{"id":92181,"date":"2018-11-20T13:58:38","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T12:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=92181"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:09","slug":"first-congress-specially-for-caribbean-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/11\/20\/first-congress-specially-for-caribbean-students\/","title":{"rendered":"First congress specially for Caribbean students"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cCompanies are showing an increasing interest in diversity and inclusiveness\u201d, says Deveney Petrus from the Caribbean Student Congress. \u201cDepartments and teams are often still predominantly white. We hope that the congress will stimulate students to work on their networks. Now is the time: companies are employing more and more people of colour.\u201d The first edition of the congress will take place on 23 November in the Erasmus Paviljoen.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRonald van den Heerik<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The theme of the Caribbean Student Congress<\/a> is \u2018Reach out\u2019. Lectures like \u2018Wat nou succes?<\/em>\u2019 (\u2018What success?\u2019)\u00a0by actor and comedian Jandino Asporaat and \u2018Succesvolle Antillianen in Rotterdam<\/em>\u2019 (\u2018Successful Antilleans in Rotterdam\u2019) by psychiatrist David Vinkers should inspire the students. \u201cWe want to show that anyone can be successful, regardless of their background\u201d, tells Petrus. \u201cStudents with a Caribbean background often think that they are one step behind the rest.\u201d Caribbean students often get the impression that they are not accepted for jobs due to their background, explains Petrus. \u201cWe want to change this mindset. Get out there, build a network, then you really have a good chance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u201cThe participants in my Tax Law course are extremely diverse, but that is not yet reflected in the workplace.\u201d\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

The organiser of the event is Stichting Caribische Belastingwinkel.Chairman Germaine Rekwest is the creator of the congress. She also works at the Erasmus School of Law as coordinator of the field Caribbean Tax Law. \u201cWe are seeing that increasing numbers of Caribbean students have job opportunities in the fiscal sector\u201d, says Petrus. For example, last week I visited one of the sponsors that has placed diversity policy at the top of its agenda: the Ministry of Finance.\u201d There, Petrus saw that the staff are still mainly white, but that they intend to change this. \u201cThe participants in my Tax Law course are extremely diverse. Caribbean students, Islamic students, and more, but that is not yet reflected in the workplace.\u201d According to her, this is \u2018definitely not\u2019 because of a lack of suitable personnel.<\/p>\n

The organisers of the Caribbean Student Congress believe that companies are opening their eyes. Now they want to inspire the students to grab their chance for success. Currently, 80 of the 120 tickets have been sold. Registrations are coming from all over the Netherlands. \u201cBut there is still plenty of space. Everyone is welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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