find averaGe prices of common products and some loW-budGet tips.

TOP 3 low budget

Mamamini (Noorderbinnensingel 100)

Very popular store among students, in which you can find all kinds of second hand products for very low prices, like clothes, furniture, books and electronics, but also old Dutch relics.
Aktie Maxi (Noorderstationsstraat 18)

Methods of Payment er oth The most common methods of payment for goods and services in the Netherlands are cash and s ger 11 and debit cards (the latter use a PIN number to authorize payment and you will often hear - 4 bur ks m 8 Ha snac Dutch people ask if they can pin for something when wanting to pay). It is quite common d 4 bab frie a for people in Holland to use cash, even for large purchases, either at the store or when the le) d egg) gg) / Ke : p z Piz warma enu for 2 peo bles an and e i u m 3,50 items are delivered to their home. Small purchases are sometimes made using a type of s Atr 80 , Sha nese m enough , vegeta getable en ar) 0, smartcard, called a chipknip, which has to be topped up with money from a bank account. 36 hi ion is h ham m, ve n t e andy b a C rt ,60 it ith ha y C fruit, c o 1 90 t (1 p i (rice w les w , r s i ilk, s 1 25 m ive Na i (nood , U n bread, e 2 90 udes n z nch ( Bam , incl LO H a Lu 5 1 40 AC ster. It l e s t 2 , Ful p er: hee me rd a t 1 60 u &c O t h ts Ca one se ing) edi uired , So s cr r r t 1 95 ham uro e req ies Spo ilable fo ree spor , Frie dwich f 10 e u will b compan 2 95 a (av es and lus yo , re) s ll San d s 0 10 2 lit ne p ths, ost ce erhap cour r (1/ 1, Sala it pho s or mon since m , and p uest 35 ll ek ate t , req e rd, p ce oun Fru le of w tre) 0 hea e first w d sim ca ank acc you can prepaid tt 1/2 li ie C th i Bo e ( b h a se c ) oth (For e a prep ow your er, whi u can u rtel.) Cok it smo (Fresh O b s o n a 0 to u ire to k N num ially, y bara or 8 Fru fee/Te o ine) qu ur BS ll. Init ike Le 0 - 35 re yo 3 Cof puccin (Mach a es l a even e City H mpani 1,50 Cap fee/Te o at th s from c Cof rt card 19 ike th:) b on po ns nd 3 2 Tr a nd ha of the m ) co riday e hour ort ,90 6 Se t F on 2 ,90 irp (firs l bus ( en A king) ) 2 4 o cket m a ti Loc to Bre ance bo way v one Bus way ad bus) m( ne ay on sterda ey) ,20 (o w 2 50 rn m , (one n to A turn jou 2 6 i Tra e day re (sam
in Go u go t

2,50 - 1 - 10 5 4,50

Big retail store in which you can get all kinds of cheap products for your room and your daily life (shower gel, blankets, perfume, toothpaste, but also pens, paper, etc.)
Aldi and Lidl

r Bee e Win ktail Coc

You can save a substantial amount of money if you go to these supermarkets to do your groceries. You can buy a package of spaghetti for 0,39, one litre of milk for 0,39, a litre of orange juice for 0,89 and one kilo of chicken for 4. Lidl has special international weeks with products from different countries.

re wo re a the n get t ur, ca nd Ho u e, a ppy ere yo of on euro a g H es wh price ne rin do Du y plac r the ,60 an o n ma tails f en 0 ck etwe co b r bee

Student Visa
The Advisory Committee on Immigration Affaires (ACVZ) has concluded that the Dutch student visa is one of the most expensive in Europe. A comparative study into the level of migration costs has revealed that only Britain charges a higher price for a visa than The Netherlands. For example, visas cost less in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and France. A student from outside the European Union pays 250 for his/her MVV (Provisional Residence Permit) and another 188 on top for the residence permit.

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Groningen Student
yan sun (25)
studies:
What do you like the most about the Netherlands?

perience

perience
international facility manaGement china, 1.3 billion inhabitants, 227 times the size of the netherlands

Dutch people are very, very friendly.

Do you like to live here?

home country:

Yes, I love to live here. Groningen is a very nice city. I like the atmosphere and surroundings.
How often do you go home?

loves: hates:

soccer, ice hockey, collectinG coins discrimination

It is my fourth year here and I have been home only once, for three weeks, during Christmas break 2008.
Why do you go home so rarely?

Because I feel my real home is here. I have my life and friends in Groningen.
And what does your family think about you being here?

My mom and father miss me very much. They want me to come back and spend more time with them since they are getting older. Maybe even to start a family because some of my friends are married and have children.
Do you have a job? What is the biggest difference between the Dutch and the Chinese?

