Eric Casteel, UCLA Graduate Student
I spent two summers (2001 & ‘02) studying Dutch at the Boswell Institute in Utrecht. The Boswell lies on the outskirts of city center and is easily accessed by bicycle or bus. Unless it rains, in which case I recommend taking the bus. The Dutch have mastered the art of riding a bicycle in the rain; I never did. I didn’t purchase a rain proof kit, and I cannot, in spite of all efforts, ride a bike while holding an umbrella and talking on my cell phone. As a local advertisement says, “Bent u Nederlander, of niet?” I apparently am not.The Boswell Institute uses a typical immersion approach to learning Dutch. The textbook and all instruction are in Dutch from the beginning. The textbooks and all supporting materials (e.g., audio tapes) were written and produced by the Institute, and are widely considered to be among the best Dutch instructional materials available. Indeed, the Dutch classes taught at UCLA use the Boswell’s textbook series, Kunt u mij helpen? The classes are strenuous without being overwhelming, and provide ample cultural experience to back up the classroom time and reinforce the newly acquired skills. Trips to museums, parks, or other such places are interspersed with the course, and classmates often end up creating their own outings as well.
As others here have noted, however, one doesn’t feel isolated in the Netherlands, because of the propensity of the locals to speak English. Grocery stores, restaurants, train stations and the city market are all easily navigated because of this. Which can be rather frustrating to someone trying to learn Dutch…the locals like to practice their English. But if you take the time to explain that you’d rather attempt the transaction in Dutch, it’s rare that the other person won’t be thrilled to help you.
The staff and faculty who make up the OGC (Onderzoekinstituut voor Geschiedenis en Cultuur, or Research Institute for History and Culture) make the exchange program very comfortable. They will help to navigate finding housing (before you get there!) and getting oriented in town once you’re there. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions, even if they don’t relate directly to language studies. I have found them helpful on everything from where to buy a strippenkaart (a national bus-pass) to directions to the football stadium.
Utrecht itself is a charming city. It boasts the only bilevel canals in the Netherlands (in which the streets overlook the canals, but seating is on a lower “patio” level almost even with the water). The city center, with its maze of medieval streets, is very well preserved and makes for days of enjoyable wandering. Don’t forget to explore the surroundings…Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, and The Hague are all less than an hour away, and well worth the trip.
Eric Avila, Professor of History, UCLA
I taught two classes for the History Department -- the history of Los Angeles; America in the 1960s. Both classes were full to capacity at 30 students each. I taught on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Most were Dutch students, although there were a handful of foreign exchange students as well, mostly from the US. In both classes, I combined straightforward lectures with student presentations, based on the readings. I divided the class into groups of three or four, and each group presented the reading materials to the class, providing questions to generate class discussion. At first, the students were reluctant to participate in class discussion, but by the end of the class most everyone felt comfortable offering their questions and ideas in class discussion. To an American professor, Dutch students seem shy, especially at the outset of a class, but they also seem guided by a cultural imperative not to stand out amongst their peers, to remain an inconspicuous part of the pack. Of course, being accustomed to American students who vie for class and teacher recognition, I summoned every pedagogical strategy possible to provoke discussion, sometimes generating controversy or 'problems' that generally seemed to elicit reaction and participation among the students.
If there is one impression I leave with, it is the broad generalization that (to me) it seemed that Dutch students were generally smarter than American students (their critical thinking skills seem sharper than American students; and they seem better prepared by prior educational experience), but American students work harder than Dutch students. Not that Dutch students are lazy (though some are, like all students), or that American students are intellectually challenged, but thinking comparatively between my familiarity with American students and my introduction to Dutch students, the latter group seemed more able to take their college education for granted than students in the United States -- where a college education is a privilege, not a right, as it seems in Holland. This ability seemed to translate into a more lax attitude among Dutch students, who came to class if and when they felt like it; turned in papers when they pleased, even if it was beyond my specified deadlines; or completed reading assignments if it suited their schedules outside of the classroom (of course, this was not true of all students: I had some very diligent students who came to most every class meeting, did the readings, came to office hours, etc.). This is why, I suspect, colleagues advised me to be strict with the students, to insist on deadlines; to take attendance; and to remind students almost daily that their success in class depended upon their full participation in class discussions, ability to turn in assignments on time, and a regular pattern of attendance. This was good advice, even though some students bristled at what they perceived to be my strictness.
