Tonje Reinsvollsveen (25), Norway
17 Mar 2011
MSc in Management, Nyenrode Business Universiteit
Here at Nyenrode Business University, group work is used as much if not more than lecturing. The current project I am working on is my master’s thesis. I work together with a Dutch thesis partner, and we do this for ten weeks at the end of our study. The goal is to advise Asics Europe BV on certain elements of sustainability reporting. Part of the reason for this is that more and more companies choose to report on their non-financial risks through a sustainability (Corporate Social Responsibility) report as the ecological and social risks gain increasing importance in the business environment. We both cooperate and divide the tasks between us and work partly from school, partly from the company’s offices.
In general, working in an international project group with a Dutch student offers few cultural differences for a Norwegian. The main difference is the language. However, because the thesis needs to be written in the English language, we both find it beneficial that all communication is in English. From former study experiences in Spain and Finland I know that international project groups can be quite a challenge.
It is necessary to have extra patience and tolerance for a successful outcome. In fact, I believe that every international experience leads to further patience and tolerance, whether you are abroad or in your own country.
A good country to live in
Holland is a good country to live in for young people. There are unlimited offerings, and everything is reachable in a very short time by train or bus. I especially like the amount of concerts available in the big cities. Every small or big artist visits the Netherlands when they tour Europe.
For the rest, the Dutch culture is open and friendly, and English is no problem in the central parts. If I should mention something negative, it seems to be the Dutch preference for all kinds of “food” to be made into a ball or a roll and fried. Scary enough, in time you actually learn to appreciate it!
