Nikki de Jong

I did a nine-week project under guidance of an academic supervisor and a CBR coach, with the project Community-Based Research for the Humanities. The project linked me with the organisation Taal Doet Meer. In those nine weeks, I put together a research plan, did literature research, contacted respondents, conducted interviews, analysed the information and ultimately wrote up my recommendations for Taal Doet Meer.

My contacts at Taal Doet Meer were welcoming and very helpful. We had contact via MS Teams and Zoom, which worked well, even though a virtual meeting is definitely not the same as a physical meeting with coffee and informal chat before or after. My contacts in the organisation shared inside information with me and helped me make a good start. It felt good to win their confidence so quickly. Because I already have work experience in Dutch language teaching and inburgering education¸ I chose to look for a research question outside my comfort zone. For that reason, I decided to do research on the question “Which criteria and societal values are important for attracting investment from business?”

I learned a lot from doing this project because it brought me in contact with large companies in Utrecht.

I conducted telephone interviews with companies that already contribute financially to Taal Doet Meer, as well as potential investors. This gave me insights on the business world’s view on diversity, financial support and socially responsible enterprises. Alongside these insights, I was able to use theory from my master program in the research report. By analysing the responses, I was able to give focused advice to Taal Doet Meer, making recommendations about how they could adapt their external communication, both to attract new investors and to maintain and intensify relationships with their current investors. I really liked that this internship project, in contrast to my thesis, made a contribution to society. That I could genuinely bring expertise had great added value for me.