The intercultural classroom: Student experiences

"With classmates we have often enjoyed drinks in the city or shared a meal together after school."
Hi I am Marei van der Kooij, and I am in my second year of the Master in Strategic Event Management. To be honest, I did not intentionally choose an international school environment at BUas. I wanted to pursue a master’s degree in event management, and this programme had a high reputation. In retrospect, I am glad that it was an international programme. Not only do you improve your English, but you also learn a lot from your international classmates.

I find it extremely valuable to work with international students. They bring different knowledge from their educational backgrounds in their home countries. Additionally, you learn a lot about interacting with people from different cultures.

Since our master’s programme is part-time, many students do not live in Breda. This makes it a bit more challenging to do fun things together. However, we have often enjoyed drinks in the city or shared a meal together after school. We even once made various snacks typical of our countries and brought them to school. This is highly recommended because I ate some delicious food that day!

"Many collaborations are being set up in the leisure sector between stakeholders from all over the world."
I am Sander Mazeland and I recently completed the Bachelor of Science Leisure Studies. Next year, I will continue at BUas on the Master of Science Leisure and Tourism Studies. The reason I chose the bachelor's is primarily because of my huge interest in and passion for leisure and everything to do with it. 

I consider the fact that I am studying in an international school environment a huge advantage. Due to developments around the world, but also specifically in the leisure industry, a global perspective is increasingly necessary. Moreover, many collaborations are being set up in the leisure industry between stakeholders from all over the world. 

From working with my fellow students, I get a lot of benefit. Because of their different cultural backgrounds, they can be real ‘eye-openers’ in some situations. You learn to think more critically because others can give you a new perspective. 

I also see this outside my studies. Some classmates I seek out to do things with. Since I share the passion for themed entertainment with others, this is also something we enjoy together. The discussions at these times are also educational in a fun way. At the same time, my fellow students can be a bridge to interesting international partners in this field for my own leisure network.

"Our placement programme also made me wiser about other cultures, languages and traditions." 
I am Sven Otten and I study Leisure & Events Management at BUas where I attend the Urban Life & Placemaking (ULP) specialisation. Before choosing this study programme, I was not necessarily looking for an English-taught course, but in the end, I am very satisfied that I did choose it. The main reason for me was to improve my English and because I think it will also help me in the future when I start working in the leisure industry.

Being taught in English and working with fellow international students was quite new to me, but I quickly got used to it. In the ULP class, we have students from more than five different countries. I think the best part of being in a class with international students is getting familiar with other people's cultures and learning the different perspectives on all kinds of topics.

My studies also allowed me to meet many new people and make friends. What is special in that context was our placement programme abroad for which I studied in Seville for six months and lived with an Italian, Polish and Slovak fellow student. This also made me wiser about other cultures, languages and traditions. We now see each other a lot around classes on campus and once in a while we also meet up outside school or during certain school events.

"After graduating I would like to stay in the Netherlands; I am especially curious about the lively city of Utrecht with its combination of historic beauty and modern living."
I am Claudia Escabias, a 20-year-old from Barcelona, Spain. I chose Breda University of Applied Sciences because of the variety of programmes they had, but I was also attracted by the high degree of interaction with professionals in the sector, which I think is a great opportunity for learning and growth.

When I made the decision to study at BUas, at the beginning I was a bit scared due to the cultural and educational change. However, I always received guidance and help from the university to adapt in the best way, especially in the introduction week, a week designed to get to know the city, different spots, and meet people from different backgrounds. 

After three years of living and studying in Breda, it has become my second home. I have had the pleasure to meet people who have taught me the culture and traditions and I feel really connected to the city and its places. I like the fact that the city offers different spaces and different venues depending on your interests.

Due to my interest in cities and their urban life, I would like to discover new spaces and unique places. After graduating I would like to stay in the Netherlands; I am especially curious about the city of Utrecht because it is a lively city that combines historical beauty with modern living. 

"Most people on campus speak English, so it was very easy to adjust to student life here in Breda." 
My name is Louisa Schüller, I’m a student from Germany and I also work as a wedding planner at Christel Winther Weddings. I did my bachelor’s studies in Tourism in Belgium and really wanted to learn more about events management. I’ve always loved going to the Netherlands when I was  growing up, so when I found BUas, it was a perfect fit for me!

I went to the international kick-off and to the kick-off for my master’s programme in Strategic Events Management (MSEM) and both felt really welcoming and exciting. I loved how open everyone was and that most people on campus speak English, so it was very easy to adjust to student life here. I, unfortunately, decided not to move to Breda, as I live nearby in Belgium and only had classes once a week in the MSEM programme. However, I was really lucky to have a great group of classmates and we would often hang out together after class. Breda is such a beautiful city that I definitely want to explore more.

Right now I am finishing up the MSEM programme and looking for jobs in Belgium but I am also considering finding a new adventure. I have been able to learn quite a lot of Dutch, so who knows, maybe the Netherlands is going to be my new home. 

"When I realised that I did not need to use Google Maps anymore - that was the moment I realised that Breda had become my second home."
Hi there! I am Carmina Ţărean and I come from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. I chose the Leisure and Events bachelor’s programme because of the many festivals that I volunteered at in Romania, such as Electric Castle. Moving to Breda felt like a leap into the unknown because the culture is so different from my own. For example, In Romania there is a high power distance between students and lecturers. In the Netherlands, lecturers are much easier to approach and interact with. However, I felt excited to discover a new city and a new identity. 

One day while biking, I realised that I did not need to use Google Maps anymore - that was the moment I realised that Breda had become my second home. I must say, while living here, I got an answer to the following question: What is more important: the journey or the destination? Well, the truth is, ‘the company you have along the way’ is the most important. Breda feels like home because of the people I met, I connected with, and got to love wholeheartedly. 

After four years of academia, I feel it is time to leave the Netherlands and start a new chapter. My dream for now is to move to Australia for a year to work and travel. Nevertheless, I would definitely consider moving back to the land of cheese and the colour orange.

This article was published in Uncover Magazine - Internationalisation. You can read the complete magazine via this link.