In pictures: students and the role they play in the city

Erasmus University’s 105th anniversary comes with a special theme: ‘Science Meets City’. EM’s photographers will each share their own take on this theme. Photographer and psychology student Aysha Gasanova shines a light on the way in which students form part of the city of Rotterdam. “Students come from all over the world to get a degree here. Without science they wouldn’t be here. Of course they do party – which is important, as it helps them relax – but what I find most inspirational is that many of them wish to give back to the city, by using their knowledge, among other things.”

Student clubs organise all sorts of projects in the city, ranging from dinners for homeless persons to helping elderly people file their tax returns. For instance, Stichting Betrokken Student (the Foundation of Involved Students, a.k.a. BeSt), which was founded by RSC/RVSV, has organised an annual Remembrance of the Dead service in Kralingen for the last few years. “I think it’s great that they do this every year,” says Aysha. “It’s their way of showing the city that young people, too, commemorate war victims.”

“I think it’s admirable that students are so busy, yet so willing to give back to the city in some way,” says Aysha. One of her favourite examples is Enactus, an organisation that offers students an opportunity to grow on a personal level by tackling societal issues. One of the ways in which they do so in Rotterdam is by establishing small companies with elderly people and getting those to grow into sustainable revenue models in a few years’ time.

In February of this year, they embarked on ‘RotterJam’. Together with elderly people in nursing homes, the students now produce jam, which is sold at Foodelicious, a delicatessen in Mariniersweg. Aysha joined Enactus on a trip to the Humanitas elderly people’s complex in Spijkenisse, where they turned carrots into jam. “Loneliness in elderly people is a huge problem. I loved seeing the way in which the students really did their best to bond with the elderly people.”

“When I told my friend Laisvyda that I was creating a photo reportage on students and the city, she invited me to come and attend Gisela’s birthday party with her. The party was on the boat in Wijnhaven where Laisvyda is living.”

“Obviously, students are an important part of Rotterdam nightlife,” says Aysha. Take a walk in the city on any given evening and you will see them everywhere. “I particularly like this photo of two Greek Master’s students crossing the street because of the lighting. I managed to capture the moment when the car’s rear lights were on.”