How did you get to where you are now?
“I studied Business Studies at Nijmegen and Applied Educational Sciences at the University of Twente. I come from an educational family, and education has always been of interest to me. Although I hesitated to pursue a PhD, I eventually ended up in consultancy, after which I joined Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam six years ago. This was a major change: from very results-oriented to administratively complex – and sometimes slow – decision-making at VU Amsterdam.”
Can you tell us about your work as an education policy adviser?
“I advise the Executive Board and faculty boards on decisions about education. I work closely with other services to create, monitor and evaluate university-wide policy. I focus on how we implement the rules set by the government, and how we navigate the challenges and opportunities in the outside world.”
What do you like about your job?
“It’s hard work, but that’s what makes it fun. When drafting policies, we have to weigh up many interests. For example, about the issue of which language of instruction we should use in order to balance internationalisation: politicians demands change, but we also want international students to feel at home with us, and we want to be able to attract international research talent. There’s the interests of the student who wants to be able to express themselves in Dutch, or the student who wants to study in English and might no longer be able to do so. And then there are employees who cannot teach in Dutch, or whose workload becomes too high if they have to offer everything in two languages. Those are just a few of the interests you need to understand and weigh up.
“’What’s best for VU Amsterdam?’ is a complicated question, but also a fun one. You have to empathise, listen and ask questions to find the right direction. As an adviser, I’m not the one making the decision, but I do prepare the guidance. That suits me fine: I like to do the research and set the direction, but I don't necessarily need to make the decision myself.”
In your opinion, what is the status of diversity at VU Amsterdam?
“I think the university is doing its best. Diversity really is part of our DNA. All directors and administrators I speak to have this top of mind, and I appreciate that. Everyone is proud that we’re flying the flag of progress. Diversity is always a consideration in decisions taken and policymaking. I’m proud of that and I also experience it around me. People are judged based on their performance and qualities; not on where they come from, what they look like, or whether they’re male or female. I also like the fact that our rector radiates this, too. There’s always room for improvement and we all have prejudices, but the foundation is strong.”
What would you like to say to your 18-year-old self now?
“‘Open your mind.’ I’d just taken my pre-university exams and came from a fairly narrow-minded school culture. I didn’t feel strong enough to really be myself. University felt like a liberation at the time. Suddenly, I wasn’t a nerd if I was curious and it didn’t matter what I looked like. The makeup went straight in the bin and I was able to reinvent myself. Actually, I think I did very well as an 18-year old; I approached all new perspectives full of curiosity. My advice would be: trust yourself, make mistakes (as long as you learn from them) and stay curious!"