Outside the classroom, I had the wonderful opportunity to discover various aspects of Dutch culture and the diverse cultures of Holland. I spent much time in Amsterdam, but a twenty minute train ride from Utrecht, but I also visited surrounding cities and regions: Den Haag, Rotterdam, beautiful countryside, etc. Utrecht itself is a wonderful vantage point from which to discover the rest of Holland, above the fray of Amsterdam, but also maintains the cosmopolitanism of a Berkeley or Ann Arbor. Of course, a bicycle is necessary; it really is the best way to see Holland from the perspective of Dutch people and to experience the pace of Dutch culture. I had comfortable accommodations near the center of town, alongside Wilhelmina Park, a great spot for picnics on those rare sunny days. Beyond Holland, I made several trips to Paris, which is about three and half hours by the Thalys high-speed train via Brussels. I also flew to London, and Barcelona, quite cheap by discount airlines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet.
Overall, it was a wonderful and enlightening experience: I only hope that I am able to return under similar circumstances.
Laura York, UCLA Graduate Student
The Netherlands is cold and rainy in July and August. All the stores are closed on Sundays. The supermarket will charge you per sack if you want to bag your groceries, and restaurant menus are remarkably repetitive and, with the Euro, remarkably overpriced.
All that said, however, I still had a great time in Utrecht in summer 2002 as a student at the Boswell Institute, taking their intensive introductory course in Dutch. There were about twenty-five students, a diverse group from all over Europe and the US. That was a bit too large for such an intensive course (in terms of getting individual instruction), but I did meet some really interesting people. The instructors, particularly the comic genius Hank Nederhand, were quite good, helpfully balancing a serious approach to teaching Dutch with large doses of cross-cultural humor. They used an immersive style of constantly speaking and explaining concepts in Dutch, with just enough English to make sure more complicated points were understood. A linguist was brought in occasionally to work on our pronunciation, for me the most difficult part of learning Dutch.
Most of the students were native German speakers or knew German, which gave them a strong advantage in grasping meaning and pronunciation in German’s sister language over me and my Romance language background. However, although it was more difficult for me to follow, the instructors created a relaxed and warm climate that made it not at all embarrassing to ask questions or say “Wat betekend dat?!?”
My fellow UCLA’ers and I had many adventures, some irritating (like trying to rent a bicycle, something I never managed to accomplish), some hilarious, all instructive. Most of my time was spent in Utrecht (the class ran about six hours a day, four days a week), but there was time for day trips to Leiden (a highlight), Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. It is, as the Dutch seem never to tire of mentioning, a really small country, and making day trips by train very easy and relatively inexpensive. I found the Dutch in general to be friendly, not put off by foreign accents, and usually willing to converse in English (it’s not a myth—most of the Dutch I met really did speak English quite well). The times when I was having trouble communicating in Dutch with someone they seemed more amused than annoyed.
And any place you learn a new language and get five dozen fresh, beautiful roses for five euros, has got to be a great place to spend a summer, even if it does rain a lot.
Sara Hendren, UCLA Graduate Student
Most people have heard of Amsterdam. The beautiful canals and tall, narrow row houses, its history and great art make it, for some, synonymous with The Netherlands. But after a summer research stay in the city of Utrecht, I chose to leave the capital behind and spend an academic year in this smaller university town. I've come to think of it as one of the Netherlands' best-kept secrets.
Situated south of Amsterdam, about a 35-minute train ride, Utrecht boasts the cobblestone streets, canals, clock towers and old world European charm of Amsterdam. It is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands, and its student population patronizes its numerous cafes, bars, and shops. But its city center is also small enough to be completely accessible by bicycle-the outdoor central produce market, the lovely Wilhelminapark, and the Domkerk at the center of town are just minutes apart. Tourists are fewer, though Utrecht offers plenty of cultural amenities: museums, historic churches, and a number of good music venues. Utrecht is also close by many famous biking routes through the Dutch countryside-the landscapes are not to be missed.
