One of the most pressing recommendations that came from the independent and international study ‘International Student Barometer’ is to improve contact between international and Dutch students. Over three hundred international students at TU/e filled out the questionnaire. Their satisfaction regarding their interaction with the Dutch is a mere 57 per cent, while their satisfaction about socializing with other nationalities scores 89 per cent. And where actual friendship with Dutch people is concerned, the satisfaction score is lower still: 49 per cent.

TU/e also checked international students’ experiences. Out of 88 respondents that filled out a questionnaire designed by the Education and Student Service Center (STU), 79 per cent said that intercultural awareness at TU/e should be given much more attention. Twenty per cent was neutral in their verdict, and only one student felt no need for change. Respondents rated their own level of intercultural awareness significantly higher than that of their Dutch colleagues.

When asked whether social integration between foreign and Dutch students has high priority on STU’s agenda, Internationalization’s project manager Inge Adriaans points to the sky: “It’s this high!” She stresses that a lot is already being done to help international students find their feet in the Dutch way of studying. For the past three years, there has been a specific introduction program. Over a period of four days, new students are introduced to Dutch culture, social skills and working in project groups during the ‘Dutch Culture and Cooperation’ training.

Students get a lot of attention even before they arrive in the Netherlands. STU contacts the students by phone to determine whether they have the necessary attitude and social skills for studying in the Netherlands. The Facebook page ‘TU/e International Student Team’ allows them to get in touch with fellow students and ask them all sorts of questions. Both the International Student Barometer and STU’s own study show that international students are very satisfied with the preparatory period, the warm welcome in the Netherlands and the introduction period.

It is important to also focus on the social integration between Dutch and foreign students in the follow-up period. Adriaans is excited about the project that involves the creation of a common meeting area in the Bunker: the common room. “We hope associations that are already located at the Bunker (cultural and student associations, ed.) are stimulated to open up to international students a bit more, and that there will be more mixed activities in the future.” The common room is expected to open its doors come September or October. On top of that, STU is setting up a faculty buddy project. The idea is to match a foreign and a Dutch student. The exact set-up of this idea will be discussed shortly. Chemical Engineering already did a pilot for the buddy project.

The level of integration for TU/e staff has not yet been studied. Yet Willem van Hoorn, working at the Personnel and Organization Service (DPO) and responsible for the welcoming and guiding of international staff, sees ample signs that imply there is still a long way to go. An introduction day for new foreign staff already exists, and TU/e designed an online ‘TU/e Meeting Place’ for staff as well as students. Van Hoorn knows that their staff association is also broadening their scope to include the international group as well. Still, he concludes: “At the moment, we have an international community. It would be nice to be one in five years.”

And that is exactly what TU/e should be asking itself: can all this attention toward the international community really result in a stronger integration when the focus isn’t on mixing? In order to improve contact between international and Dutch people at TU/e, the Dutch will have to go part of the way as well. 

Peter van de Lageweg, Dutch
Architecture graduate student

Peter van de Lageweg (23)

Peter van de Lageweg does an Architecture master and is treasurer of student association CHEOPS. During the first year of his master’s he worked on a special international project with foreign students. Everyone was obliged to work with a student from another country. Did it go well? “Certain things are different with Dutch people. Success strongly depends on the nationality you’re working with. For example, whenever you want to schedule a meeting, you have to be very specific about the time you’ll meet and what to bring. Some foreign students are more relaxed in that respect. I don’t mind, because I tend to adapt to others anyway, and so I become more relaxed as well. I really appreciate foreign students’ interest in Dutch architecture. They know a lot about it.

Peter can’t really see any downsides of working with other nationalities. “It helps you to see things in a broader perspective. You don’t necessarily learn more about your field of study, but it does help develop your general knowledge.”

Outside of his studies, Peter doesn’t socialize with foreign students, although that may have to do with the fact that officially his faculty has only been offering his master program in English since this year. Peter is currently doing a board year, meaning he is not taking any classes and so doesn’t know any international students. “The only foreign students I talked to have been Erasmus students, and they don’t stay long. I don’t think the international attitude over here has reached its full maturity yet.” 

