The thing that struck them most is that you can oppose a teacher in Dutch classrooms. Khurram Bukhari, Ping Xia, Hirokara Shibata and Moreno Juan are four of the 48 MSc students who recently arrived in Delft to follow a summer school course, prior to beginning their degree courses.
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%At Chinese universities, communication goes one way, from teacher to student, ” says Ping Xia, from China. %In Chinese companies this is also the case. During meetings, the boss usually talks to himself and the employees just listen.”
Xia has already worked for an international company. %My European boss became angry when we just listened to his speech and didn’t suggest changes to his proposed strategy. It was hard for us to adjust our attitude.”
Even though she%s now used to the Western way of holding meetings, Xia was still somewhat shocked by Dutch teaching methods. %After a short lecture, we were sent to the library to search the Internet and find our own information. I%m not used to that,” Xia says.
Hirokara Shibata, from Japan, has had a similar experience. %In Japan, we ask our professor questions, but seldom speak in front of other students. Questions are only asked after the lecture.” In Peru, students are also shy about asking questions, according to Moreno Juan. %Our Dutch teachers are helping us to overcome this shyness by asking us every fifteen minutes whether we have questions,” he says.
The new students seem to like the Dutch way of teaching. %It%s a good thing, because you can develop your own ideas by arguing with teachers,” says Khurram Bukhari, from Pakistan. %In Pakistan, teachers look at your grades only. Having your own ideas and opinions is not appreciated. This is bad, because engineers must be able to develop their own strategies.”
Shibata especially likes the possibility of doing research within a company. %In Japan you must do your research in a university laboratory. In Delft, they want to make you an engineer, not a scientist.”
Traffic signs
A striking part of Dutch culture is commuting to university on a bicycle. %That’s some Dutch culture I%m not going to absorb,” says Bukhari. %In Pakistan, people of my age don’t use bicycles, only children do. I prefer walking and using public transport.”
%I rode a bike when I was eleven years old,” Juan adds. %However, I did buy a bike here in Delft. It wasn%t difficult to adjust to bicycling again. Once you%ve learned how to bicycle, you can bike for the rest of your life.”
In China and Japan, bicycling is more common. %Kyoto is so crowded that bicycling is easiest way to get around,” says Shibata. Xia adds: %It%s much safer to bicycle here. The traffic signs are obeyed much more so than in China.”
Bukhari has already experienced another part of Dutch culture in downtown Rotterdam. He came across the recent gay dance parade and was surprised by its non-violent character. %The openness of Dutch society shocked me,” he says. %In Pakistan, gay culture is not acceptable. People can be executed for being openly gay.”
The foreign newcomers were also surprised by the fickleness of Dutch weather. %Every day you get a surprise,” Juan laments. %In the morning you think it’s going to be a fine sunny day, and then by eleven o%clock it%s raining.”
The thing that struck them most is that you can oppose a teacher in Dutch classrooms. Khurram Bukhari, Ping Xia, Hirokara Shibata and Moreno Juan are four of the 48 MSc students who recently arrived in Delft to follow a summer school course, prior to beginning their degree courses.
%At Chinese universities, communication goes one way, from teacher to student, ” says Ping Xia, from China. %In Chinese companies this is also the case. During meetings, the boss usually talks to himself and the employees just listen.”
Xia has already worked for an international company. %My European boss became angry when we just listened to his speech and didn’t suggest changes to his proposed strategy. It was hard for us to adjust our attitude.”
Even though she%s now used to the Western way of holding meetings, Xia was still somewhat shocked by Dutch teaching methods. %After a short lecture, we were sent to the library to search the Internet and find our own information. I%m not used to that,” Xia says.
Hirokara Shibata, from Japan, has had a similar experience. %In Japan, we ask our professor questions, but seldom speak in front of other students. Questions are only asked after the lecture.” In Peru, students are also shy about asking questions, according to Moreno Juan. %Our Dutch teachers are helping us to overcome this shyness by asking us every fifteen minutes whether we have questions,” he says.
The new students seem to like the Dutch way of teaching. %It%s a good thing, because you can develop your own ideas by arguing with teachers,” says Khurram Bukhari, from Pakistan. %In Pakistan, teachers look at your grades only. Having your own ideas and opinions is not appreciated. This is bad, because engineers must be able to develop their own strategies.”
Shibata especially likes the possibility of doing research within a company. %In Japan you must do your research in a university laboratory. In Delft, they want to make you an engineer, not a scientist.”
Traffic signs
A striking part of Dutch culture is commuting to university on a bicycle. %That’s some Dutch culture I%m not going to absorb,” says Bukhari. %In Pakistan, people of my age don’t use bicycles, only children do. I prefer walking and using public transport.”
%I rode a bike when I was eleven years old,” Juan adds. %However, I did buy a bike here in Delft. It wasn%t difficult to adjust to bicycling again. Once you%ve learned how to bicycle, you can bike for the rest of your life.”
In China and Japan, bicycling is more common. %Kyoto is so crowded that bicycling is easiest way to get around,” says Shibata. Xia adds: %It%s much safer to bicycle here. The traffic signs are obeyed much more so than in China.”
Bukhari has already experienced another part of Dutch culture in downtown Rotterdam. He came across the recent gay dance parade and was surprised by its non-violent character. %The openness of Dutch society shocked me,” he says. %In Pakistan, gay culture is not acceptable. People can be executed for being openly gay.”
The foreign newcomers were also surprised by the fickleness of Dutch weather. %Every day you get a surprise,” Juan laments. %In the morning you think it’s going to be a fine sunny day, and then by eleven o%clock it%s raining.”
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