Introductory Lunch Celebrates Wittenborg’s First Entry Date of 2022

In keeping with Wittenborg’s tradition of internationalisation and diversity, new students of 18 nationalities – as well as lecturers and staff – celebrated the school’s first entry date of 2022 with an introductory lunch held simultaneously in Apeldoorn and Amsterdam, last Thursday, 3 February.

In total, 70 students will be starting their programmes on Monday, 7 February, out of which 54 will be based in Apeldoorn and 16 in Amsterdam. The new Wittenborg family members come from multiple countries: Uganda, Nigeria, Yemen, Iran, Ukraine, China, Sri Lanka, India, Russia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Morocco, El Salvador, Nepal, Japan, the Netherlands and Indonesia.
 
Between 31 January and 4 February, the new students attended the introduction week, consisting of various sessions that provided them with practical and academic information about their studies. Wittenborg offers six intakes per year, in February, March, May, August, October and November.

During the introductory lunch, Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng gave a speech in which she addressed the many challenges international students will have to face throughout this new journey, encouraging them to work hard for their goals and to treat other people with kindness and respect.

“Wherever you come from and however well you prepare yourself, the reality here is very different from your home country, so you have to accept this and roll up your sleeves. By cooking your own food, assembling your own furniture, washing your own clothes, you will be able, maybe for the first time in your life, to appreciate and treasure the existence of people who do really hard jobs. It will be difficult, but enjoy every bit of it, because you will become stronger, better and discover potential that you did not even know existed in you. On top of that, make sure to smile at other people, because it costs you nothing and gets you every single thing,” Feng said.

Language Skills Important

She also advised students to invest in their language skills, and reminded them that they can rely on the support of the Wittenborg family. “You will be standing on our shoulders, and we are really happy to push you to be successful. Wittenborg is filled with examples of people who have succeeded in the Netherlands and who will gladly help you; you can easily find and connect with them on social media, such as LinkedIn.”

Akiko Sowa, a Japanese Foundation Year student, said that she plans to improve her English skills and later complete a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communication and Information. “I am 35 years old, so I finished high school twenty years ago, and I am really excited to come back to school. Both the lecturers and my classmates are very nice and helpful. I work as a teacher in Japan and after I finish the foundation programme, I want to study Marketing & Communication so that later I can pass on this knowledge to my students.”

Specialisations

Valeria Gineva, who will be studying Sport Business Management, explained that she decided to join this programme because it is connected to her experience as a member of Russia’s equestrian team. Gineva says that she enjoyed taking part in the introduction week, since Wittenborg’s staff and students are really welcoming, and added that she already feels at home in the Netherlands. “I want to learn Dutch because I love Dutch people, they are so friendly and have a great culture,” she highlighted.

According to Marketing, Communication & Information (MCI) student Polina Bernovska from Ukraine, one of the nicest things about Wittenborg is the fact that its students come from so many different countries and cultures. “It is really great to be able to meet people from all over the world and learn more about their countries. I also chose Wittenborg because there are lots of interesting specialities here, with many possibilities for learning.”

WUP 5/2/2022
by Ulisses Sawczuk
©WUAS Press