Shelly had initially come to UM to study Arts and Culture and then European Studies on Society, Science and Technology because of the interactive and intimate nature of Problem-Based Learning. Accordingly, she relished the constructive, amicable atmosphere of the discussions: “The participants were open to learning from each other – on an academic and on a personal level. There was no complacent acceptance of the status quo; everyone was critical and eager to tackle these important issues together.”

Perspective and context matter; peeking outside the box of European academia was a valuable experience: How do Asian students learn about history, economics, geopolitics, etc.? What is emphasised and how is it interpreted? What exactly is the difference between a colony and an administrative zone of the British Empire, and what the implied value system of favouring one term over the other? Given the delicate nature of these issues, Shelly was impressed by the tact, diplomacy and social skills of this diverse group: “There was an awareness that certain questions might come across as offensive to someone who lives a different reality than your average European student. For example, discussing the treatment of women in Muslim societies exposed a number of inaccurate but wide-spread assumptions; the Muslim students were quick to correct and add nuance to them. These countries don’t lack aspiration or understanding regarding issues such as social justice or gender equality – they might just prioritise economic development out of perceived necessity. It is never helpful to lecture anyone without recognising one’s own position of privilege or structural factors influencing the degree and direction of social development.”

She herself was born in China and had a very cosmopolitan upbringing on the island of Sint Maarten. Accordingly, she had already been used to reflecting on hybrid identities and multicultural societies: “When you are confronted with a different way of seeing things, you also learn a lot about yourself. For example, ethnicity has a different significance ­– politically and culturally – for my Singaporean and Malaysian classmates than it does for me. I introduce myself as Dutch-Caribbean rather than Chinese because I was raised in an environment where national identity was emphasised to be inherently multi-ethnic. It was interesting to explore different paths o