‘I chose Political Science with journalism in mind’
Alumnus Stan van Haasteren went to Northern Ireland in 1995 as a freelance journalist with a guitar strapped to his back and recently wrote a book about his experiences in Belfast. ‘The big difference with then is that today there is no more violence. But it's still a divided city.’
After graduating in Political Science, Van Haasteren moved to Belfast. ‘I was already making music in Leiden. It started with a band and one thing led to another. And yes, Ireland is the Mecca for musicians. There's so much talent out there. But a big difference with the Netherlands: there you are welcomed with open arms if you walk around with a guitar on your back.
Everywhere you can hear live music and you can always play along. You don't have to try that here anytime soon.’ That warm welcome left him wanting more and in 1996 Van Haasteren moved permanently to Belfast. In addition to his musical career, he also worked as a freelance journalist. ‘I've always wanted to be a journalist, but that took me a long time. It started at school, where I could never decide whether I liked alpha or beta subjects more. And I also made my choice for Political Science with journalism in mind.'
A kind of Berlin
As a freelance correspondent in Ireland, he reported for Dutch media on the turbulent developments that Northern Ireland experienced between 1996 and 1999. ‘When I arrived, the first ceasefire agreement had just been broken and the violence flared up again, especially around the parades of the Orange Order, the Orange marches. But I've also covered the Good Friday Agreement, the Real IRA violence and the Omagh bombing.’
Van Haasteren recently published a book about his time in Ireland, The Belfast Busker. In addition to stories of jam sessions in Belfast bars, new friendships and love, he also describes how the simmering conflict still holds the city and the country in its grip. ‘When I was writing my book, I hadn't been to the country for so long – more than 20 years – that I thought I should take another look. And yes, the big difference with then is that there is no more violence. But that's about it: it's still a divided city, a kind of Berlin when the Wall still stood.’
The precarious political situation also receives ample attention in The Belfast Busker, Van Haasteren says. ‘That's my background and area of interest. And it helps your understanding if you can look at things analytically. If you want to know more, my book is for sale on Amazon.nl.’
Average annual growth of 10 percent
But it wasn't all violence in Ireland in the 1990s: foreign companies were seduced by low wages, favourable tax rates and even business incentives. In 1995, there were about 1000 foreign companies in the country; And from 1995 to 2000, an average annual economic growth rate of almost 10 percent was achieved. And because many of those companies operated in the tech sector, a whole new economy emerged, says Van Haasteren, ‘which I then rolled into. As a freelancer, I also wrote in English and I started writing more and more about technology. I then started developing training courses and e-learnings and I am now Senior Manager Training and Documentation at Visa in Rotterdam. That company is of course best known for its credit cards, but we do much more. We do everything that has to do with secure payments. And all the steps in such a payment process and the software that makes it possible must be documented. We teach people exactly how to do that, what to configure and install and how.’
Despite his love for Ireland and his Irish wife, Leiden is never far away, says Van Haasteren. ‘I was born and raised there, so it will always be part of who I am. . I also have a lot of contact with friends from my student days. With a couple we formed a band and making music together, that really started there. And recently I was at an open day at the university with my daughters. Suddenly, I was walking around the Pieter de la Cour building again. Yes, that brought back some memories.’
Stan van Haasteren:
Masters in Political Science, 1986-1992
Training and Documentation Manager Visa, Rotterdam