Blog - AIESEC in The Netherlands

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AIESEC in The Netherlands Annual Report 22/23

AIESEC in The Netherlands Annual Report 22/23

This Annual Report shares information about our strategy, value creation, and related performance and impact for the membership year 2022/2023. For any further questions related to the same, please approach us at info@aiesec.nl. Annual report 22.23 AIESEC in The...

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How to avoid burn out

How to avoid burn out

What is burnout? Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. It can occur when you experience long-term stress in your job or have worked in a physically or emotionally draining role for a long time. Burnout is a word that we...

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My first Regional Conference

My first Regional Conference

Last November 2022, the Regional Presidents Meeting took place, a gathering of all European AIESEC Local Committee Presidents. This meeting is a unique opportunity for Local Presidents from the 40 different nations where AIESEC is present in Europe to share...

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Press Release | A platform for YOUth

Press Release | A platform for YOUth

This year AIESEC in The Netherlands is organizing its second Youth Speak Forum on the 29th of April in the Lighthouse in The Hague. Want to find out more about the event? Keep reading about Benjamins experience of attending last year's Youth Speak Forum! What is Youth...

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The essence of feminism

The essence of feminism

How can we transmit the essence of feminism? -by Iasmina Caramidariu A lot of people are reluctant when it comes to feminism and gender equality. It still seems like a TABOO for people to talk about. Why is it so? Why is feminism seen in a bad name even if it's just a...

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Climate Action in Italy

Climate Action in Italy

I will take you on a journey of climate action, joy, tears, and development through Italy. It was the 1st of June 2021 when I decided that I will go on a volunteering project with AIESEC  in Torino. I decided that I want to be part of the change. Bringing my...

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How to make your marketing internship a success?

How to make your marketing internship a success?

When you look through the AIESEC opportunity portal and search for Global Talent projects, you come across loads of business and marketing internship. Lucky for you if you are interested in doing one of those! But you might wonder why there are so many? Well, that is...

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Your exchange packing list

Your exchange packing list

As the summer vacation is approaching, so are many volunteering projects and internships. But what to pack on such a new exciting experience? Even if you have been abroad many times and are an expert in packing, there are sure to be moments when you miss a thing or two. To help you have the best preparation for your project, or any other vacation, we made a special AIESEC exchange packing list!

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Inspired, empowered and ready for change: The story of four young leaders in the contemporary world

Inspired, empowered and ready for change: The story of four young leaders in the contemporary world

When we talk about young leaders, people quickly think of Greta Thunberg or Mark Zuckerberg, due to their media attention or Greta’s well-known, activist speeches on climate change. But more quietly, the world is packed with young, inspirational leaders, trying to create a more stable, sustainable and inclusive world for future generations, minority groups or the society they are part of.

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Discovering culture in Morocco: An exchange to Marrakech

Discovering culture in Morocco: An exchange to Marrakech

When I decided to participate in the Nour project of AIESEC, I felt like I did something impulsive yet brave. I never went abroad on my own before. I always had people I could depend on like friends and family. This time I wanted to challenge myself by doing this project on my own, and I wanted to discover and embrace another culture.

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3 Inspiring TED talks on inequality

3 Inspiring TED talks on inequality

We’ve pulled together some inspiring TED talks for you to watch about inequality. The speakers in these videos describe their view on inequality and what the world needs in order to change this. Let these people inspire you, to create new ways of thinking about inequality and the road to changing this.

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4 Tips to make your CV stand out

4 Tips to make your CV stand out

On average, recruiters spend 5 to 7 seconds screening a CV before deciding whether to continue with the applicant or not. It equals the average time that we spend looking at an Instagram post on our feed. So, here are some tips that can help your CV stand out in a large pool of applicants.

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My AIESEC volunteering project in Italy

My AIESEC volunteering project in Italy

In January 2020 I participated in an AIESEC Project on environment and sustainability in Castellana Grotte, Italy. I was lucky to stay six weeks in one of the most beautiful small villages I have been to. My work was about teaching the kids in the local Highschool on the UN SDGs and sustainability. My fellow AIESEC students were so kind to pick me up in Bari. They made sure I was safe and showed me how to travel to my destination.