Yes, I fry rice and noodles at Restaurant Peking. I am also teaching Chinese at a Chinese school.
What is the most difficult thing to teach about the Chinese language?

The Dutch kiss a lot! In China people dont kiss that much. In China, kisses are only for lovers.
Do you know what you are going to do after you finish your studies?

For Europeans it is hard to learn the four tones and Chinese characters. It is difficult for students to learn them at first but once they know them, the rest is easy. It is much easier than Dutch, German or Russian.

I will probably find a job here and after that, if I have enough money, I will start my own business in America, Canada or China.

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25 things you should know about Groningen

Awards
1 2 3 4 5
second best student city in the Netherlands (after Amsterdam, according to survey October 2007). safest city in the Netherlands 2004. city of the year 2009 in a comparable survey from Q&A Research, April 2009, based on aspects such as shopping amenities, cultural facilities, safety, and tourism. best downtown in the Netherlands 2006. best bike city in the world 2002 (57% of all transportation within the city is by bike).

Culture
and has such a large student population, its cultural scene is remarkably big and diverse.

Transport
safe and comfortable environment for pedestrians and bikers. two hours away 23 Onlyfrom amsterdam,from utrecht, two and two-and-a-half hours from the hague and rotterdam. located very close to 24 Groningen isborder. Its only two the German hours away from bremen, and three hours from hamburg. buses between 25 There are direct bremen airport, run by Groningen and Publicexpress (www.publicexpress.de). From Bremen Airport you can fly with Ryaniar to many destinations in Europe at a very low price (Milan, Malaga, Barcelona, London, Oslo, Stockholm)

is of 13 BecauseofGroningen of the urban 22 The centreforGroningenisisa partly centre the north the Netherlands closed off cars, so it very

14 15

it has a vibrant and famous nightlife, dominated by students. Bars in the centre are allowed to stay open 24 hours a day. Underground pop club Vera has a great reputation among alternative music lovers all over the world. Bands like nirvana, u2, White stripes and sonic youth performed here in the early days of their career. The most important museum is the Groninger museum. It has a great collection of modern art, but is mostly famous for its controversial construction designed by Alessandro Mendini.

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History
6 7 8 9
the first major settlement in Groningen has been traced back to the third century ad. In medieval times, the city steadily became an important trade centre in northern europe. The most famous eye-catcher, the martinitower, was the highest building in europe for a while in the fifteenth century. many old buildings in the centre still show Groningens great history.

in Groningen 17 other museums museum, tobacco include a comics museum, and science museum.

Economy
18 economic capital of the north of the Netherlands. 19 largest natural gas-field in Western Europe.
fastest computer, 20 europeslocated on Zernike Stella, is Campus in Groningen

Population

10 Groningen has a population of 185,000. 21 One of the Netherlands largest shipbuilding centres. every fourth person in 11 Groningen is a student. 12 fifty percent of the population is younger than 35

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Whats on in Groningen?
HanzeXperience Event Calendar 2010 - 2011

JANUARY
Eurosonic Noorderslag

13-15 january 2011

Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) is a huge music event that focuses on live performances and new upcoming national (Noorderslag) and international, European talent (Eurosonic). ESNS consists of many live performances by famous bands and rising stars. Part of ESNS is a conference about national and international music business, and national and international awards are given out. Performances take place literally everywhere in Groningen, from theatres to little bars. In the last decade, Eurosonic has become the most important European talent music festival for music journalists, record labels and bookers of the big European music festivals. So if you want to spot new talent before they climb the stages of Glastonbury, Rock Am Ring, Sziget, and Roskilde, youd better buy a ticket for ESNS!

FEBRUARY
Stukafest

AUGUST
KEI-Week

SEPTEMBER
Viva la Focus! Dutch Mobile Film Festival

16-20 august 2010 There is no better way for new students to meet people and explore the city than participating in the KEI-Week. This event is an introduction week aimed at firstyear students and takes place a couple of weeks before the beginning of the studies. Groups of 12 to 15 students are formed, guided by two KEI-leaders. The KEI-group explores the city through different activities and events, including a lot of partying. The KEI-week is so popular that even inhabitants of Groningen participate just for fun.
Noorderzon

More info at vivalafocus.nl

Culture in student rooms this is the purpose of Stukafest! The name is short for Studentenkamer Festival which means student room festival. The idea of the festival is that student rooms are transformed into little stages all over the city. During one evening three rounds of performances are offered ranging from theatre to music, dance and cabaret. Every participant can create their own programme by deciding which events to visit. The audience has thirty minutes between the rounds, to bike from one student room to the other, where the next performance takes place between student books and a second-hand couch. The evening ends in a big party, where all participants get together.
International Film Festival Rotterdam in Groningen

OCTOBER
Midnight Express Jazz Festival

Small version of the international film festival in Rotterdam.