Utrecht University, one of northern Europe's oldest, welcomes students and visiting scholars from all over the world. University staff can help students find housing and get oriented to the library system and special collections. The entire country's library holdings are connected online, making searches efficient and accessible.
English is widely spoken in Utrecht, as in all major Dutch cities. But if, like me, you want to learn Dutch both for work and to better connect with the culture, Utrecht is an ideal setting. The James Boswell Institute, affiliated with the university, is widely regarded as one of the best Dutch language schools. They offer year-round intensive classes at all levels-day and night-and UCLA affiliates are eligible for exchange-student discounts. I completed three courses during my stay, and I greatly enjoyed both my professional, enthusiastic teachers and my fellow students from literally every part of the globe.
For scholars working in multiple archives or institutions, this small country is easily navigable. My work took me to Amsterdam and other cities as well, and the Netherlands' convenient train system made these trips easy from Utrecht: trains depart every 15 minutes to and from Amsterdam, from 6 am till after midnight, every day. Similar routes exist for The Hague and other cities.
Ellen DuBois, Professor of History, UCLA
A few weeks after I got to Utrecht, a friend who was completing a Fulbright professorship with the History Department urged me to make sure that I participated in a promotion. A promotion I learned was a public dissertation defense. I asked Wijnand Mijnhardt if he could help me, and soon after he called me to invite me to a promotion. I was lucky. The dissertation, by Niek Pas, was a study of the Dutch Provo movement of the 1960s, a subject with which I was familiar and one sure to produce a lively discussion. On the promotion day, Wijnand brought me to the faculty robing room where, as a Full Professor, I was invited to wear one of the beautiful robes and march in with the other involved faculty into a wood paneled and portrait lined room, where the dissertator and a hundred or so of his friends and family sat expectantly. We sat in a half circle at the head of the table and I watched and listened as faculty asked challenging questions and the dissertator responded. I asked Wijnand about the role of the two other graduate students standing right behind the dissertator. He said, in case he faints. I never figured out if that was a serious answer or not. The audience included many old, veteran Provos, some of whom had strong opinions about the questions of the professors, especially the challenging ones from Martin Van Rossem. Although I couldn't understand a word, I think I understood a great deal of what was going on. After the questioning, the professors filed back into the robing room (through a tiny little hidden door in the wood paneling), discussed the defense, agreed that it was a pass, and signed an elaborate diploma that Dean Hans Bertens expertly rolled and tied up. Then we all went to a wonderful reception with the new Ph.D., his friends and family. It was the first public dissertation defense I had ever gone to and I thought it was a great idea. I wish we did it at UCLA. It is a ritual that represents taking seriously and acknowledging publicly.
The hard work and accomplishment of the doctoral thesis. It makes what we do much more comprehensible to friends and family who have stood by the Ph.D. student for long years. I was incredibly happy the entire time, thrilled to be part of this event. AT some level, I knew I had decided to become a professor when I saw my first academic profession while I was an undergraduate and so this was a kind of culmination. You can see all this pleasure and happiness on my face, I think, in the snapshot of Dean Bertens and me, just after the signing of the diploma.
I had a fabulous time in Utrecht. My advice: live in center city and rent a bicycle. Everything else flowed from then on!
Claudia Rapp, Professor of History, UCLA
In the spring of 2002, I had the good fortune to be the first faculty member from UCLA to go to Utrecht. The arrangements were easily made: the office of dean of Social Sciences bought my ticket, the Onderzoekinstituut voor Geschiedenis en Cultuur (OGC) in Utrecht took care of all the arrangements for a spacious furnished apartment at a short distance from the town center. When I arrived, I found not only a big bouquet of tulips in my apartment, but a warm welcome from the faculty members in Ancient and Medieval History. One of my colleagues offered the use of her office while she was on sabbatical; another took me out for dinner to introduce me to her colleagues. There were plenty of opportunities for “gezelligheid”, whether drinks with students after a seminar, lunches with colleagues, or formal dinner invitations, but enough time also to explore Utrecht and its many art museums, Amsterdam and other cities, all within easy reach by rail.
