Maximiliano Crocamo has a first at Avans. The Italian International Business student is the first student to sit on the Avans Joint Consultative Council (AMR). To address the language barrier, the AMR is piloting translation technology.
”I saw an appeal on Teams saying that the AMR was looking for new members. I thought, why not? I have some spare time, and it seemed like an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of students and staff,” Maximiliano says, explaining his motivation for running for the council. He registered for the by-election, collected enough signatures and secured a seat as a student member.
Language barrier
The working language in the AMR, which meets weekly, is Dutch. Since Maximiliano does not speak it, this created a language barrier. To overcome this hurdle, the council started using Speaksee, an app that translates spoken Dutch into English. Microphones placed around the table capture what is said, which is translated into text that can be read on an iPad. Maximiliano’s first experience of using the app in a meeting was not a huge success. ”I only understood about 15 per cent of what was said. But the software will only improve in the future. Also, I couldn’t read up on what would be discussed before the meeting, which made it more difficult,” the student says. However, he admits to being at least partly responsible. ‘’Even though I’ve lived in the Netherlands for three years, I’ve never learned Dutch. I could have done that.”
International perspective
The final-year student, who comes from an international background and has a mother from Australia and a father from Venezuela, believes his international perspective could be invaluable to the council. He has found that many international students, including himself, often struggle to connect with their Dutch peers and sometimes feel isolated. This is an issue he would like to raise. ”I’d also like to know how Avans sees the role of international students, what we mean to Avans and what its future plans are for internationalization,” said the student. Diversity and inclusion are important to him, too. ”But that’s about more than just the gender balance, for example. To me, diversity not just differences in gender or differences in background, but also, differences in perspectives.”
Maximilian, who is also one of the co-founders of the international student association Intarnia, has also thought about what he can personally bring to the council. ”I want to create synergy, make sure people’s voices are heard and that everyone feels comfortable talking to me. I want to be seen as someone who is open to others,” he says. ”And I want to learn as much as I can. I see myself as a sponge, keen to absorb everything. I want to understand how the council works and make a difference.”
Paving the way
The software pilot is not just for Maximiliano’s benefit but for the entire AMR, which is adopting it as part of its efforts to be as inclusive as possible. The student hopes the pilot will be a successful test of the technology. ”I want us to understand each other. That’s important, especially in the AMR environment,” he says. ”It’s not just about me, but also about other international students who may want to become members in the future. I can pave the way for them.”
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