Mouth Music - Dutch Dance Series

19-29 august 2010 The Performing Arts Festival Noorderzon is one of the most important cultural events in The Netherlands. It started as a small music festival, but by now Noorderzon has become a major cultural event mainly focussing on international theatre performances. Still, besides theatre the festival also offers other activities including, music, art exhibitions, food and drinks. Located in the Noorderplantsoen, a popular park in Groningen, and the city centre, the festival does not only offer a diverse programme but also pleasant surroundings. Hence, Noorderzon provides a relaxing and entertaining atmosphere, the perfect combination to enjoy the mild summer in Groningen.
Bommen Berend

The Midnight Express is a dynamic cross-over Jazz Festival encouraging modern, local forms of Jazz in Groningen. Young talents perform in different locations throughout the city during the one-week event. Besides live music, Midnight Express offers a wide range of additional activities that are, of course, also jazz-related. This diverse programme includes jam sessions, gigs, exhibitions, film projects, lectures and more. Midnight Express gives all students the chance to broaden their musical horizon through one week of dynamic jazz entertainment.
Student Theatre Festival

Presentation of the new work of young Dutch choreographers

APRIL
Annual Flower Fair

MAY
Liberation Festival

More info on bloemenjaarmarkt.nl

Queens Day

5 may
Liberation Day, or Bevrijdingsdag, as the Dutch call it, is celebrated on 5 May. It serves to commemorate the liberation of The Netherlands after the Second World War. On 4 May the victims of the war are remembered, and on 5 May our freedom is celebrated. The main party place on this day is the Stadspark (City park), where all sorts of events are organized throughout the day. There are several stages with live music, and there are also other things to do, such as relaxing at the square of inner peace. Here you can get a massage, or attend a palm-reading or yoga workshop. There are also some areas with dance music, local Groningen talent, and much more. And all of this is completely FREE!

30 april
Student theatre groups from the Netherlands and abroad perform in Groningen. More info at studententheaterfestival.nl
Groninger Student Cabaret Festival

27-29 october
More info at gscf.nl

28 august 2010 28 August is the day that the Relief of Groningen, which was besieged by the troops of the bishop of Mnster in 1672, is celebrated. This used to be a day of thanksgiving and celebration, and has now turned in to a great free event with music and other amusement for all ages in Groningen. The original reason for the celebration of this day has long been forgotten, but the Bommen Berend Festival derives its name from the bishop of Mnster who attacked Groningen: Berend was his name and bombs were what he threw, hence Bommen Berend. Nowadays this day is celebrated with diverse markets and festivities in the city centre, but the main attraction is in the City Park, which hosts many live performances of bands and artists. The day usually ends with lots of fireworks in the City Park.

DECEMBER
Sinterklaas

Queens Day is celebrated on Friday 30 April. Officially its the celebration of the birthday of former Queen Juliana, although it started as Princesss Day in celebration of her mother, Queen Wilhelmina. Nowadays Queens Day is a day of national celebration. Everything on this day serves to show our nationalist side. The typical colour you find everywhere that day, orange, comes from the last name of the Dutch Royal family, Van Oranje (Of Orange). So make sure you wear something orange to fit in with the crazy Dutch!

5 december
A national and traditional Dutch celebration, mainly for children but grown-ups like to celebrate this Dutch alternative for Santa Claus as well. Sinterklaas and his helper, Zwarte Piet, arrive around the third week of November with a steamboat. On 5 December, his birthday, he brings all Dutch children presents.
Christmas

JUNE
A Rocket Ride to Gideon Music Festival

JULI
New Attraction Festival

NOVEMBER
Cin Premires

This festival is the largest urban festival of the north of the Netherlands, with live hiphop, R&B, dance performances, urban art and much more. More info at newattraction.com
Peter de Grote (Peter the Great) Festival

25/26 december
as in many other parts of the world, Christmas is also celebrated in Groningen. The city centre is decorated with the nicest Christmas lighting and a big Christmas tree is put up at the Grote Markt. Besides it, you can go ice skating in a little skating rink.
Oud en Nieuw

4-6 june
More info at gideon-festival.nl 28 july 7 august The Peter the Great Festival is a classical music festival with over forty concerts in the North of Holland in two weeks time. The concerts are combined with lectures, dinners, walking-tours, and museum visits. An important part of the festival consists of the Summer Academy for young, talented singers, pianists, organ players, double bass players and string instrumentalists. More info at peterdegrotefestival.nl/en/

French Movie Festival

Jonge Harten Festival

19-27 november
Theatre festival for young people offering theatre and dance performances as well as workshops and classes. More info at jongeharten.nl

31 december
Dutch People also celebrate New Years Eve, traditionally with lots and lots of fireworks and champagne. Almost every club or caf in Groningen organizes a New Years party.

