"I’m on the writing team of satirical platform De Speld and I work as an international editor for Univers, the independent newspaper of Tilburg University. I write satire, news articles and background stories. On my day off, I work on my doctoral thesis as an external PhD student at Leiden University."

Curiosity is one of my strongest allies

"All three of my current ‘gigs’ require me to spend a lot of time reading and writing. If anything can prepare you for that, it’s a master’s track in comparative literature studies. But more importantly, my work requires an analytical mind. I’d say that curiosity is one of my strongest allies. I have to be able to interpret texts of different forms and contexts, and I have to be able to engage creatively with those texts. Studying literature helped develop my personality in a more analytical and inquisitive one, which I benefit from on a daily basis."

A strong foundation

"I chose this programme because I was interested in art, literature and philosophy. Having no formal training in these disciplines, it was quite a challenge for me at first to read the dense philosophical writings of thinkers like Jacques Derrida and Judith Butler. But I genuinely enjoyed the reading sessions, the discussions, and the essay-writing. I developed a particular interest in concepts of cultural memory and collective identity, which became the focus of my master’s thesis, and, later, of my PhD thesis. The master’s programme has been instrumental in kindling my interest in the field of memory studies, and provided me with a strong foundation which I continue to build on today - in more ways than one."

"During my MA Film and Photographic Studies I started volunteering for the Leiden International Film Festival. Fueled by my newly gained insights during my studies I was eager to develop my own initiatives, and after finishing my second master Philosophy of Humanities (with a focus on philosophy and film) I founded an educational platform that teaches film history, literacy and filmmaking skills to high school students."

Critical eye

"I've always had an affinity for teaching, and the skills and knowledge I acquired during my studies helped me start up my professional career. I now also work as head of programming for the film festival and am still using my critical eye and the curating skills I developed during my studies."