International students used to play second fiddle during the Eureka Week, but this year, everything’s different. About 600 students from all over the world attended the International Day, organized for them on Sunday.
A technical problem caused some delay, when the check-in system didn’t seem to work. “This led to long queues and everyone had to wait a little while,” says Loek Wijnhoven of the Eureka Week Committee. But after that, it turned out to be a successful day after all.
Administrative affairs
The internationals could arrange their administrative affairs during the One Stop shop. Renting a room or the pretty much mandatory bicycle, or opening a bank account: it could all be handled in the same place. Some students also participated in traditional Dutch games, such as the chair dance, rope pulling and nail pooping, and more internationally oriented entertainment such as a rodeo bull. The day ended with an open-air showing of the movie Personal Shopper.
“It was really very busy,” Wijnhoven tells about the first international day. “It tells me there’s a lot of demand for something like this.” In many ways, the Eureka Week is becoming more accessible to international students this year: unlike previous years, the program is primarily in English.