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Hot Spots of Groningen

as an international student you Will never knoW GroninGen as Well as the locals. but We can help you out a bit! here are the ten places you have to visit at least once While you are here.
Ever since her childhood aulia tirtamarina (22) wanted to study abroad to see how people in other countries live and work. After finishing the Transport study programme at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in my hometown Surabaya, I received a joint scholarship from the governments of Indonesia and The Netherlands. The scholarship provided the perfect opportunity to fulfil my international ambitions. The Netherlands pay for the scholarship because there is a lack of technicians. I will probably stay here for a while, but the world is wide and eventually I will go back to Indonesia to help build up the country.
Models

Work

perience

1 Reggae in Zolder

Hidden in one of the more shady alleys of Groningen, de Papengang, you can find de zolder (the attic). Usually this is the home of pot heads, hippies, chess players and outcasts, but on Tuesday night they organize their infamous Reggae Jam Session. All ganja lovers, Marley fans, and Jah followers gather here to listen to and play reggae.
2 Dutch Snacks at FEBO

Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday. You can also buy lots of flowers at very reasonable prices.
5 Underground in Il Sole In Cantina

8 Go Dutch in Het Feest

Want to experience how Dutch students like to party? Go here. We will not tell you more, just check it out!
9 Modern Art in Groninger Museum

aulia tirtamarina from surabaya, indonesia studies international civil enGineerinG manaGement. she is currently undertakinG an internship With a consultancy firm. no need to feel homesick in GroninGen.

The Dutch dont really have an impressive food culture, but we do know how to make some nasty snacks that taste best after a couple of beers. But the kroketten and frikandellen are not the real attraction of FEBO. It is the fact that you eat them out of a wall that makes this one of the weirdest dining experiences you will have in Holland.
3 Park life in Noorderplantsoen

One of the most hard-to-find places in Groningen is il sole in cantina in the Haddingestraat, a side street of the Vismarkt. Main reason is that this is not actually a bar. Its a basement of a private house, but on Saturday night, the Italian owner opens her doors to the jazz aficionados of Groningen. Since it is a private gathering and not a public bar, you have to knock on the door and wait for one of the people inside to let you in.
6 Swimming & Tanning at Hoornse Plas

Right opposite the train station you find one of the most controversial museums of the Netherlands. Equally loved and hated by locals for its strange shapes and colors, the building certainly draws the attention. Inside you can find some really great modern art. Exhibitions change each season, so keep an eye on the programme.
10 Eclectic Dance in Vera

Aulias parents are both lecturers at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya. My dad teaches marine engineering and my mom civil engineering. When I was little, my mother often took me to ITS and while waiting for her I often played with the models of civil engineering project like railway stations and bridges. Civil Engineering has fascinated me ever since. This is probably why I opted to study International Civil Engineering Management in Groningen and get a double degree. Im in my fifth year now, four years in ITS and one year in Hanze
Shock

On sunny days, a lot of students love to visit the Noorderplantsoen, a park right next to the centre that is the perfect place to chill, have a picnic and drink a cold beer.
4 Fresh Food at Vismarkt

Yes, we have something that resembles a beach, but dont expect any waves, sand or beach bars. It is nothing fancy, but when the weather is nice, it is the perfect spot to get a tan and cool down in the lake. It is just twenty minutes away from the city by bike.
7 Lounging at Springs

Vera has a great reputation among alternative music lovers all over the world. Bands like Nirvana, U2, White Stripes and Sonic Youth performed here in the early days of their career. During the week the club organizes concerts, but on Saturday the place transforms into an underground nightclub during Swingavond. If you like your music weird and eclectic, this is where you go.

