Studying public health and political economy in the Netherlands. Founded and directed The Hague’s EA group, THEA, organized the first national unconference in the Netherlands, interning with the U.S. Delegation to the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and contracting with the Global Challenges Project.
Liam
Karma: 60
Many students in the Netherlands don’t receive these benefits 😔. If you are Dutch, it’s easy to get it. But internationals now make up 40% of incoming university students (and I think there are a disproportionate amount of internationals in the Dutch EA community), and even for EU students there are a lot more barriers—you have to have lived in the Netherlands for at least 5 years, a parent or partner needs to work in the Netherlands, or you have to be employed—internships unfortunately don’t count as an eligible employment contract. On top of that, the eligibility for student finance dictates your eligibility for the student travel product.
Anecdotally, many (international) students I know at uni have not pursued internships for this reason (low wage + no govt benefits).