Ruben van de Belt (29) has three Master’s to his name, two of them cum laude. But despite this, studying wasn’t a foregone conclusion for him. "I was a higher secondary education (HAVO) dropout. I finally got to university via secondary vocational education (MBO) and that’s partly thanks to lecturers and professors who believed in me and also said this to me."
Ruben says that he became resilient and self-assured at university. "Education is also a quest for who you are as a person. Previously I always wanted to become a priest, but I lack the patience needed for pastoral work and my real interest is in global issues at the interface of theology, law and politics."
During his studies Ruben wrote a thesis about the theological foundations of the international law applicable to conducting cyber warfare. "Even to me, that sounds complicated," he jokes. "The essence of my current specialist field is that you think up rules for undesirable situations that will mostly occur in the future. In this way you aim to prevent a legal vacuum."
Thinking about the future fits his Protestant roots. "My grandad and grandma kept a savings box bearing a picture of VU Amsterdam founder Abraham Kuyper on their mantelpiece, and they used it to save for future study costs." He too applies this lesson from the past. "The composer Gustav Mahler put it nicely: Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire."
Next generation
During his courses of study, Ruben was the chair of the faculty student council and a student member of the faculty council. "It enriched my own experience and you also make a small contribution to a future university for the next generation. Moreover, I also took the VU Boardroom masterclass, which gives you insight into how decisions are made in a large company."
Ruben is now policy advisor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. His main focus is on climate legislation. "The transition from fossil fuels to the use of sustainable energy sources is presenting government authorities and grid operators with new issues that need to be translated into legislation. This is complex material and it’s something I like to get my teeth into."
The alumnus is also a council member of the ChristenUnie in Zwolle, where his portfolios include Student Affairs and Energy & Climate. "For me, the energy transition also involves a careful approach to God’s creation. Sometimes I feel more pessimistic about whether all our efforts will be enough, and usually I’m enthusiastic about all the large and small initiatives around me."
In 2009 Ruben saw the consequences of climate change with his own eyes in Bangladesh. It’s estimated that some 200 million people live in this delta. "The houses of the poorest inhabitants are flooded twice a year, and they are the first ones to suffer the bitter results of global warming. So the climate issue is also about justice and injustice."