Aulia is happy that she came to Groningen now, but the first days in the Netherlands were quite a culture shock. The Dutch are very straightforward. During one of the first days I was here, my classmates were not quite satisfied with my work and became a bit annoyed. I was really surprised. Indonesian tend not to show their irritation and anger, they will keep still. On the same occasion Aulia discovered that the Dutch also separate business and their private feelings. Only five minutes after this incident, one of the classmates came up to me and offered me a cup of coffee in a very friendly tone. To me thats weird! Another thing I found out is that yes means yes, and no means no. If you ask someone to help you, they either say yes, or no, Im busy. In Indonesia the answer will always be yes, but at the end of the day it often doesnt mean a thing.
Whos the boss?

measurements and work on a model that predicts how periods of heavy rainfall will affect the water system. This is particularly important in summer when you have heavy rainfall over very short periods. I do not only gain technical knowledge and skills, I also learn a lot about how people work. What immediately struck me was that it is very difficult here to see whos in charge. In Indonesia, the manager has a separate room with luxurious furniture and the best equipment. My boss does not have a separate office and his computer monitor is much smaller than mine. I expressed my surprise at this and he explained that with the work I do - I simply need a better computer system than he does.
Blue toes

Forget about Albert Heijn, if you really want to taste some typical Dutch cheese, vegetables or fish, go visit the market on

Springs roof terrace is hard to find but worth looking for. Go into the building next to Vindicat at the Grote Markt and take the elevator to the highest floor. Here you will have a great view of the city while sippin on some cool cocktail.

Currently Aulia is in the middle of a six-months internship with DHV, a consultancy firm in Groningen. I make calculations about the water system for the Municipality of Haren, a town a few kilometres south of Groningen. The main objective is to make sure that the urban areas stay dry. She opens her laptop computer. The screen shows a complicated pastern of blue and pink dots. The blue dots are the sewer system. The pink ones are open water like ditches, lakes and brooks. The open water system has to absorb the sewer water. I take

I do miss Indonesia, obviously, but not as badly as I feared. I very much enjoy studying here. Teachers are always willing to help and its easy to contact them when you need them. I also made a lot of friends, for instance at the Blue Toes, the student dance club that I joined. Im also a member of Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia Groningen, the student union for Indonesian students in Groningen. They help Indonesian students find their way in Groningen and they organise social events, like cooking Indonesian dinners. Every year they hold a sports tournament in Groningen in which Indonesian students from all over the Netherlands compete. No need to feel homesick in Groningen!

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MBA
Why did you come to Groningen?

perience

Well, I came to study and have fun! After I chose the programme and the university I was really excited to come to Groningen. I already knew from some friends that the city is incredibly beautiful and relaxed, and with an amazing night life. The streets of Groningen are never lonely at night.
How did you find the MBA programme?

radina ivanova svetulkova (24)

studies: mba in international business and manaGement country: bulGaria, 7.2 million inhabitants, 2.7 times biGGer than the netherlands loves: hates: floWers, sea liars, frauds

I like to say that the programme found me. During my studies in Varna I found out about an education fair in Sofia called World Education. I went there and believe me, I had to go through the worst weather ever. I went inside wet and angry. But the moment I saw the representative from Hanze University all the bad feelings were gone. In exactly five minutes, he told me everything I needed to know about the university and the programme, as well as that I was a perfect candidate! I was so happy. I didnt even want to know about all the other universities; it already seemed to me that the MBA dream had come true. I applied only for the MBA IBM programme and got accepted.
What do you like the most about the education at Hanze University?

I love the way the lecturers interact with the students. I never experienced before that teachers were like friends. Sometimes they sensed that we might have a problem within the group or with the assignments and they were the first to address this. That made my classmates and me feel special.
Is it harder to study in The Netherlands or in Bulgaria?

Did you experience cultural differences?

I would say studying in the Netherlands is harder but way more effective.
Which were your first impressions when you arrived to Groningen?

They are everywhere in Groningen, especially in class. There are around fifty students in the whole MBA programme, from more than 35 countries. The first difference that I experienced was that people here shake their head for no and nod for yes, in Bulgaria it is the other way. As you can imagine that caused some misunderstandings.
What do you miss the most from Bulgaria?

Holland

perience

My very first impression was the water and nature everywhere. Later I was impressed by the fact that people are incredibly friendly and willing to help.

I missed my family and friends the most, as well as some of the traditional Bulgarian food. But in March a Bulgarian shop opened in Groningen and you can find everything there that is needed for a Bulgarian dinner.

One of the big benefits of studying in Groningen is that you are not trapped in an urban environment. Five minutes biking from campus you can already find the typically Dutch landscape. Windmills, cows, flowers, canals: all a stones throw away! You can spend a whole day exploring the nature around Groningen, but you can also use two hours between classes to have a picknick in the field. What other city can offer you that kind of luxury?