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Handling stress of working from home

Handling stress of working from home

Many people regard working from home as an overall goal for their work-life balance. They work with the help of evolving technologies such as Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, Slack, Google Hangouts and cloud computing. Recently, the work from home job force has gotten a push by the current global coronavirus pandemic.

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Organising the Global Health Cycle

Organising the Global Health Cycle

  Organising the global health cycle AIESEC is, in its essence, 1) a leadership organisation, 2) that provides cross-cultural exchanges. COVID-19 shut down the latter as we know it. Our challenge was to host it on zoom. The initial challenge “Well, there is not much...

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The power of cultural intelligence

The power of cultural intelligence

A third type of intelligence, only introduced after the start of the 21st century, is CQ; Cultural Quotient, or cultural intelligence. Every person’s cultural expression (e.g. their way of speech, beliefs, norms, body language, rituals and so on) are influenced by the cultural society they are or used to be part of. Due to this unique, intrinsic collection of culture every person carries with them, we are all different.

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Connect Youth: Purpose Driven Networking

Connect Youth: Purpose Driven Networking

Covid-19 triggered us to be more creative in finding ways to finding new ways to create value for our members and to make use of the possibilities that the online world has to offer. Hence, we wanted to create an inspiring online network event for our members. An opportunity for them to connect to the national network and to get to know different types of organisations in a valuable way.

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What is Climate Change?

What is Climate Change?

Climate change is defined as a shift in the average conditions of global or regional climate patterns over approximately 30 years. This causes global warming and unexpected weather conditions in every country on every continent.

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6 Ways to Improve Your Productivity

6 Ways to Improve Your Productivity

Ugh, Corona, right? I mean, it has been going through our conversations all year. And this small thing has kept us home for such a long time. OH MY GOD! I felt like my brain had lost its will to work for the longest time. However, this blog will hopefully help you to...

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3 Tips to Stay Motivated During Lockdown

3 Tips to Stay Motivated During Lockdown

Normally it can be difficult to stay motivated when working or studying. Now, the pandemic forces the most of us to work and study at home, staying motivated can become an even bigger issue. Some important things to keep track of during the pandemic to stay motivated...

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6 tips for Effective Communication

6 tips for Effective Communication

Have you ever wondered how effective your communication is? No matter if you believe that you are an expert or an amateur of communication, improving your ability to communicate is an endless process. In this blog, you will find 6 fundamental ways that will help you...

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Leadership in times of crisis

Leadership in times of crisis

Hi! I’m Sonida, 21 years old and currently studying International Studies at Leiden University. This year, I decided I wanted to challenge myself further by applying for AIESEC Leiden. I’m now the online marketing manager and I’m really liking it thus far. Being able...

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6 tips for better time management

6 tips for better time management

6 tips for better time-management How often do you find yourself overwhelmed by all the deadlines, responsibilities and to-do’s as a student? Trying to balance our studies with part-time jobs, volunteering, sports or just maintaining a social life is one of the...

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When Can I Go on Exchange Again?

When Can I Go on Exchange Again?

Traveling alone or going on exchange to another country might be one of the things you want to do during your student time or before you get a serious job. Exploring new places and meeting new people are certainly a fun experience and contribute to your personal...

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Why Should You Volunteer?

Why Should You Volunteer?

Volunteering seems a waste of time and effort without gaining anything in return to some people, are you one of them? It’s okay if you are, because in this blog we will explain to you why you should consider doing volunteer work and how it will be beneficial to you...

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How to deal with disappointments?

How to deal with disappointments?

This is not another Corona-blog. However, as I am writing this piece, I cannot stop thinking about the current pandemic that is happening in the world. Almost everyone in the world has been affected, whether it is large or small. Here in the Netherlands, the biggest...

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My time in São Paolo, Brazil

My time in São Paolo, Brazil

A life-changing experience started for me in January 2020. I left behind all the fear and doubts and I said Yes to an adventure, miles away from the Netherlands. I spent 2 amazing months in São Paulo, Brazil, that I can only describe as “unforgettable”. My main...

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Detective Dave

Detective Dave

Someone, please, call 112! The telephone rings at the police department. Detective Dave answers the phone and he is told to come to a precinct at Warandelaan 2 in Tilburg. After a quick ride, he arrives and gets informed about the committed crime. Apparently, a guy...

