Mihai Ometiță (22), Romania

17 Mar 2011

MA in Philosophy, University of Groningen

I have obtained my bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Currently, I am a research master student in Philosophy at the University of Groningen.

My studying in the Netherlands is not so much the outcome of my choosing the country

but the specific programme I am following at the moment. I am interested in the history of philosophy and find the curricula of the programme essential to my philosophical training.

Close relation student/teacher

An important difference between my studies here and those in my home country is the close relation between students and teachers. This, of course, is not only a great opportunity for substantial improvement, but also a valuable source of motivation for students. On the other hand, this close relation is not an impediment for the students doing extensive individual work.

Paradoxically, even if confronted with a huge international student community, the Dutch students in Groningen do not seem to be as interested as their foreign counterparts in bridging cultural gaps between them. Thus, there seems to be a smaller distance between international students and their teachers than between the international students and their Dutch colleagues. But this might possibly be better understood in the light of discreetness as a feature of the Dutch which seems, nonetheless, to be more easily set aside by the more experienced ones (i.e. university teachers).

City of Groningen

The people’s style of life here fits me well. Groningen resembles a living organism with an intense night life. Riding my bicycle in the evening is my method to become one with the city centre and contemplate its architecture which I greatly admire.

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