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MBA
Why did you come to Groningen?

perience Sensor perience

I came to Groningen to complete my Master degree. I did my Bachelor in India and I did the first semester of my Master in the UK. It was very useful for me to have another educational system experience rather than India or the UK, so I came to The Netherlands. Groningen has given me the best international experience I have ever had and I have interacted with many other students. I prefer Groningen to Cambridge for studying, because it is different from the system we have in India. India has more in common with the British educational system because of the colonial past.
Which are the differences in education between The Netherlands and India?

sitaramaraju uppalapati (30)

country: india, 1.16 billion inhabitants, 80 times the size of the netherlands studies: master of business administration in international business and manaGement (mba in ib&m). a double deGree proGramme of hanze university GroninGen and anGlia ruskin university in cambridGe, uk.

students demonstrate robot rob durinG the hit open day. this robot Was built to autonomously naviGate throuGh a miniature oil riG and find certain places. the hanze institute of technoloGy (hit) is part of hanze university GroninGen. hits bachelor in advanced sensor applications is aimed at talented students Who can become innovation leaders in the field of sensor technoloGy. visit hit.hanze.nl or check out photos of their Great inventions on facebook (search for hanze institute of technoloGy)

In terms of workload, it is more or less the same in The Netherlands, UK and India. However, the working environment is completely different. In Indian and British universities there is less focus on group work, decisions are mostly taken individually. However, in Hanze University we worked in multicultural groups, learning to take decisions together. That was a great learning experience, because international managers need to understand these aspects of business and deal with many countries and nationalities.
Was it difficult to work in groups with different cultures?

Not really, because the people who do an MBA have work experience and an international background, so they are professional. Everybody is nice and it is a challenging experience because of the different ages and cultural backgrounds.
How do you like Groningen? What does your average week look like?

I love this city and I have had a great time here. The city is good, one of the best student cities in The Netherlands, you just see so many students in the streets and there is lot of knowledge around. In India, we do not have typical student cities. Also, Dutch people are very nice and friendly. Even if you do not speak Dutch, they give you their ideas and point of views. What I like the least is the weather because it is too cold and in India it is very hot. Although I admit that it is nice to see snow.

We usually have classes from Monday to Friday, but some weeks we do not have classes every day. I spend most of the time in the library, doing assignments or group work, and during my free time, I like to go shopping. I especially love to go to the market on Vismarkt and buy fresh products. Yes, my life in Groningen has been very good.

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International Business School

Will We spend our summers on the moon soon? does tourism harm the environment or does it raise aWareness? a lesson in travel & tourism Will brush up your knoWledGe about the future of tourism.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers play on teacher mark kierans laptop, while the students enter the classroom one by one. Its like an athlete listening to his favorite song to prepare for a race. Kierans turns off the music. I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that this is our last class. And you guessed right, thats also the good news. His first words are the interlude for a one-hour oneman-show. Most classes require interactivity not just because thats good for the students, but also because not many teachers are able to keep the students

attention for longer than thirty minutes. Kierans doesnt have that problem. He is a waterfall of words, but so entertaining that the students are all ears for the full sixty minutes of the course. With one exception. Within one minute a girl gets up and leaves, mumbling that she is in the wrong class. You can still stay if you want to, Kierans tells her, but shes already on her way out. He turns to the class again. This happens all the time, people just wander in and out. And then they realize its not the right class. Sometimes they all of sudden wake up and realize its

not even the right language! Todays class is about the future of tourism. And that future is bright, according to Kierans. Only seven percent of the world population travels. Its a growing industry. When more countries develop, more people have the opportunity to start traveling. But there is also a downside to this growth. Kierans comes up with some interesting dilemmas. People want exclusive trips, so places like the moon and Antarctica might become popular places. But if more and more people are able to book an exclusive trip, it wont be exclusive anymore. Things

arent as simple as they seem sometimes. Making Antarctica a tourist destination will be bad for the environment, an environmentalist would argue. But its also a matter of unknown, unloved, Kierans argues. If nobody ever sees Antarctica, they wont care too much about it either. Tourism can harm nature, but it also raises awareness. Its not all about serious dilemmas, though. Kierans uses two tricks to keep the students attention. One is comedy. Did you watch the news yesterday? Some Microsoft guy paid 25 million dollars for a space trip

with the Russians. I heard Bill Gates wants to go too. He should bring an Apple computer though. Windows definitely wont work. The other one is story-telling. He exemplifies every dry piece of theory with a juicy story, usually from his own experience. When he talks about experience-based tourism it quickly becomes an endearing story about a visit to Disneyland, where his daughter got to shake hands with Ariel, the little mermaid, her big heroine. When talking about the importance of technology for modern tourists, it quickly becomes a wild fantasy about

life BC (Before Cellphones). Do you know that fifty years ago most people went on holiday without a cellphone, Kierans

Technology, environmental issues, and even terrorism. We have to find a balance between security and hospitality, Kierans