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SDG 17 – Partnership for the Goals

SDG 17 – Partnership for the Goals

The best partnerships aren't dependent on a mere common goal but on a shared path of equality, desire, and no small amount of passion. Just as important That’s right, this second blog in the SDG series is about SDG 17 – Partnership for the goals. To me, this SDG used...

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5 qualities any great leader should have

5 qualities any great leader should have

There are a lot of different leadership styles, all of which work in their own way. Nevertheless, all of these different styles have a few qualities in common. Here you can read about 5 of these central qualities that make you go from a good to a great leader. ....

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The exciting function of a trainee manager

The exciting function of a trainee manager

My name is Sophie and I am a Trainee Manager at AIESEC Tilburg. In this blog post, I will tell you what a trainee manager does. Our promise AIESEC wants to make sure that people have the best experience when going on one of the products that we offer (Global...

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Teaching Simon

Teaching Simon

A couple of years ago, my mother asked me if I wanted tutor Simon, a boy living across the street. His mother had approached mine because this little boy has had 6 different tutors that year alone already, but none of them were able to explain math to him. Curious as...

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The wake up call

The wake up call

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” - Leonardo Da Vinci We believe that leadership is the fundamental solution to achieve Peace and Fulfilment of...

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SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being

Back in 2015, the United Nations set specific goals that the world has to meet by 2030 - the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 goals together have to make sure that the world is in a perfect sustainable state in which there is no hunger, no...

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Welcome to the start-up hub

Welcome to the start-up hub

We all know by now that the start-up world is a very exciting one to work in. Yet, it always seemed a bit farfetched for me to be an entrepreneur and start working for myself. But is this feeling justified? I now think that, once you have a good idea of what you are...

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It is okay to be different

It is okay to be different

When you look up normal in the dictionary, this (or anything similar) is the definition that you will get. Although this definition probably wouldn’t surprise you, it is still a pretty vague description. Who decides what is the conforming standard, usual, typical, or...

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It’s not all about you

It’s not all about you

Whenever you join AIESEC or go on an AIESEC project, you will hear a lot about the leadership qualities, or LDQ’s in short. AIESEC uses four LDQs to teach people to be more aware about themselves and their environment. One of the four LDQ’s is called world...

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Never forget to love

Never forget to love

From the Netherlands to Greece – after 4 hours flight plus 3,5 hours by bus I arrived at my destination: Patras! The third biggest city in Greece, located in the north-west. It was smaller than I expected, but with very beautiful sea and mountain views. In the late...

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What is an ER-manager in AIESEC?

What is an ER-manager in AIESEC?

Every large company or organization has the function of an ER-manager, and so does AIESEC. In this function, it is our task to create and maintain our external relations with potential stakeholders where we can offer and promote our products of Global Volunteer,...

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Sustainability in the world of start-ups

Sustainability in the world of start-ups

The world of start-ups is quite an interesting one. It is a world in which people have to be very creative, take on challenges and where they have to make quick decisions. In addition to these things, they also have to make sure that they are operating within a...

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5 Tips to Give a Training that Sticks

5 Tips to Give a Training that Sticks

5 tips to give a training or workshop that sticks "Public speaking is a skill you can learn!" It’s something that most of us have had to do one way or another dozens of times: public speaking. Whether it’s a presentation in class, giving a training or speaking at a...

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A look at the quick-paced world of start-ups

A look at the quick-paced world of start-ups

A look at the quick-paced world of start-ups Imagine you have a great, innovative idea, you have an entrepreneurial spirit, and you are eager to put this idea into practice by starting your own business. First of all, that’s awesome! But this also means that you will...

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The World’s Largest Lesson

The World’s Largest Lesson

On the 13th of March, more than 150 AIESEC members throughout the Netherlands gave workshops about the Sustainable Development Goals to Dutch high school students as a part of the ‘World’s Largest Lesson’ (WLL) initiative. We visited 125 different school classes and...

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Plastic is the new black

Plastic is the new black

Order a drink on the streets in Solo (officially named Surakarta) and you will get a plastic cup with a plastic lid, a straw for easy drinking, a plastic bag to protect the cup and one small plastic bag for easy take away. Take a look around and check where you can...

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Feminism and Islam

Feminism and Islam

Feminism and Islam – a combination that seems to boil from tension. I know how difficult this topic can be: I am a Pakistani girl, grew up in Germany and live in the Netherlands. To analyze this topic, I went to Morocco for 6 weeks to interview people. In the last few...

