Outreach Ambassador: Merel van der Plassche
After graduating from her MSc in Drug Innovation at Utrecht University and fresh on the heels of an internship in Tokyo, Dutch native Merel van de Plassche was offered a PhD position in Belgium. She uses her international experience to help UU recruit new students by visiting educational fairs all over the country. “Secondary school kids are so excited about university life, it’s infectious.”
People need to know that Utrecht University goes above and beyond for its students
“I love educational fairs. It’s always fun to talk to prospective students and their parents. We get all kinds of visitors at our stand, from 15-year-olds just checking out the idea of university abroad to very focused graduating pupils who know exactly what they are looking for academically. I spend the day fielding questions about different university courses but also about the more practical aspects of being a student in Utrecht. Since I know the difference between student life in Belgium and the Netherlands first-hand, I can give some good tips and insights. I always tell them about the cool stuff I did with my student organisation and my internship in Japan. At UU, the sky is the limit – that is very appealing.”
The best place to study
“I never regretted my decision to go to university in Utrecht, not even for a second. That is because UU offers so much more than just an education. Of course I had a fantastic time there and I have fond memories of my student days. But it goes beyond that: UU invests heavily in their students’ personal development, focusing on things like presentation skills, internships, and exchange programmes for Bachelor and Master students. This gives students a great advantage after they graduate. The university is also very open to new international ties – the international office is there to support you every step of the way when you are making arrangements to study abroad. And this commitment continues after you graduate. UU is one of the few Dutch universities that actively works to establish an active international alumni network.”
International opportunities
“One thing I came to appreciate even more after leaving UU is the uniqueness of their international offer. UU is different because it is one of the few universities outside the Englishspeaking world that offers a wide range of courses taught in English. For instance, there are not many international university courses in Belgium. At my current employer, KU Leuven – an excellent university – most Bachelor and Master programmes are taught in Dutch. My Belgian students also go abroad far less often than my former classmates at UU: over 50% of my fellow MSc students did an internship abroad.They went all over the world. To the United States, Australia, I myself went to Japan… In Belgium this is much less common.”
Spreading the word
“For me, being involved in student recruitment is a chance to give back to UU. It’s great to maintain that relationship. After all, I spent six years of my life there. In a way, I actually got involved in student recruitment before I even graduated. When I went to Japan I promoted UU at my research lab, by presenting UU’s work. A post-doc fellow from the Japanese lab was at UU at the time, and we made a connection. I also brought some flyers from the lab in Japan where I did my previous internship back to Utrecht. Now there is a small, but growing exchange programme between the two labs. I have to admit I am quite proud of my part in establishing that.”
Build your own network
“At the fairs for prospective students, you meet so many different people from different universities. Professional representatives, but also other alumni. It’s always interesting to hear their stories. Also, being involved in UU alumni activities is a great way to keep your network alive and even expand it. This is key for your future career. No matter what you want to do, whether it’s in academia or the corporate world, your network is ultimately your main building block.”