Bill Gates should bring an Apple computer to the moon. Windows definitely wont work.
says with a straight face. Most of them didnt survive, but some came back and procreated, and thats how you ended up here But all the jokes and stories serve their purpose. In one hour all important trends and issues of future tourism are discussed. says, where do you draw the line? Fear is understandable, but it has to be realistic. How long has terrorism existed? Since the cavemen! They probably had screaming cavewomen attacking their caves. And then of course there are

the growing demands of the New Tourist, who seeks quality, is educated, sophisticated, technologically skilled, and above all, old. You are in between generations, Kierans explains. You have to take care of all the baby boomers who have the free time and money to travel. You will have to take care of me. The final sheet contains a quote from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Goodbye and thanks for all the fish. Class is over. Kierans answers some questions about assignments. When the students leave, he turns on the Peppers again. The waterfall has stopped.

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Communication, Complications and Comfort Zones

intercultural communication is full of complications. but With a little understandinG, a lot of patience and respect for each others comfort zone, We can all communicate With each other. eXcept for the french, naturellement.

Let me do a little experiment. andries rodenboog bends over towards one of his students until their faces almost touch. Does this make you feel uncomfortable? Matt from Canada doesnt move a muscle. No, not really, people did this to me before, he replies. Teacher Rodenboog is still impressed. I did this experiment before and students always get a little scared. Would you guys say this is a form of aggression?, he asks the class. Yes, that is pretty aggressive, the class confirms. It definitely is, Rodenboog says, because you are reaching into

somebodys comfort zone and that can be very confrontational. Comfort zone. Its a term that will return several times during this Managing Cultural Differences and Business Ethics class. Doing business with people from another culture can be quite complex. One of the key elements is respecting the other persons comfort zone. But that is easier said than done. Rodenboog gives a good example of how complicated this can be. The comfort zone of an Englishman is much bigger

than that of an Egyptian person. Lets say they meet each other at a party and the Egyptian starts talking to the Brit. While he talks he gets closer and closer to the Englishman. The Brits natural reaction is to back away from the Egyptian, because he feels intimidated. The Egyptian reacts by stepping a little more forward again. In the end the Egyptian is just following the Brit around the room. So even though they both just behave according to their cultural background, it creates a negative atmosphere. The Englishman will think the Egyptian is pushy and obnoxious,

the Egyptian will consider the Brit to be rude and impolite because he walked away. Communication also relies on many other things. Trust, for instance. Can you rely on the person that is talking to you? Again this is more complicated than it seems at first sight. Rodenboog comes up with another example. What if you meet another student from your class in the hallway and he or she tells you that tomorrows exam is postponed until next week. Would you believe him or her? Yes, one student replies, but I

would still check if its really true. Even within a culture, communication is never the same all the time. A lot depends on the situation. For instance, why do guys never show affection to each other, except in sports? Its true, Matt says, Ive touched many asses on my football team, but you would never do that in another situation. What makes this class so interesting is the fact that its not just a matter of learning about cultural differences from the books. The wide variety of

nationalities in class guarantees that students can explain to each other how their culture works and how they feel about other cultures and differences. This becomes especially obvious during a discussion on language. Would it be better if we all were to speak good English or should we try to learn the language of the country we are visiting? If somebody tries to speak my language, it is usually only annoying, Jamilla from Uganda remarks. Probably influenced by his culture, Qiao Liang from China tries to formulate it

more nicely. It shows you are of good faith, but you have to know the language very well, otherwise it only creates more misunderstandings. Most students seem to agree it is more convenient to have a common language like English. But at the same time it is good to know some key words in other languages, because it shows you are interested in the other persons culture. Just dont try too hard, they conclude. One question remains unanswered. If all the students seem to agree on the importance

of a common language, then why do the French always refuse to co-operate? Who could better answer that question than a French student, Rodenboog seems to think, and he turns to Paul in the back of the class. Why dont you guys speak English?, he asks. Paul thinks for a second. Because French is the most beautiful language in the world, he replies. In English. To understand and communicate with other cultures is one thing, to understand the French another.

