DISS: Internationally Yours

How does it feel to get away from your zone of comfort to explore a new territory with no wingmen to watch your back? What do you do when everything around is alien, has a set of its own prescripts and demands competence with that system, especially if you cannot communicate with the natives well?

Any student who has traveled far from home will relate to these questions. It might be more than once that you didn’t know where to go or whom to approach to solve the issues at hand. However, be assured that from now on there is an organization to turn to for solving such issues. For the benefit of international students studying in Delft, the student council and the student union have set up a board which can act as the missing link between the students and the administration. The initiative took shape as the Delft International Student Society (Diss) this January.  

Marlies Bouman, chairperson of VSSD student union, explains the need for Diss: “The International Office organises a lot for international students but has difficulties finding a connection with the students. International students don’t know how to communicate problems they face or ideas they have to the administration. Diss stands close to the students but also communicates with the International Office and other departments of the TU on a regular basis. Diss as a committee also organises cultural and educational activities, keeps information about studying and living in Delft up to date, and communicates problems concerning international students.”

So how was Diss formed? Emma Sirks, member of the Oras party of the student council and portfolio holder of internationalization, explains: “Open applications were put out for the new board and the most promising lot from the applicants were chosen, while keeping in mind to internationalize the committee as much as possible”. Currently there are seven students working part-time to bring international students together for various activities, receive feedback from international students and work on issues they encounter.
It is indeed a difficult task to reach out and win the confidence of all international students on campus. Diss therefore has a few projects up its sleeve to achieve this. Presently the IT team of the board is working on developing their own website. Theodore Klouvas, the chairman of Diss, explains: “Through our website we will provide the students with information about everything that an international student should know while starting at Delft. We will also organize informatory nights for students to chat about everything they are dealing with during their stay in Delft. It will also act as a discussion portal where people seek solutions to their problems.” 

Diss is backed not only by VSSD and the student council but also by Aegee. Sirks: “Diss is working together with Aegee to set up and promote the Tandem project, where students can informally practice a language.” The first meeting of this project was held on May 6, allowing people with different lingual interests come together, learn and teach each other in a relaxed environment.
Additionally, on May 5 Diss organized a sports evening at Delftse Hout, where the board talked to international students and gathered their immediate concerns. Complaints against Duwo seemed to be a strong topic of discussion that day! Klouvas notes seriously that “Housing is by far, frustrating problem number one. Therefore we are planning to talk with Duwo and TU Delft, clarify the situation and take actions if needed. It is after all partly up to us - international students - to make our stay in Delft as convenient as possible!”
For that to materialize, more international students should come together, join Diss and actively participate in their cause. As Sirks puts it, the Diss board definitely needs input to work on the issues further.