Heidi de Ruiter (2019)

SKILLS: German, Dutch, government, policy, public relations, international relations, public administration, social media and English.

“In September 2002 I started the Bachelor German Language and Culture. Eventually I received by Master diploma’s for Intercultural Communication and Translation on March 1st, 2007.
My study time is still a period in my life that I look back on very happily. A very fun group of people, enthousiastic teachers and organising the first Berlin-trip with Aufschwung made studying in Utrecht something that I will never forget. The linguistic, literary and culture historical classes within the Bachelor German Language and Culture were very interesting to me. I also enjoyed following classes outside my own bachelor or even outside the faculty, so I used this opportunity to its fullest extent. A summer semester at the Ruhruniversität Bochum made the German culture much more accessible to me, and speaking German became second nature.
During my master, I got the opportunity to do an internship and through an open sollicitation proces, I ended up at the Euregio Rijn-Waal in the German town of Kleve. The Euregio Rijn-Waal is a member’s organisation consisting of Dutch and German municipalities and regional governments, with the goal to improve cooperation beyond borders. I got involved in everything and was even invited to a congress in Brussels. When, at the end of 2008, I got the chance to start working for Euregio Rijn-Waal, I did not have to think twice. As a senior policy officer in a small organization I work very closely with many policy-related issues: public order and security, economy and the labor market, public transportation and much else. I am responsible for Public Relations and communications as well. Because of this variety of tasks my job is very diverse, and of course a perfect fit with my study in German Language and Culture.”