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Alumnus
Do you miss Groningen?

perience

Groningen on the map is simply a little dot in the north of the Netherlands, yet its much more than that once you start a life there. The two universities in the city are both very open to students from all around the world. The city is perfect for studying as it is rather small, cozy and clean. Everything is reachable by bicycle and bus. Meanwhile, its social life is simply irresistible. It varies from house parties to friends dinners, from music festivals to sports activities. It is much more than you could ever imagine.
What was your Groningen Xperience?

ziren zhou (25)

native country: china, 1.3 billion inhabitants, 227 times the size of the netherlands studies: job: Graduated from hanze university in 2007 public relations officer at the national centre for the performinG arts in beijinG

My experiences depended on the company I was in. In an international group, it was easier to get along with others since everyone had the same international student status. But you will also meet many local Dutch people, and then you are the foreigner, which is a completely different experience. I used to work in a Dutch restaurant in Groningen and a bar on an island to the north of the Netherlands. The experience of working and living with local Dutch people was more challenging, since I was the only outsider in a group formed by people from the same culture. But if you manage to deal with it and get along with them, like I did, you will enjoy the experience a lot.
Any other things you liked about studying in the Netherlands?

In the studio of Happy Hour FM

I bet that most of you have heard about happy hour before, but there is also another happy hour that does not involve drinking. This one might even be better. Every Monday from 6 p.m. till 7 p.m. on local radio station OOG Radio, a group of international students gather to present Happy Hour FM. The one-hour show provides news and fun for everybody who is curious about what is going on in Groningen and where they can find the hottest parties and events. One hour before the show, the Happy Hour FM crew is already busy preparing. Presenters are looking for the latest news, while guests from bands and different student organizations wait for their turn to walk into the studio. A word of welcome , a song , the latest news, another song and then the first topic of the day. Happy Hour FM is on it. To finish on a funny note, the comedians of Stranger Things Have Happened add some live stand-up comedy at the end of each show. So now you know what you have to do if you want to stay up-todate with international student life in Groningen. Tune in on 106.6 FM or listen to the show live on happyhourfm.com! Do you want to join the radio show or you would just like to get more information? Contact Happy Hour at contact@happyhourfm.com

Learning English is one of the main goals of studying abroad. Although English is not the mother language of the Dutch, the young generation speaks a rather high level of English. In fact, compared with Englishspeaking countries, its in a way easier for foreign students to learn English in the Netherlands than in English speaking countries. There, local people tend to use slang and dialects or they speak very rapidly.
What did you do after you graduated?

So far we have already organised a folksong festival with four hundred artists from abroad and various concerts, and we have also organized a big international summit in 2009.
How does your education at Hanze University help you in this job?

I went back to China in July 2008 and found a job in the National Centre for the Performing Arts, in the International Arts Exchange department. This department is mainly responsible for foreign public relations. We cooperate with foreign arts institutions and embassies in Beijing on certain projects in order to promote cultural exchange. Meanwhile, we also organise international conferences such as the International Summit of Theatre Development.
Sounds like a very international environment

It is! We work with people from all around the world. The staff in our department is divided into groups and each group is in charge of different regions on the globe. In the Group of Europe we have colleagues who speak French, German and English, and since I speak Spanish, I am in the group of South America.

If I look back at my International Communication studies, I realise that it has made me a very open and international person. Since the theatre opened in 2007, we have not been very well known internationally, therefore, one of the tasks we have is to receive visitors from the embassies in Beijing and show them our theatre, in order to arouse their interest and organise artists from their countries to perform here. An international public relations officer should be very open and active. You need a good level of international awareness in terms of politics, art, society, economics and many other issues. This was exactly what I developed while I studied in Groningen. I was surrounded by students from various cultures in the world. I have gradually learned about all types of opinions, ideas which aroused my interest. I wanted to participate in the world, and not simply in my own country.

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Colophon
hanzeXperience is a publication of the department of marketinG & communication of hanze university of applied sciences in cooperation With the editorial staff of hanzemaG, the independent maGazine of hanze university.
editors Chris Wind Editor-in-chief Luuk Steemers Final Editor student writers Elina Kisiele Denise Lopes Tania Ouariachi Peralta Ann-Fleur Praetorius Marte Pruis photographers Pepijn van den Broeke Tania Ouariachi Peralta Deborah Roffel Luuk Steemers Chris Wind lay-out Sebastiaan Lenting, Grafische Industrie De Marne B.V. print Grafische Industrie De Marne B.V.

Jan Bruin,
Alumnus International Communication & Media
as an international communication student, one of the first and most important facts about intercultural competence that i Was tauGht, Was that it is impossible to study another culture by just readinG about it. a modern interpretation of an old sayinG by confucius is tell me and i Will forGet, shoW me and i may remember, involve me and i Will understand.

* all proGrammes accredited by nvao * international business school accredited by nibs

Walk of fame, Zernike Campus

Train station Groningen

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Contact
international student office
P.O. box 3037 9701 DA Groningen The Netherlands T +31 (0)50 595 40 51 F +31 (0)50 595 49 99 E iso@org.hanze.nl

www.hanzeuniversity.eu

TurningAmbitionIntoSuccess