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Tag: internationals

Yama from Afghanistan

Yama from Afghanistan

Posted by | Jun 2, 2018 | ,

People from many different countries live, study and work in Eindhoven. Every week, E52 has a talk with an international about what brought them here and what life is like in Eindhoven. Name: Yama Saraj Country of origin: Afghanistan Work: entrepreneur / autonomous economist To date, Yama never wanted to join this series with an interview. But after asking one more time, he finally said yes. “The reason to participate now is that I experience a discrepancy in the way we deal with immigrants and expats. People react differently when they find out I am a war refugee and not...

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Amanda from Latvia

Posted by | Feb 24, 2018 |

People from many different countries live, study and work in Eindhoven. Every week, E52 has a talk with an international about what brought them here and what life is like in Eindhoven. Name: Amanda Sleze Country of origin: Latvia Work: PR and marketing manager at 4funkyflavours Amanda invited us to her home for the interview. We are welcomed to a nice corner apartment with lots of windows and a nice view, with Strijp S in the distance. “This used to be an apartment building for seniors, but a while ago the owner also allowed younger people as tenants. It is comfortable here.” Amanda lives with her boyfriend Tom, but he was not Amanda’s main reason to come to Eindhoven. “We met a few months before I moved to Eindhoven. I was finished with my study in Maastricht and wanted to move to a city with better job opportunities. Eindhoven is an alive city full of technology, art and design and very open to internationals. The fact Tom was here, made it extra fun to move.” So prior to Eindhoven, Maastricht was Amanda’s hometown. How did she end up there? “In the last half year of high school in Latvia, I decided I wanted to explore Europe. I looked for voluntary projects and found one in Genk, Belgium at a youth centre. There I helped with activities with the kids for...

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Alena from Russia

Posted by | Feb 10, 2018 |

People from many different countries live, study and work in Eindhoven. Every week, E52 has a talk with an international about what brought them here and what life is like in Eindhoven. Name: Alena Mitianina Country of Origin: Russia Work: volunteer at Bounce Space On a cold and foggy morning, we meet Alena in the café in the Blob. While we are peeling off our layers of clothing, while complaining it is so cold, Elena smiles. “Where I’m from it’s a lot colder, so for me this is peanuts. I’m from Yekaterinburg, it’s on the border of Europe and Asia, above Kazakhstan.” When we mention to Alena we work at Strijp, she tells us she recently had a tour there, visiting different companies and also workspace Seats2Meet. “I loved it there, I met so many inspiring people. I certainly will return to work there again.” Alena arrived in Eindhoven in the summer of 2017. “My husband Alex arrived here first, he is a  masters student at the Eindhoven Technical University. He was already here for a year, while I finished my study at the university in Russia. He will finish his master this summer and we would like to stay here. But that depends on work. If we both find a job here, we would be very happy to stay.” While Alena is talking to us, we can tell she...

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One year stories of internationals in Eindhoven

Posted by | Feb 3, 2018 |

People from many different countries live, study and work in Eindhoven. Every week, E52 has a talk with an international about what brought them here and what life is like in Eindhoven. This is how we start every Saturday with the story of an international living in Eindhoven. Today we published our 52nd story: a year of interviews with people who came from all over the world to Eindhoven for work, study of love. Together with photographer Diewke van den Heuvel, I therefore had the privilege this year tot talk to a very diverse group of people. In the articles I regularly speak of we, because we always visit the internationals together and Diewke is always takes active part in the conversations. We ask the internationals where they would like to meet us. Usually this is in their favorite coffee shop at lunch place, but also regularly at work or at home. We are always welcomed with a big smile. Often it is most exciting for the interviewee to take a picture. Fortunately, that tention drops rapidly, with beautiful portraits as a result. We are enormously  proud of this series and make all stories with lots of love and fun. We would like to continue, so if you would like to join or know somebody who would like that, let us know via sabine@innovationorigins.com. Read all the internationals stories here....

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Ioana from Romania

Posted by | Feb 3, 2018 |

People from many different countries live, study and work in Eindhoven. Every week, E52 has a talk with an international about what brought them here and what life is like in Eindhoven. Name: Ioana Iliescu Country of origin: Romania Work: Designer The reuse of former Philips buildings is not something new in Eindhoven. But the way building SFH on Strijp S transformed (and still is transforming) into Microlab, a new workplace for lots of entrepreneurs, is something else. This is the place where Ioana’s workplace is. She picks us up at the front desk and takes us to a conference room. “I have my own workshop downstairs, but we share all the facilities. Get comfortable, I’m going to get some coffee.” While Ioana is away, we look around. Light coloured furniture combined with fresh and trendy colours on the walls. Along with the coffee, Ioana also brings back carrot cake and a box of the small version of the Dutch treat stroopwafels. “We, the community of makers in Microlab, got the opportunity to participate in the refurbishment of the fifth floor. That really gave us a feeling of ownership,” tells Ioana, while she hands out the cake and coffee. Last year we interviewed Gordon, Ioana’s husband, so we know their story already a bit. “We met 12 years ago during an Erasmus program at the university and he was so...

