Features
Key People13 September 2023Surpassing small talk to make connections
As a NewConnective programme maker, Selma Boulmalf (25) reaches out to students on the subject of life issues. Being open and authentic are important conditions for having deeper conversations, she found.
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Campus06 September 2023Mirjam van Praag: ‘It was a wonderful time, but tougher than I thought’
“During my presidency, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has hopefully become a better place. And VU Amsterdam has also made me a better person and a better tactician”, says Mirjam van Praag, who said farewell as President of the Executive Board last Monday.
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Science04 September 2023‘Carbon offset projects that reduce deforestation don’t work’
The world’s biggest companies like Gucci, Disney and Delta Airlines compensate their carbon emissions by spending millions on projects reducing deforestation. Environmental scientist Thales Pupo West and colleagues discovered that 90 percent of these projects are not effective.
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Students07 July 2023How these two students experience their bodies
How do you experience your body? And what reactions do you get from your surroundings? For our summer magazine, these two students candidly talk about their bodies.
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Science03 July 2023One size doesn’t fit all
Working on your body has become a new religion. Yes, exercise is healthy, but too strong a focus on it means many complex problems go unnoticed. Philosopher Ivo van Hilvoorde thinks it’s a misleading and elitist ideology.
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Campus23 June 2023'Real friendships are created here'
From painting courses to bowling and kickboxing – as a ‘people connector’ at Life is Better in 3D, Ferdi Kabak brings VU Amsterdam students into contact with each other.
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Campus15 June 2023So many empty roofs at VU, zero solar panels
Despite there being plenty of empty roofs to be found on campus, VU Amsterdam is the only university in the Netherlands without solar panels.
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Education07 June 2023When seeking student engagement comes with adverse effects
By enforcing mandatory attendance and opting for group assignments, international bachelor program MKDA hopes to activate its students. But not all students are as thrilled with this ‘non-inclusive’ approach.
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Society02 May 2023Help! I have a smelly colleague
We spend more time with our coworkers than with our families, so what to do when one of them smells bad? ‘Addressing someone in the wrong way can lead to difficult situations.’
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Students30 March 2023The hurdles of learning Dutch
“There is a sentiment that internationals don’t care because we don’t speak the language”, says Isabella Gerig (21), a VU Law in society student from the UK. She lived most of her teenage years in Spain and moved to the Netherlands three years ago.
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