On Thursday, Avans is organising a carnival party for international students. “Here in the south of the country carnival is the ideal moment to turn the spotlight on a slice of Southern Dutch culture”, says Joost van Hilst, project manager of Avans International Community (AIC).
With this party, AIC aims to bring students closer together. They also learn more about the Netherlands. “The carnival party is a way of getting international students acquainted with a slice of Southern Dutch culture”, says the project manager. Students come in costume, and ‘Dutch finger food’ is handed out throughout the evening. There is also a prize for the student with the best costume.
Music
The choice of music for the evening has been well thought out. “We have asked the DJ to play a good mix of Dutch carnival music and international music”, Van Hilst adds.
As well as students, international staff of Avans are also welcome. “At Avans we also have dozens of staff members who are not Dutch. They too are part of the international community, so they have been invited.” According to Van Hilst, people from other countries appreciate events such as the carnival party. “It’s the thought behind it that really counts. It tells you that people are aware of you and listen to you, and that this is somewhere for networking and socialising”, he says.
Attention
In Van Hilst’s view international students are getting an increasing amount of attention. “But they need to be a bit more visible within the organisation. Among the ways we achieve that is by organising social activities such as this carnival party.” Along with social activities, AIC – in cooperation with Avans Extra – also arranges extra-curricular activities such as workshops in English. When OpenX opens its doors, there will also be an exclusive area for the international community where everyone can meet in the flesh.
International students can register free of charge for the carnival party. They will then receive a unique code that will gain them admittance. The party is on Thursday 16 February from 18.30 to 21.30 in the Mezz in Breda. Have fun!
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