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A message to our generation

A message to our generation

This post was written by Laura Bergshoef. Laura went on a volunteering project powered by AIESEC in the Netherlands. We offer international volunteering projects and professional internships with the aim of developing leadership in youth. If you want to read about...

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Eu te amo Brazil!

Eu te amo Brazil!

I was looking to leave an impact, not to upgrade my CV. Thankfully, AIESEC let me do both in Brazil.  "My experience taught me more than any book could ever teach me, some things have to be seen in person." As a second year business student, I knew it was time for me...

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Let’s discuss the elephant in the water.

Let’s discuss the elephant in the water.

Plastic waste is a huge problem. Every year, 12 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans. It’s time to discuss the elephant in the water. Single-use plastics are a human addiction that we must start facing. Plastic pollution is not only impacting our waters and...

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Ghana, the smiling country

Ghana, the smiling country

Approximately 6000 kilometers away from Holland my AIESEC experience started. Because of my gap year I wanted to do something. Not only travelling but also something related to my study. Then I found the Medicine Project, the perfect combination of learning in a...

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What is a Mzungu?

What is a Mzungu?

Last year I went to Uganda for an internship. My biggest fear was moving into an unknown country and leaving my family and friends behind. I had to prepare myself six months before departure and on that D-day I was like, … ok this is it! I was really curious about the...

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Welcome to your new family

Welcome to your new family

  It is around midnight, when I am waiting at Barranquilla airport in Colombia for someone to pick me up. Due to poor communication about this pick-up and my malfunctioning brain after an 18hr journey, I feel rather small. Fortunately a man points at his phone...

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Get the local vibes

Get the local vibes

Get the local vibesBy Stijn Vrerik Finally, my trip to South-America has started, with a project in Medellin. Some months before leaving the Netherlands, I tried to learn some Spanish with a self-study course. Unfortunately, at the day of departure, I could probably...

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Een groen paspoort

Een groen paspoort

Waar droom je van? Ik vind het altijd super interessant mensen deze vraag te stellen. Ik ben nieuwsgierig naar dromen, en hou er van als mensen iets onverwachts antwoorden. Mensen beginnen te stralen als ze over hun droom vertellen. En als ze niet precies weten wat ze...

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My first time in Ghana

My first time in Ghana

The moment I walked out of the airport, I was overwhelmed by all the unknown impressions. Everywhere were people looking at us and calling for us. When Luc and I finally found our guide, he simply welcomed us with the text: “Do you already have your money?” Despite...

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5 Reasons to Hire an International Intern

5 Reasons to Hire an International Intern

With a giant talent pool that transcends borders across the globe, AIESEC is one of the leading non-profits helping several other organizations, firms and workplaces hire an international intern. At a glance, it might appear as if an optimized local recruitment is...

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Why do we need entrepreneurial leadership?

Why do we need entrepreneurial leadership?

“Since its inception, IE Business School has embraced the entrepreneurial spirit as a core value, and is now an international reference in the field of entrepreneurship” (entrepreneurship.ie.edu). What AIESEC and IE Business School have in common is the commitment...

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Transformational vs Transactional Leadership

Transformational vs Transactional Leadership

Transformational or transactional leadership? Is one better than the other? The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by the expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen...

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TEDx talks on World Peace

TEDx talks on World Peace

In our world seemingly small things like intolerance and misunderstanding differences have caused large-scale conflict, destruction and even wars. With that in mind, world peace can seem like an impossible thing. Despite that, we at AIESEC interpret it a little...

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Living Diversity for World Peace

Living Diversity for World Peace

The World’s Very Real Need for Cultural Understanding AIESEC emerged from a period in time when cultural understanding was at an all-time low. In the years following the Second World War, the whole of the European continent was ravaged to the ground. Each nation was...

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Tussenjaar? Zó vul je dat in!

Tussenjaar? Zó vul je dat in!

Je hoort het steeds vaker: mensen die een tussenjaar nemen tijdens, of na, hun bachelor. Niet heel gek vinden wij. Wanneer je aan één stuk door studeert, ben je namelijk al op vroege leeftijd student af. Dat klinkt misschien aantrekkelijk, maar er zitten de nodige...

