Hai Ngo Dijkstra: “This has become my home.” 

More than eight years ago, Hai Ngo Dijkstra decided to move from Vietnam to Friesland to study – and choosing Friesland turned out to be the best decision she ever made. ‘Before I moved to the Netherlands, I had never been abroad.’  She graduated as a business economist in Vietnam, but soon felt the urge to grow and develop further. “I wanted to learn something new and I felt my world was still too small,” she says.

In 2016, she decided to take the plunge and move to the Netherlands to continue her studies. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics in Vietnam, she decided to pursue a Master’s in International Leisure and Tourism Studies in Leeuwarden. “I was looking for something different from just working with figures and financial analyses. Tourism seemed like a fun and challenging field – and there’s plenty to do in this region when it comes to tourism.” After completing her Master’s, she found that the differences in language and culture motivated her to continue her studies. She opted for a Bachelor’s in Business Administration at NHL Stenden, where she completed her final-year placement at Circulair Friesland. Hai has since graduated.

The contrast with her life in Vietnam could hardly be greater. “In Vietnam, you live in a fast-paced, hectic world. Friesland feels like a breath of fresh air – a place where you have the time to develop yourself and unwind. Here, for example, you’re not constantly stuck in traffic or queuing at the supermarket. In Vietnam, I was very focused on my studies and was among the top five students. I was always on the go, because work came before everything else. The pressure to work and perform is incredibly high. I also worked as a content creator. At one point, through Language School, I came into contact with more and more people from abroad. This made me realise: my world is too small; there is so much more to discover. As well as business economics, I was also interested in marketing. I started looking into my options and that’s how I ended up on the Master’s in Leisure and Tourism Studies in Leeuwarden."

Giving something back to society is something Hai considers extremely important. After completing her master’s degree, she took up an international role as a project manager for the recycling company UPP! UpCycling Plastic BV. “We recycle low-grade, mixed plastic waste into circular construction products. I’m responsible for projects in South-East Asia, including in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. It’s great to work somewhere where I can put my knowledge and expertise to good use, but at a pace that still leaves me time to be a person.” She combines this with her Business Administration studies at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. For her internship and final-year project, she is collaborating with Circulair Friesland, where she is developing a monitoring system for the circular economy and delving deeper into sustainability and circular processes. “It’s a challenging project, but I’m proud of it. Friesland wants to become a frontrunner in sustainability, and my work could serve as a blueprint for other regions in Europe. I couldn’t pass up that opportunity.”  

For anyone thinking of moving to Friesland, Hai has a clear piece of advice: “Learn Dutch. It opens so many doors and really helps you become part of the community, find a job and make friends. I’m a real chatterbox, and once I was able to express myself in Dutch, it became easier to connect with people. Learning Dutch was the key to integration for me,” she smiles. With her optimism and perseverance, Hai Ngo Dijkstra is an inspiring example of how a new culture can be not only a challenge, but also an enrichment of your life.