Interview with Emma Rubin, Student Ambassador Bachelor Arts and Culture 2023-2024
Why did you choose to study at UM?
“I first visited Maastricht in 2018 with my parents and I immediately fell in love with the city. Later, I found out about the university and FASoS. Being able to follow courses in English was important for me, as I want to meet people from all over the world. The PBL learning system, teaches us how to work closely with others. It’s a strong contrast to the lecture-based teaching we know in Belgium. I believe that the combination of the international environment and this learning method is very enriching for my future life.”
Why did you choose this programme?
“I looked at the programmes at FASoS and attended an Arts and Culture lecture during one of the open days. That sounded like a right fit for me. I was intrigued by the interdisciplinary aspect of the courses. After a year I would explain this as ‘combining different disciplines to address a specific topic’. For example, we don’t just learn about history or philosophy, but we learn about the history of philosophy. We learn about how everything is connected in society.”
What do you hope to get out of this programme?
“Of course, I hope to gain a lot of knowledge. And I hope to figure out what I am truly interested in. This will help me for my master’s and for my future career. At FASoS, we are learning to become critical thinkers who question our society. I am sure that the teaching methods here will allow me to become more independent in studying and in working professionally later on.”
What would be your dream career?
“After graduating from this bachelor’s and hopefully a master’s, I want to become a journalist. I always wanted to become a journalist. During the open days somebody told me this was one of the career opportunities. Specifically, I would like to get into political journalism. I want to understand what is happening in politics, learn about political movements and political behaviour. I hope that working in this field will allow me to travel a lot and get to know more about other societies and cultures.”
Do you have a favourite place in town?
“There are a lot of interesting places, like museums and such. But my personal favourite place is the Sint Pietersberg. It’s the only “mountain” in Maastricht. It’s a great place to walk around, do some reading or watch the sunset. It’s very close to the city, but it gives me a lovely feeling of being outdoors.”
October 2023
“I love to discuss and work on interesting topics with people who have different cultural backgrounds and insights.”