First year students: Student societies should open up to internationals

The Delta promotion team was present at the OWee info market last Monday. They brought stickers, flyers, banners, and a questionnaire. Apart from being ‘your guide on campus’, the Delta team also wants to know how students feel about things. How, for example, do they think about internationalisation and the preservation of Dutch traditions? The proposition, therefore, was: ‘Student societies should be more open to international students.’ Fifteen international and 91 Dutch students filled in the questionnaire. Of them, 86 agreed to the proposition, and 20 disagreed.

Those who agreed said:

• a large part of the students in Delft is international. It’s a travesty that it sometimes appears as if there are two parallel worlds in Delft;
• I haven’t noticed it myself, but international co-students say they feel they are not welcome;
• as long as people set up initiatives and have an open attitude, it doesn’t matter where they come from. Both categories can come up with good ideas and bring positive contributions.

Opponents argued:

• having more international students makes life more difficult for Dutch students because of the language barrier, and the housing market also becomes tighter;
• I don’t strongly disagree, but I understand that some student societies want to preserve their Dutch traditions;
• I don’t think it’s realistic to demand student societies to open up. It feels like a forced measure, and it would change the atmosphere.

Did we miss you at the info market, and do you want your opinion to be heard? Mail us!