April newsletter!

The months of March, April have been eventful to say the least. We have had several events, partnerships, meet-ups, giveaways and the upcoming two months will be not any less short of it. 

In the months of May and June there will be a celebration in light of Ramadan, a collaborative event with Deloitte, and there shall be more educational as well as fun events following up with more goodies and joy on the way!  Next to that, FAM has been actively trying to find ways in order to organize some physical events in near future. Of course this is always a bit tricky as the Covid-19 situation can be unpredictable. 

Nevertheless, we want you to know that we are in this together and that we too would love to meet you in person and are trying our best to realize a physical event, so that you too can taste the vibe that got us in love with FAM in the first place! Speaking of family, this month a new batch of families have been formed and are thriving. We wish all those new (and old) families a lot of fun together. May there be more! 

Colloquium: ‘Decolonize and re-visiblize’ –  3rd of March 

On the 3rd of March, in line with Black History Month, was the first colloquium organized by students from VU Amsterdam, UCLA, and University of the Free State in collaboration with FAM. The colloquium emerged itself in the important subjects of decolonization, intersectionality and institutional racism. Herein was the focus laid upon the role of students on how they deal and experience with the aforementioned subjects whilst connecting with students from all around the world, Los Angeles, to Amsterdam to Bloemfontein. 

Come Lie With Us – 11th of March  

The exams were approaching, thus our events committee organized a fun discord evening game night for all of our members to join and relieve some stress before the hard work had to be kicked in! The evening consisted of three rounds of games: introductory game of two truths and one lie, followed up by the main game of the evening whereby the ‘telephone game’ were played and topped off with an after party of the ‘werewolf game’. 

Speak Up! –  6th of April   

It is safe to say that representation is important. But is that representation realized at the VU campus according to its students? To what extent? This was the main question surrounding the collaborative event with the study associations Aureus and Digi Juridica. The event consisted of open discussions in a ‘safe space’ with students from different backgrounds regarding the theme of identity, representation and visibility. 

It’s The Dutch Life For Me –  22nd of April 

Navigating your way through a new country can be a challenging thing. Especially during these pandemical times as an international student. That is why FAM organized an event where all the necessary information surrounding the practicalities of living in the Netherlands were shared so that every incoming or already in-living international students are better prepared for their journey here.But, that was not all, as FAM had put together an exclusive FAM totebag with fun goodies for its (international) members. 

Colloquium ‘Decolonization to Decoloniality’  – 25th of April 

Following up on the first colloquium, the second session of this international colloquium  organized by FAM, VU Amsterdam, University of California, Los Angeles and the University of the Free State took place on the 25th of April. This session built up on the previous discussions and revolved around the meaning of the notions: decolonization and decoloniality and how to navigate through it, with shared stories around personal experiences on the institutional level.  Would you like to be present at the next colloquium and get to know students from other parts of the world? Keep an eye out on our instagram @fam.students and the colloquium’s instagram: global.student.conference. 

New Families Formed – April

In the first week of April the time had finally come, the second batch of families were formed! This time again the Family Committee has been matching and forming groups consisting of six family members each with a family head based on their interests, background and other commentary.  The committee has succeeded in forming now 10 families in total! 

To all these families there is also a budget of 100 euros available for each family until the end of this school year. 

Note: For those that have missed the deadline in March, the next families will be formed at the beginning of the new fall semester in September. 

Introductory Event: ‘We Are Family’ – 16th of April

A week after the formation of these families, the Family Committee organized an introductory event in order for the families to get to know each other by means of speed dating and playing games together! Next to that, some guidelines and ground rules were shared in order to ensure trust and fun! 

Deloitte 

Deloitte is a large professional services provider, with about 5500 employees and 14 offices spread in the Netherlands. They provide professional services in the field of accounting, tax-advice, consultancy, risk advising, and financial advising. On the 4th of May we organize an in-house day with them to talk about D&I within Deloitte and participants get the opportunity to ask questions to current employees. The goal of this event is to close the gap between a talented community and a promising employer like Deloitte and it is a perfect opportunity to prepare you for a job at Deloitte. For more information on how to attend, see upcoming events. 

BCG 

BCG is one of the largest consulting firms in the world. They have managed to develop a deep expertise in driving measurable change in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Now, BCG wants to use this experience to help the next generation of consultants, by organizing the ‘for you mentor programme’. The programme will start in October 2021 and will last 9 months.

The BCG for You Mentor Program offers you multiple inspirational workshops provided by people from BCG, including social activities. Through interactive sessions with professional actors and trainers, you will get the best out of yourself: you will get to know your strengths, understand others and yourself, work together, grow and reflect. Furthermore, you will have personalized coaching from your mentor and buddy.

The deadline to apply for the mentoring program is the 23rd of May. Click here for more information on how to apply.