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Samah from Lebanon

Posted by | Oct 7, 2017 |

People from many different countries live, study and work in Eindhoven. Every week, E52 has a talk with an international about what brought them here and what life is like in Eindhoven. Name: Samah Khalek Country of origin: Lebanon Work: Strategic Support R&D at ASML Just as we want to ring the doorbell at Samah’s apartment building, a friendly man opens the door for us. The friendly man turns out to be Samah himself, just arriving from work with his bike. He takes us up to his corner loft. Golden rays of sunlight shine through the windows, so first things first: taking photographs, while the light is so good. When we start with the interview we sit down at the couch and Samah points at the painting above it: “My mother made this. She is an artist. Both my parents have a creative profession. My brother and I studied physics and my sister biology, so that is quite a contrast with them.” “I like to do new things, to meet people, get to know other expats and I also like to participate in new things. That’s why I’m joining this series.” Samah is now four years in the Netherlands. But how did he end up here? “I lived in France and got a call from a headhunter, he told me about ASML. Before that conversation, I was more thinking about...

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€8000 development fee for Fontys Food Festival

Posted by | Sep 15, 2017 | , ,

With an incentive fee of 8000 euros, Fontys Food Festival should be able to professionalise itself. The money comes from the European subsidy program for higher education Erasmus+ for “Organisational Support” (OS), “Bron“, Fontys’ information website, reports. International students of Fontys are making dishes from their home country during the Food Festival, which are served to each other and teachers for a small amount of money. ‘Socialising’ is the magic word. “To me, this is the example of ‘Internationalisation at home’”, says Nico van der Aa, professor of electrical engineering at Fontys. The Food Festival received the subsidy because of the way this project helps with the welcoming and guidance of students and staff members. The festival started as a small event: international students of Fontys University of Engineering were tasting each other’s dishes and culture. But according to Van der Aa, it could be seen at a lot more institutions in a few years, partly due to the subsidy obtained. “If other education courses want to organise it too, they can have our road map”, he tells Bron.   At Fontys Engineering, which includes mechanical engineering, mechatronics and automotive, there are students with 25 different nationalities. The 8000 euros will be invested in organisational matters and hiring a nutrition expert, according to Van der Aa. The organization itself remains in the hands of Innovum, the study association for all...

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Expat Top 10: Colin Burke

Posted by | Jun 23, 2017 |

For the second time, E52 organises the annual Expat Top-10. There are a lot of internationals in Eindhoven who have done a great job for the city, and by this, we put a spotlight on them. This year’s theme of the Top-10 is ‘Sport & Leisure’. Every day we present you an interview with one of the winners. In this interview, you can read about how they ended up in Eindhoven, how they put an effort in the city and how they look at the Eindhoven with their international perspective. Today: Colin Burke Colin Burke Born in 1985 From Dublin, Ireland In Eindhoven since 2011 #1 on bucket list: “Skydiving, the adrenaline makes me feel alive” He moved all over the world to travel, work and reflect on his life. Colin Burke left Ireland as an engineer, had all sorts of jobs, and eventually arrived in the Netherlands as an engineer again. Now he started his own enterprise where he wants to bring business and pleasure more together. He helps expats to feel more at home here. Besides that he founded Eindhoven’s touch rugby team. “I only went to Amsterdam once, as a kid. I remember because my parents argued about whether they should show me the red light district or not” It was a matter of coincidence that Burke moved to Eindhoven. “In 2006 I left Ireland as...

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Expat Top 10: Charles Esche

Posted by | Jun 22, 2017 |

For the second time, E52 organises the annual Expat Top-10. There are a lot of internationals in Eindhoven who have done a great job for the city, and by this, we put a spotlight on them. This year’s theme of the Top-10 is ‘Sport & Leisure’. Every day we present you an interview with one of the winners. In this interview, you can read about how they ended up in Eindhoven, how they put an effort in the city and how they look at the Eindhoven with their international perspective. Today: Charles Esche. Charles Esche Born in 1964 From Harrogate, England In Eindhoven since 2004 #1 on bucket list: “To write a book about the possibilities of art in society” Charles Esche is director of the Van Abbemuseum, but actually he’s not that often in Eindhoven. He travels all around the globe for his work in the art world. He’s abroad to discuss with colleagues, to collaborate with institutions or to network with artists. For him, it’s a lot about philosophy. To understand a society he has to be there and get to know it. Through artists he can learn about society.   “I moved to Eindhoven for my job” “I started with medieval studies. It was a broad study about everything from the middle ages. I liked that I could put together my own study, as long as...

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Expat Top 10: Eveline Wu

Posted by | Jun 21, 2017 |

For the second time, E52 organises the annual Expat Top-10. There are a lot of internationals in Eindhoven who have done a great job for the city, and by this, we put a spotlight on them. This year’s theme of the Top-10 is ‘Sport & Leisure’. Every day we present you an interview with one of the winners. In this interview, you can read about how they ended up in Eindhoven, how they put an effort in the city and how they look at the Eindhoven with their international perspective. Today: Eveline Wu. Eveline Wu Born in 1977 From Qingtian, China In Eindhoven since 2006 #1 on bucket list: “to work for Sergio Herman or Andre Chiang” She’s the owner of four restaurants in Eindhoven: MOOD, Soho, kreeftenbar and wynwood. Besides that, she won the first prize in the ‘World Championship of Chinese Cuisine’. Eveline Wu knows everything of the Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese kitchen and more. With her booming career she would like to be an example for housewives and give other people an opportunity to grow as well.   “First I wanted to stay in China, but not anymore” When her father went to the Netherlands, it was a logical step that the family moved with him. “I grew up nearby Shanghai. When I was fifteen my dad got a job in the Netherlands, so the whole...

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