Background
?A lot needs to change still?
The horror stories about inter-national students having to resort to sleeping on the floor are not true, claims Thanos Souliotis, the president of the International Student Network, although much work is needed if they are to integrate.
Ilkiz Erdogan
Wednesday 14 November 2012
© Taco van der Eb

"We have tried so much, put so much money into it, but it's still a difficult process," says Thanos Souliotis (30), a Greek student in Leiden. He is the president of the International Student Network, a network that aims to stimulate integration and representation of international students. They hold parties, drinks and other activities that are open to both international and Dutch students, hoping to bring the two groups together. However, these two groups just don't mix well.

"Dutch students have little interest in international students, while in turn, foreign students live in a bubble, and consequently they often collide with Dutch culture," explains the student, who is doing two audiovisual Master's degrees. Souliotis says that Dutch people can be quite blunt, and their sense of humour can be too, which is not always appreciated by ISN members. "Nobody in Greece has ever heard of a diary, or of making appointments," he laughs. And being at university is different in the Netherlands too, in his opinion: "Here, you have to work it all out for yourself. There is more supervision in other countries."

Nevertheless, he won't give up: "We have teamed up with the university to organise 'diversity days' and we want to arrange more contact between our members and student fraternities. A cultural festival has been scheduled for the end of the academic year, and we hope to welcome both groups of students."

Souliotis claims that ISN is no different to Augustinus or Quintus. "We are a traditional student fraternity!" he exclaims when asked how ISN makes up for the lack of a traditional fraternity. "We give students a place to meet, party and drink. We might not have clubhouse, but we have the common room at Plexus and the pubs, of course."

ISN offers more than companionship and integration. For instance, the club helps its members to find accommodation. "The horror stories about international students resorting to sleeping on the floor are not true," says Souliotis. He reckons that the shortage of housing is a thing of the past. "You can always find somewhere to sleep, even if it's via CouchSurfing." Students can ask the international student adviser for help with things like finding jobs or getting health insurance."

When asked what the university could do improve things, Thanos sighs. "A lot," he says. He mentions the fact that student housing has become very expensive, and that jobs are scarce. Students could use a little help from the university. "The biggest problem is getting funding." ISN always gets its funds later than the other fraternities. "So a lot needs to change still."