My obligations consisted of teaching a seminar on “Holy Men and Women in the Early Middle Ages” to advanced undergraduates, and generally being a scholarly presence. Early on in the semester, I decided that—in the spirit of the exchange program—I would teach “American style”, with lots of readings and discussion, rather than lecturing at them. The students were quite knowledgeable (the benefit of a functioning public high school system), but a little more reverential towards their professor than the students at UCLA, so that some prodding was needed to encourage them to take a more active role. They all spoke and wrote excellent English, and were a very bright and agreeable bunch.
As for being a scholarly presence, I feel that I benefited at least as much as I contributed. I enjoyed getting to know the graduate students and discussing their work. Being new in a place, and without external demands on my time, also gave me the opportunity to make contacts with colleagues in a wide variety of fields and to gain exposure to the themes and approaches practiced in European scholarship. I returned to LA with a head full of new thoughts and ideas, a thick pile of offprints, new friendships, happy memories and—a gift from the graduate students—a bunch of plastic tulips.
Jennifer Lynne Musto, UCLA Graduate StudentEndeavoring to articulate my experiences in Utrecht seems difficult in that my time there has had the most profound influence on my academic life and overall understanding of global citizenship. I first traveled to Utrecht University in September 2002 as a Fulbright Scholar. Having completed my undergraduate studies before my departure, my first experience in the Netherlands reflects what now seems to be the “true” beginning of my academic career. While in the Netherlands, I was given the time, space and freedom to think about and work through my ideas about what it means to be a scholar. Much of my research investigates ideas of tolerance and Utrecht in general and the Netherlands in particular offered the most idyllic environment with which to understand how integral tolerant spaces are to creative and intellectual freedom. Sipping koffie verkeerds near the Dom and sitting along the Oude Gracht while overlooking picturesque canals are firmly entrenched memories from my first year in the Netherlands. I also had the opportunity to live in an international house in the center of the city. Janskerkhof, both the name of the street and the international house where I lived, hosted 23 students from more than 15 nations around the world. Living in such close quarters with students from so many different places gave me first-hand experience in what it means to “internationally-relate” to people from various regional/religious/cultural/linguistic backgrounds. My friendship with fellow “Jankies,” as we quippingly call one another continues, and each year we attempt to reunite on Queen’s Day.
From 2002-2003, I worked with Professor Rosi Braidotti at Utrecht University’s Nederlandse Onderzoekschool Vrouwenstudies Netherlands or the NOV (Netherlands Research School of Women’s Studies) and attended PhD seminars with Dutch and International Students. All courses were taught in English, which opened my eyes to the sheer profundity of the multilingual Dutch! To be sure, not only did most of my Dutch colleagues speak English fluently (and beautifully for that matter) but many also knew German, Spanish, and Italian just to name a few. Moreover, the depth of understanding that many of my Dutch colleagues had about American politics and policy provoked a sharp realization in me about how nations are indeed inter-connected and how important it is to engage in cross-cultural dialogues and international exchanges.
During my Fulbright year, I applied to various graduate programs. Upon learning that I was accepted to the Women’s Studies PhD program at UCLA, I was also informed that a Women’s Studies affiliated faculty, Professor Ellen Dubois, was a visiting professor at Utrecht University and working two buildings away from my classes at the NOV. To my great surprise, UCLA had an established bilateral agreement with Utrecht. With this knowledge, I left the Netherlands in July 2003 to begin my PhD work at UCLA. I returned to the Netherlands for three months during UCLA’s Fall quarter 2004 and continued my work with the NOV and Professor Rosi Braidotti. I will return once again to Utrecht this summer and participate in Dutch language classes at the James Boswell Institute. Through my relationship with Utrecht University and the NOV, I have been afforded the great privilege of engaging in transnational scholarship and it is my sincere hope to continue to examine and redefine what it means to be a global citizen and scholar.
Naomi Taback, UCLA Graduate StudentDuring the summer of 2005, I studied beginning Dutch at the James Boswell Institute in Utrecht for three weeks. Utrecht is a beautiful, old city. I spent many free afternoons strolling along its canals, which are lined with medieval houses and pretty trees, and drinking coffee with friends at the lively outdoor cafes. Utrecht has many architectural delights, including the only structure built entirely according to De Stijl, and a spectacular cathedral, whose steeple was separated from it by a tornado in the seventeenth century. I also spent much of my time wandering into little antique shops and browsing the lovely flower stalls at the weekly flower market.
