Somaya Dehban's road to becoming a Member of the European Parliament

Wittenborg lecturer Somaya Dehban is a talented individual with a diverse educational and professional background. Her journey began with a high school diploma in physics and mathematics, where she excelled and won many awards in mathematics competitions. She later earned a degree in Applied Mathematics in Computer Science in Iran.

Driven by her passion for social sciences, Dehban moved to the Netherlands in 2005 to pursue further studies. She enrolled at University College Utrecht, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in an impressive 2.5 years, making her the only person in the university's history to achieve this feat. During her bachelor's, she studied Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology with Philosophy as a minor.

Dehban continued her academic studies with a master's degree in Gender & Ethnicity at Utrecht University. She conducted research for the United Nations in Iran, focusing on the status of the UN Convention on Women (CEDAW). After her master's, she further expanded her knowledge and skills through various courses and certificates, including Social Science & Counselling Skills, Global Education: the Human Rights Dimension, Digital Leadership, Strategic Problem Solving & Driving Businesses towards Sustainable Development Goals and the Change Management Professional certificate.

Currently, Dehban is a part-time PhD student at Erasmus University's Rotterdam School of Management, where she is further developing her research and expertise in her field.

During her stay in the Netherlands, Dehban has become very active socially and politically. She volunteers at numerous institutions. Among others, she is secretary and head of communications of DMHC Shinty, staff member of the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship and board member of the Erasmus PhD Association Rotterdam. Since 2018, she has also been a member of the largest liberal political party in the Netherlands, the VVD. Within the VVD, she takes on several roles and one of them is Member of Liberal Women's Network, where she highlights and motivates women's talents within the party to showcase them inside and outside the party.

Her work for the VVD does not stay below the surface and exclusively within the party. Dehban has pronounced political ambitions, as she was part of the elections during the 2022 municipal elections and this year's Water Board elections for the VVD. Dehban's motivation for participating in this year's elections stems from her ambition to become a member of the European Parliament. "The best way to be prepared for the campaign and learn how it works is by participating in local elections as a candidate," she says. "In every election, I learned a lot."

How to get more politically involved?

The Netherlands has a complex political system, with currently 20 parties in the Dutch parliament (also known as the 'Tweede Kamer'), 16 in the Senate (or the ‘Eerste Kamer’), and every year there are elections for the province, water boards, municipalities, European Union or national politics. However, as an international student in the Netherlands, it is worthwhile to understand the political structures in this country and become more politically engaged. Somaye Dehban advises on how to become more involved in Dutch politics as an international student; people should: "Start by following the Dutch news and be aware of what is happening around them, both on a national and local level. Then research their own political orientation and take online tests to see what political philosophy represents their values. And then read the political manifestos of Dutch political parties to see which ones match their political philosophy and values," she explains. She also stresses the uniqueness of European and especially Dutch politics in the world. It is, therefore, essential to research the structures and values of Dutch political parties and how they operate: "Don't be fooled by the generic labelling of different political parties, left in the American context is very different from left in the Dutch context or conservative in the Dutch context has a lot of overlap with the Democratic party in America. So read the manifestos and inquire about their roots before choosing a party." 

If you decide you want to become politically active for a political party, you can contact the general office or local chapter of the party you are interested in and ask to attend some of their meetings to get a better feel. Don't hold back because your Dutch is not perfect, as many political parties could use some help and volunteers. "Most people involved in Dutch politics have a very good command of the English language. You can join their international networks. Eventually, you do have to speak Dutch if you want to be active in a Dutch political party, but you don't have to wait until your Dutch is perfect. You can already start if you are interested."

WUP 08/06/2023
by Niels Otterman
©WUAS Press