Birgit and the invisible gap

In 2006, before Mark Rutte became Prime Minister and the year in which Twitter was born, I, an 18 year old, arrived at TU Delft. The Mekelpark did not then exist, the tram was still a futuristic dream and there was still a tunnel underneath the train station. While I have only worked here for almost three years, I have been connected to TU Delft, on and off, for 17 years. It recently started to dawn on me that this gives me an advantage compared to colleagues did not, basically, grew up here. This raises the question whether there is an invisible gap between us.

To start with a practical and metaphorical example, I know the way. In the maze of building, floor, wing and room numbers, I can always get to where I need to be with little difficulty. Another example is the jargon and the abbreviations used at TU Delft. Everyone learns the eight (or 16 if you include the English version) abbreviations for the faculties rather quickly, but we all know that there’s more to it than that…

A Dutch speaking assistant professor who has studied at TU Delft has a 4-0 advantage

These matters are easy enough to work out with a map or glossary. However, I do believe that they exemplify the gap between colleagues that have been at TU Delft, or in the Dutch academic system in general, for a while and colleagues who haven’t.

So, do I know everything about TU Delft after all this time? Definitely not, but I do know how to get the information that I need and how to get things done. In short, I know the metaphorical way. And while this can be resolved in the physical environment with a map, navigating your way through the organisation and its associated processes is a lot more complicated.

My years at TU Delft have given me an unfair advantage, just as it would for an assistant professor who has done their master’s and/or PhD here. On top of that additional advantages are speaking Dutch, having a network, and being familiar with Dutch customs. So a Dutch speaking assistant professor who has studied at TU Delft has a 4-0 advantage without having done anything out of the ordinary. With some persistence and assertiveness you can certainly make up for the disadvantage, but it does take time and effort which you cannot then put into other things.

It is important to recognise these differences within our institute and appreciate the time and effort that people put into bridging the gap. Additionally, we could also make the route directions clearer, both on campus and online on our intranet. And finally, you and I can help too. I will close my last column of this year with the following Christmas advice. Does a colleague seem a little lost? Reach out and show them the way. Are you yourself a little lost? Look around you and ask for help. Together we can bridge the gap!