Meet our Student Assistant(s) at the Centre for Gender and Diversity

Emma Jespersen, Current Student Assistant

My name is Emma, I am currently doing my master's degree in Contemporary Literature and Art with a focus on Cultural Interventions and Social Justice. I am excited to be taking over the student assistant position for the CGD.

I have lived in Maastricht for the last 4 years, where I have completed my bachelor's in Arts and Culture with a minor in Gender and Diversity studies. Throughout my studies I have broadly focused on Danish colonialism in Greenland, looking into the creation of history and ‘the other’. In doing so I have investigated colonial tropes in Scandinavia from an intersectional perspective, specifically narratives of innocence and their prominence in contemporary media discourses. My upcoming master's thesis will explore ‘Non-monogamy in the field of Queer and Age studies’ - an exciting and somewhat intimidating project.

Outside of my studies, I have gotten to work with The Innbetween, where I have organised workshops and events around the theme of Growth - cultivating a safe and loving community of self-reflective, socially responsible, and creative people in Maastricht.

Rahel Koch, Student Assistant September 2022 - February 2023

Up until my graduation from University College Maastricht with a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences in February 2023, I have served as a student assistant to the CGD under the supervision of director Eliza Steinbock. When Eliza first took over the position of the new director, the CGD website was in dire need of an upgrade, as it featured too few of the many diverse research projects conducted by the members of the CGD!Accordingly, my task at the CGD was first and foremost to re-configure our online presence with a focus on making the website easily accessible and exciting for all kinds of different visitors. In the process of this, I had the pleasure of meeting and learning more about the interests, the research, and the knowledge valorisation of our many members.