Catarina Esteves, Portugese
University professor at the department of Chemical Engineering

Catarina Esteves (33)

Dr. Catarina Esteves (33) came to Eindhoven in late 2006 to do a post-doc program. She left her husband in Portugal, thinking she would only be away for two years. Little did she know that four years later she’d be working happily as a university professor of Materials and Interface Chemistry at the Chemical Engineering department, and would be living in Eindhoven with her husband.

“I can only say positive things about my social life here. Since it was supposed to be temporary, I came with an open mind and a sense of adventure. That attitude helps you to open up to a new culture and a new job. I was immediately accepted by my Dutch colleagues and friends, also outside work. If you make an effort, doors will open. But you have to take the initiative yourself.”

Being a teacher, Esteves notices that students from different backgrounds approach their studies differently and that all deal with social situations in their own way. She doesn’t at all think that should pose difficulties for the way different nationalities interact with each other. Her motto is: “Learn to live with it. There isn’t just one right way to tackle things. I wouldn’t want all my students to be the same. That would make things easier, but less interesting.” The same goes for friendships, she feels. “I have both Dutch and international friends, but I don’t feel any differences. It’s all about accepting each other’s differences. And that’s easy.” 

Yili Hu, Chinese
Electrical Engineering graduate student

Yili Hu (23)

In the summer of 2008, Yili Hu came to the Netherlands for a master in Electrical Engineering. During her introduction week, Cursor interviewed her daily and found her to be a modest girl, waiting expectantly for what would be next. “I was very shy, especially when it came to my English. I went to McDonald’s with some fellow students one time, and I didn’t even know how to order. I just pointed at the boy that ordered before me and tried: ‘The same.’ It turned out he ordered a giant meal,” Yili says, laughing.

By now, she manages perfectly well in the Netherlands. “I’m more direct towards others, but also towards myself. I have a better idea of what I want now. In China, people pick studies based on their career opportunities, so they know they’ll have a better life. Over here, people choose whatever they like best and are responsible for that choice. There is less pressure and you get proper coaching. I appreciate that enormously about the Netherlands.”

Although she is enjoying herself and would like to stay in the Netherlands to work, Yili is not all excited about her interaction with the Dutch. “I live with Chinese friends, whom I also spend most of my free time with. Whenever I talk to Dutch colleagues, I can’t help but notice all these recurring, standard questions: how is your internship? Do you like it over here? Do you like Dutch food? Do you like the weather? I think that’s too bad.”

Causes of minimal socializing

From conversations with The Personnel and Organization Service, The STU, study associations, international students and staff, several causes for the low level of socializing have come up:

The Dutch often already have their own social network by the time they are introduced to foreign colleagues or fellow students. The need for new friends is usually greater with international students. 

Upon arrival, newcomers from non-western origin have an especially hard time getting used to Dutch behavior such as their infamous directness bordering on curtness, and the informal relationship and lack of hierarchy between student and professor or employer and employee. 

Foreign students often come to the Netherlands on a scholarship, under the condition that they finish their curriculum within the set timeframe. In order to pass all their courses on time, they spend more time studying than their Dutch counterparts. 

The Netherlands knows a sharp distinction between work and private life, which is why colleagues or fellow students are not friends automatically. 

Many activities are focused on either foreign students or Dutch students. Besides, whenever Dutch people organize activities, foreign students are often unaware that they are welcome, or they feel reluctant to participate because they are foreign. 

Dutch students often go to ‘viewing nights’ at ‘Dutch’ student houses and get a room that way. International students are usually housed by TU/e in separate accommodations. (According to STU’s Inge Adriaans this is about to change. They are thinking about a serious expansion of on-campus accommodation and creating a more appealing living environment by building shops and restaurants, and having longer opening hours for the library.) 

Some faculties allow students to create their own project groups. Usually this results in the Dutch sticking together, and the internationals forming separate groups, too. When asked, nearly all students (both Dutch and international) point out integration would benefit from the professor making the groups. 

It proves to be quite challenging to get international students to dedicate themselves to study association, for example. At CHEOPS (Architecture) and GEWIS (Mathematics and Computer Science), they tried to form an international committee last year. However, both societies failed in their attempt due to lack of interest on the part of the international students. 

Some departments or studies simply don’t have any, or hardly any, Dutch students. At Process & Product design, a post-master’s course, there isn’t one single Dutch student to be found.