I lived over a pub in the very center of town with some of the other students at the Institute. It was a very conveniently located place from which to explore the city, something I did mostly by foot. We all had separate rooms, but shared a kitchen. We often ate dinner together and some of us even traveled together. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, De Hague, etc. are all remarkably accessible from Utrecht.
At the Institute, I was in a class of about twenty students. Dutch was our only common language, so we were forced to communicate with one another in Dutch, which improved my speaking abilities quite a bit. We had two teachers, who were very sweet and patient, and taught us a lot about Dutch culture and history along with teaching us the language.
My friend Diana, who was also an exchange student from UCLA at the James Boswell Institute, stayed at the home of a Dutch couple. They generously opened up their home to me as well (which was so pretty—a tall and skinny art deco building with a steep spiral staircase and luscious wisteria covering its exterior), invited me over for dinner on numerous occasions, and shared with Diana and me friendly advice and interesting stories about the Netherlands and the Dutch language. I enjoyed their tea so much that they sent me home with my very own package of it. As a result of their hospitality and the other friendly encounters I had with the Dutch people, I came back to Los Angeles not only with a foundation in Dutch, but also with many warm memories of Dutch life.
Ghislaine Lydon, Professor of History, UCLA
Notes on a Memorable Semester at Utrecht University (Spring 2006)
As an historian of things economic, my sojourn at Utrecht University presented a unique opportunity to interact with the dynamic group of historians of economic and cultural history (http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/ogc/english/projectgroepen/SEGeng.htm). What is particularly remarkable about this group of scholars, working alongside Maarten Prak and Jan Luiten Van Zanden, is their friendly collegiality and wide-ranging interests. As part of the OGC (Research Institute for Culture and History headed by Dutch historian Maarten Prak), the group holds an internationally recognized economic history seminar. I was fortunate to present a paper there, receive excellent feedback and enjoy an engaging discussion that influenced my research in new ways.
Moreover, this group of historians has a rather unique and most agreeable habit of getting together for daily 30-minute power-lunches. I felt particularly welcomed in their midst, and I miss the dynamic atmosphere. Finally, it was especially fortuitous for me to do the UCLA-Utrecht Exchange in the spring 2006 since the Utrecht economic historians are organizing the 2008 International Economic History Conference and, as a presenter at the 2006 IEHC in Helsinki, I was able to hang out with them in Finland and renew the bonds of friendship.
Teaching at Utrecht was a rewarding experience. It was particularly instructive as this was my first time teaching outside of the U.S.. Naturally, I expected to have mainly Dutch students whose English is generally quite good. But as it turns out there is an active student-exchange honors program on campus called University College Utrecht that attracts a fair number of international students who are fluent or near-fluent in English; the language of instruction at the college. And so half of the students enrolled in my African history lecture course were UCU students from countries as diverse as Austria, Germany, Turkey, Australia and the U.K.. There were even two students enrolled from the U.S.. The lecture was on two of the most misunderstood subjects: Islam and Africa (it was entitled “Islam and Muslim Communities in African History”), and was attended by about 30 students. I believe this was one of the first African history courses taught at the department of history. Moreover, given the national struggles with Muslim affairs in the Netherlands that came to a head during my stay with the parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dutch students were particularly motivated to engage in this class. Overall, they fared quite well, sometimes writing papers of better quality in both written-language, structure and argument, than those I am accustomed to reading.
I was fortunate to co-teach a seminar with Oscar Gelderblom (whom I met when he was on a postdoc in the UCLA Economic History Program). Oscar generously assumed many of the administrative procedures for both our seminar and my survey course. We co-taught a new seminar entitled “Strangers, Trust and Trade in World History.” It attracted eight graduate and upper division undergraduate students. Organizing this seminar provided an excellent opportunity to interact with Oscar, exchange ideas about European and African history, and reflect on what Avner Greif has termed the “Fundamental Problems of Exchange” in diverse historical settings.
