Emily van Dijk

When I finished my Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a major in sustainability, I realized that I lacked practical experiences and future perspectives concerning sustainability issues. Two gap years followed, during which I spent one year fully immersed in nature, working on several outdoor camps. During this year, I realized the importance of nature and biodiversity, their beneficial effects, and, most importantly, that we are part of nature and therefore should treasure and protect it.

Great impact for sustainable, natural, and biodiversity choices is often made at higher levels. Thus, in my next gap year, I signed up for the Dutch National Think Tank and got the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary group of 20 young professionals. For four months, we focused full-time on the biodiversity crisis in The Netherlands. After extensively analysing the problem with help from scientific, business, and governmental experts, we developed solutions for the challenges we had identified. I helped design the ‘BioDome’ – a mini museum that offers a 5D biodiversity experience – and learned a lot within the field of behavioural sciences. Since this project, my day-to-day choices have been influenced by biodiversity.

I am currently pursuing the Research Master’s programme in ‘Metropolitan Analysis, Design and Engineering,’ which provides me with the right tools to understand urban sustainability complexities. Understanding these challenges is crucial for me, as I aim to connect citizens with their natural environments and shape urban areas accordingly.