In 2012, Asya received a scholarship to do her master’s in the Netherlands. “That was a great opportunity for me to discover the world outside Russia. And since then I have fallen in love with the Netherlands. The cycling culture, the lifestyle, people’s freedoms…” She then continued her studies in Italy and Germany. “I thought I might be able to find a job there. But Dutch was still my first choice for a job in science. Because that’s where I can really express my intellectual freedom.”
Independent of where you come from
And so, in 2018, she got a job at Erasmus University. There, she researches diversity and migration. Still, she thinks it is important to look beyond where you come from. So she seeks out friends who also look beyond that. ‘It is important to find your own circle of friends with people who understand you, regardless of where you come from,” is her advice to other newcomers.
Big city with nature and trash
Although she first lived in Amsterdam, she soon came to live in the city where she worked: Rotterdam. “I like that it is a big city, it is accessible and there is a lot to do. Also, there is a lot of nature is around the city.” Although Asya does see differences between different places in Rotterdam. “Some places in Rotterdam do have a lot of garbage; that could be better.” She herself lives in the Kleiwegkwartier. “That’s a really nice and quiet place and close to the city centre, so very nice.”