Agir Axwijk completed his Bachelor’s in History at Anton de Kom University in Paramaribo. “To do a Master’s, I needed to go to the Netherlands. I had several universities to choose from, and I chose VU Amsterdam because the Master’s programme there aligns best with my interests.”
Real Archival Documents
Agir chose VU Amsterdam to specialise in global history, a logical decision for him. “So many countries have been colonies at some point, and the relationships between those countries, how they relate to one another, that’s what I want to investigate. It’s the history of Suriname, but it’s also a shared history of many people around the world.”
The Master’s programme consists of several compulsory courses that focus on the theoretical and philosophical aspects of history, which help students become strong researchers. “I really enjoy those courses. They connect well together, and the lecturers are fantastic. We’ve also worked with real archival documents at the National Archive. That’s very special.”
Freedom of Choice
Agir is now noticing that the programme is starting to pay off. “I can see that I’ve made progress in the way I research things, how I analyse sources, and how I write. I’m quite proud of that.”
His thesis topic is, unsurprisingly, about a subject from the history of Suriname. “You can choose your own thesis topic, but I’ve had this subject in mind for a long time, and now I get the opportunity to work on it. The topic involves a lot of oral history, which is why I chose that as an extra course instead of doing an internship.”
Unique
What makes studying at VU Amsterdam unique, according to Agir? “The atmosphere is great. As an international student, I was welcomed with open arms. Of course, I’m not the only international student in this programme, so suddenly I have friends from all over the world. And with the lecturers, you can always get in touch. They understand you and think along with you. I really enjoy that.”
Future
Agir worked at the Surinamese Museum in Paramaribo in the education department. He organised school excursions and helped set up exhibitions. “That’s something I definitely want to do again. On the other hand, there aren’t many historians in Suriname, so I might get the chance to work at the university there and do research."
