'What I like most about this Master's specialisation is the interdisciplinary perspective that it provides on gender and diversity issues. While studying gender and diversity issues, both power, politics and management are taken into account. This has definitely broadened my perspective on our society. What also makes this Master's programme interesting is the fact that you get to take a lot of courses from the other Business Administration Master's specialisations. You not only learn about the gender and diversity issues in organisations, but also about the implications that these issues have on organisational change, human resource management and organisational strategy. These other courses provide me with knowledge that is quite useful in addressing gender and diversity issues in organisations once I enter the labour market.
The Master's has a very friendly and intimate atmosphere because we are usually not with many students. Therefore, the students all know each other well. The same goes for the student-teacher relationships. The teachers are always open for a conversation and are there for you when you need help or advice. This Master's also has a Gender & Power in Politics and Management Hotspot, where students, teachers, practitioners and professors from other universities occasionally get together and share their research. For me as a student, it was really interesting to get the chance to hear what professionals in the field were concerned with, and it provided me with a deeper level of understanding on gender and power-related topics.
It can be challenging to take courses from other Master's, as students who are doing those Master's full-time usually already bring more background knowledge and understanding with them. Sometimes it was a bit difficult to keep up with them. Luckily, the teachers were very helpful and gave me some extra clarification when I asked for it.
Currently, I am doing an internship at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom relations, where I work in a team that is concerned with Diversity & Inclusion policy and practices of the Dutch central government. It is very nice to be able to work in a team that is concerned with D&I policies and practices, because it definitely reminds me of the relevance and importance of this Master's specialisation. For this organisation, I am currently writing my Master's thesis about the effectivity of inclusion practices that have been implemented to become an inclusive workplace for organisational members. Writing a thesis, of course, is quite frustrating at times. Luckily, my supervisor is very helpful and challenges me to take my research to a higher level.
Currently, you see a development that organisations all want to become more diverse and inclusive. It is the new “sustainability” in the sense that organisations feel great societal pressure to represent people from all backgrounds and provide them with equal opportunities. There is thus an increasing demand in professionals on gender, diversity and inclusion related issues. After finishing my Master's I would either like to advise organisations on these developments or continue doing research.'