Been through a tough application process?
‘I had to email my CV and a letter of motivation. From 50 students, the university chose five candidates. The organization running the summer course whittled that number down to two happy winners. I was one of them.’ Why do think they chose you? ‘The course requires you to conceive ways of strengthening Dutch-Chinese cooperation that involve students, so the organizers were seeking an ambitious person with an enterprising nature. I spent a year doing fulltime board work for my student society and I have done a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In addition, they wanted a 50:50 split between men and women. I am studying Biotechnology, which I don’t think many girls do. Perhaps they liked that idea.’
Have you always been fascinated by China? ‘No, it had never occurred to me to go to China or to study there. I know nothing at all about the country. And initially I thought, no way, this is totally not my thing. But later on I had the feeling that it might provide a great opportunity to discover the country. It is so different from the West and people say that China is the future. So perhaps it is wise to go there.’