As part of the UCLA-Utrecht Exchange Program, I gave a public lecture in the main university hall known as the Academiegebouw. The lecture, entitled “Women’s Participation in the Organization of Trans-Saharan Trade,” was well attended and followed by a delightful reception.Being in the Netherlands also gave me a chance to network with scholars at other universities. In the course of my stay I gave an invited lecture on historical methods at the University of Amsterdam Spinhuis. I also connected with scholars at the Leiden University African Studies Center where I gave an invited lecture on the subject of Muslim women’s rights in nineteenth and early twentieth century Senegal. In Leiden I met several scholars from the Institute for the study of Muslim societies (ISIM), and I also met with an archivist at the main university library which is home to one of the world’s oldest collection of Arabic manuscripts.
Bicycling around Utrecht and Amsterdam was another highlight of my stay. To get around and get to and from the train-station I purchased a used bicycle (80 Euros) and I arranged with the bike shop to resell it at the end of my sojourn (for 35 Euros). I also discovered that the friendly use of anonymous unlocked bicycles was still quite common in Utrecht (this is no longer the case in Amsterdam, the bicycle-theft capital of the world, I was told).
On practical matters the OGC was most helpful in organizing all facets of the exchange program. It arranged for a history department faculty to meet me at Schiphol Airport upon arrival. I subsequently discovered that welcoming guests and seeing them off at Schiphol Airport is just one of the many wonderful Dutch traditions. OGC located a nice apartment, well-furnished, comfortable and within walking distance of the history department. Moreover, the history department staff was very helpful in assisting me with all kinds of matters, from obtaining building-keys to advising about final examination formats. Wijnand Mijnhardt and Maarten Prak were most supportive throughout my stay.
In sum, my experience as a member of the Utrecht-UCLA faculty exchange program was extremely positive. I enjoyed the teaching, I made new colleagues and friends and I reconnected with my distant Dutch relatives to boot. All in all, I am most grateful for the warm reception Utrecht history faculty and staff afforded me and I am very much looking forward to going back.
Russell Jacoby, Professor of History, UCLA
The problem with teaching and living in Utrecht is that it is too sweet. Compared to Los Angeles, the place is too clean, too green, and too friendly. Plus everything is close. You can be outside of town among the cows in a whizz or across town. You see endless knots of people scooting around cobble-stoned streets on bicycles; and mothers and dads on bicycles heading off to work and school followed by children on smaller bicycles, like mother ducks and ducklings. Sometimes parents dump a few pre-bicycling aged children into cart-driven bicycles. Yes, the rain was interminable, but coming from a desert climate, it is welcoming and friendly. No one seems to mind the drizzle. Everything was green and growing. Grass and moss appeared on rocks, buildings and roofs. All surfaces seemed wet, cool and alive. Where is the anger, I wondered? Where is the hostility? What is wrong with this place?
I was picked up at the Amsterdam airport by two colleague, Judith Thissen and Andre van der Velden and taken to my spacious quarters overlooking a canal. Compared to Los Angeles the silence was deafening. No lawn blowers? No car alarms? No blasting radios and shrill buzz saws? Everything was muffled and quiet.
I taught two courses and gave a requisite UCLA/Utrecht lecture to invited guests, after which we repaired for a lovely Indonesian meal. I have no firm conclusions about my students. They were interested and attentive, although perhaps a bit quieter than my UCLA students. Of course they were conversing in what was to them a second language, which may explains some of their hesitations. Colleagues such as Maarten Prak of the Research Institute for History and Culture and Joes Segal of the History Department proved helpful and supportive, as did the staff at both places.
Teaching in Utrecht is a blessing. Colleagues are available and supportive. The environs are lovely. The people are tall, handsome, and friendly. Yes, the restaurant fare is somewhat limited, but a downtown farmer's market hawks all kinds of fresh goodies. Dutch cheeses have an unjustifiably bad reputation. Many are divine. And yes the library is indecipherable, but this is manageable. Amsterdam with its museums, shops and street life is just a short (and efficient, cheap and frequent) train ride away. Life in Utrecht seems almost too good and easy. If you can, go!