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5 bizarre delicatessen in het buitenland

5 bizarre delicatessen in het buitenland

Het leuke van reizen is dat je elke keer in een totaal andere cultuur belandt… In Nederland kijken we niet raar op van haring met uitjes, bitterballen en kroketten uit de muur, maar niet in elke cultuur zijn de delicatessen zo onschuldig als hier! Alhoewel het...

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Experience Story Hanoi

Experience Story Hanoi

Experience Story: Thu-Yên Pham, Hanoi, Vietnam After my graduation, I wanted to travel through South-East Asia and do some voluntary work in Vietnam. The main reason for seeking voluntary work in Vietnam was that I wanted to learn more about my background. The project...

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8 things you should know about YouthSpeak

8 things you should know about YouthSpeak

YouthSpeak is a global youth movement and youth insight survey powered by AIESEC. We focus on understanding the hopes and challenges surrounding various issues which involve young people like us. We are uniting a generation of young leaders who aren’t afraid to speak...

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My Ghana Experience

My Ghana Experience

After finishing my second year in medicine in the Netherlands, I felt like I wanted to experience more somewhere else in the world. I’m very interested in tropical medicine and Ghana was one of the country’s that offered a medical project in a tropical environment. A...

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5 ways to help combat climate change

5 ways to help combat climate change

The effects of climate change clearly come to light in the forms of an increase of natural phenomenons such as earthquakes, floods and tropical cyclones. No longer can we deny that climate change is one of the most pressing global issues. People often feel like you...

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4 Reasons Why You Should Work Abroad

4 Reasons Why You Should Work Abroad

1. Personal Growth To move overseas or to work abroad temporarily is great at ripping you out of your comfort zone. Change isn’t something that is comfortable for us as humans, but we do know that it’s good for us. At what other time will you grow as much as when you...

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5 tips voor je eerste stagedag

5 tips voor je eerste stagedag

Je hebt je stage in de pocket, maar nu is het tijd om jezelf te bewijzen en de ideale stagiair te zijn! Begin jij binnenkort aan je eerste stagedag? Lees dan hier 5 tips om de eerste dag vlekkeloos te laten verlopen! 1. Neem initiatief Alhoewel alles op de eerste dag...

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The Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals

‘We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it’ – Barack Obama Climate change is not the only topic that the United Nations worry about. Therefore they have developed the Sustainable Development...

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5 dutch Start-ups that Contribute to the SDGs

5 dutch Start-ups that Contribute to the SDGs

The world is more and more concerned about the sustainability of our wonderful world, and that is great! 2015, the United Nations came up with an initiative, named The Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially known as...

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De 6 meest inspirerende leiders van de 20e eeuw

De 6 meest inspirerende leiders van de 20e eeuw

Wie waren de meest invloedrijke en inspirerende leiders van de vorige eeuw? Wie hebben ons dagelijks denken of manier van leven dusdanig veranderd dat we nu nog regelmatig naar deze personen verwijzen? Wij zetten onze top 6 voor je op een rijtje. 1. Albert Einstein...

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Cultural Travels Through Mexico

Cultural Travels Through Mexico

Mexico’s colonial heritage is a diverse mixture, composed of European and indigenous roots. Through combining old traditions with modern practices, it offers visitors an opportunity to experience the unusual among the familiar. Colonial cities in Mexico bring to mind...

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Challenge Your Inner Hiker In Patagonia!

Challenge Your Inner Hiker In Patagonia!

Hiking? Hmm, not really my thing. That’s what I thought at least when jumping on a flight from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires exactly a year ago. I was on my way to the country of famous steaks, delicious Malbec wine and dancing tango in ancient cathedrals with 70-year old...

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The Issue Of Global Food Waste

The Issue Of Global Food Waste

Food is one of the most important basic needs humans have. Here in the western world we are often not in short of food. We are free to buy the food we want and like. This in contrast to the 1 billion humans who go undernourished and another 1 billion hungry. A lot of...

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My story as acquisition manager

My story as acquisition manager

Hi, I am Jop Heuvelmans and in this story I will tell you more about my two biggest passions, why I am a member of AIESEC, and what I do as an acquisition manager. About me I’m 21 years old and I live in Tilburg. In January I started a premaster in Data Science and...

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