"I felt it was important to do a study that would prepare me well for practice. What really attracted me to this master's was the multidisciplinary, the integral"
Wim had a bachelor's degree in history. "A fine study, but I wanted to develop more broadly - and this programme made that possible. Here I also met students from other backgrounds, such as architecture and art history. This taught me to take multiple perspectives into account."
Current
Wim was given a lot of freedom in how he wanted to complete his master's. "What I found a very interesting course was Terrorscapes of Postwar Heritage. That is about places where something terrible happened and how you deal with that history. We then went to Westerbork, a fraught place for different groups in society. There, they put a bell jar over the camp commander's house."
He continues: "Another interesting course was Politics of International Heritage. That was taught by someone from the Cultural Heritage Agency. I also did a course on architectural criticism. As a result, you learn to look at buildings in a different way."
Network
Wim did an internship at the National Cultural Heritage Agency for over a year. "A lecturer said at one point that if you wanted to do an internship at the National Office, you could drop by after college. A week later, it was arranged.
He therefore recommends everyone to do an internship. "The master's consists mainly of theoretical subjects. An internship gives you that little bit extra. I see it as a step you need before doing the real work. Besides: it sets you apart when you start looking for a job after your studies."
Getting on well
He still has good contact with his fellow students. "It is nice to see how different and how well we ended up. Think, for example, of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, municipalities, or, for example, at the State Property Agency. It shows how well the master's programme has prepared us for practice."
Heritage advisor
Wim himself is a heritage consultant at an international engineering and design firm. "In my job, I am involved in all kinds of projects, especially in infrastructure, water management and sustainability. My job is to ensure that heritage is included from the beginning of a project. This can range from protecting historic landscape to enhancing heritage in designs. We also ensure that heritage is not damaged (or as little as possible). In cases where it is affected, it is incorporated and preserved as best as possible. This is how we try to preserve and enhance heritage"
