Symposium

For my second column, which is however my first english column, you can read below my speech from our symposium on February the 16th.

As I look at what we, as the study tour committee, at this point have achieved and the things that we will achieve in the time left to the study tour, I get a very satisfied feeling and must also admit that I am kind of relieved. Organising this studytrip has not been as easy as we might have expected, before we started. We came across a few bumps in the road during this last year.

The first big struggle, like you might recall, was right before last summer and was our clash with the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden. This organization normally refunds your money if your travel agency goes bankrupt. They send us a letter that they refused to do so in our case, because, in their eyes, we act as a travel company and then it is our own problem. Ofcourse, we did not accept this and together with Luc-Jan Laarhoven went looking for a solution. We changed our student-committee contracts, our regulations, but nothing would suffice to meet their standards. We did get ourselves well known there in Rotterdam, at one point, during one of our many phone calls, they cried out: No, not that group from Nijmegen again! Luckily, the travel company van Betuw was on our side and together we have got around the SGR by booking every student individual. Something we are travelcompany van Betuw still very grateful for.

Then, just a few months later, right before signing the contracts and booking the trip, there was trouble in the committee, a few people had the feeling that they could not be motivated anymore to organize this trip and decided to quit. We, as the remaining members, had a very tough go/no go decision to make. Do we think we are able to get everything ready on time, even though we have a changed composition of the committee? Well, as you all could have guessed, since I am standing here right now, we decided to go, we wanted to see the result of our efforts, and, of course, did not want to disappoint you! With our priorities set straight and lifted spirits we continued, the trip was booked and the first arrangements for visits were made.

Our biggest concern at that point was money. We were looking for money in the middle of the economic crises and that did not go unnoticed. Companies that are normally happy to financially support an initiative like this, were not anymore, due to various reasons. There is no budget anymore, We have too many applications, we are aiming at professionals, not students, or just a plain simple: no; we have heard it all. Together with the point that most companies are really slow in answering e-mails: taking weeks to give a simple yes or no, we became a bit frustrated. But luckily, slowly we found companies who could be interested in closing a sponsorship deal. At this point these are the KNCV, Bruker, Shimadzu Benelux, present today, and Screening Devices. We are very thankful for their support to our study trip abroad.

When I hear all the things I have said now, I am afraid that I am giving the impression that it is no fun at all to be in the studytour committee . Well, I have to say it is the opposite, we work well together and our weekly meetings are always pleasant. It is really nice to see how we have grown in organizing this study tour. We are getting better in working as a team. And we know better how to arrange things with companies for sponsorships and visits during our trip. When looking forward to the end of April I can only say that I can not wait to get on that bus here in Nijmegen and start our trip. I think that, like me, most of us never have been to the United States. Personally I am really curious to see what it is like in that large country across the ocean. Is everything really a few times bigger than we are used to, and can I manage to eat a Supersize menu at McDonalds? Finally seeing all these things we only know from movies and tv; The statue of liberty, Central Park, Times Square, walking the freedom trail. Maybe seeing one of the great sportteams play: the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees. Maybe we will be watching a show on Broadway or having dinner at planet Hollywood. All the things that together form the American culture. While keeping in mind that it is after all a studytrip, I am also curious to see the differences between our countries on scientific areas. When visiting research departments and companies, what will be the differences? Do they have the same working ethics, is the atmosphere on the divisions the same as here, so cosy and personal, or is it cold and industrial or in between?

After all, since I have never been there and the countries are so different, it is hard for me to guess what will be the one thing that will be making the biggest impression in these days. I can only say that I hope that you are as enthusiastic as I am and that we will have a trip forever to remember!