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Alumni from ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ College Utrecht pursue diverse and varied career paths. From politics to psychology and from medical science to media. Despite their different interests, many of them share a passion for activism. It's great to see three alumni were featured in the Volkskrant this month. About social differences, creating opportunities for the underpriviliged and the need for fundamental changes in university education.

Kimberley Snijders, Chair of the National Youth Council (NJR) in the Netherlands, shares her journey from early awareness of social differences at 12 to her current commitment to amplifying the voices of underprivileged youth. Born to a Dutch father and Ugandan mother, her summer holidays in Uganda sparked reflections on cultural disparities. Studying in a predominantly white school in Amstelveen made her feel "quite Ugandan," yet a visit to Uganda revealed her "super Dutch" identity. Now leading the NJR and SER Youth Platform, Snijders focuses on empowering underprivileged youth, challenging administrators to involve them in decision-making. She highlights the discomfort her insistence on participation evokes among decision-makers.

Snijders acknowledges the challenge of relinquishing power in institutions, emphasizing the importance of asking who benefits from maintaining the status quo. Despite skepticism about large institutions driving change, she finds hope in leaders like Kim Putters and Mariëtte Hamer.

Prioritizing opportunities for the underprivileged, Snijders advocates for intergenerational collaboration, emphasizing the need for creative solutions in housing and care. She urges mentoring relationships between young and old, rejecting the notion that young people should solve issues independently.

Despite the challenges and financial constraints of her current position, Snijders draws energy from the prospect of making a difference. She hopes to continue impactful work in a future job aligned with her ideals, emphasizing the importance of meaningful work for personal happiness.

The other article is an opinion piece, written by Douwe de Lange and Alex Fleuren (UCU Class of '19). They argue for fundamental changes in university education to address the issue of talented students opting for lucrative but morally ambiguous careers instead of contributing to societal challenges. They contend that large corporations, particularly in law and economics, wield too much influence over universities, leading to the commercialization of studies and early exposure to corporate recruiters. The authors propose two key changes: firstly, universities should reduce corporate influence, and secondly, they advocate for adopting the liberal arts and sciences model (LAS).

They explain that the LAS model allows students to choose their own courses, fostering self-discovery, curiosity, and the pursuit of individual interests. The authors argue that the LAS model, with its emphasis on broad exploration, aligns better with the complexity of contemporary societal problems. While acknowledging challenges such as increased guidance requirements, the authors believe that LAS cultivates students with moral ambition who can make unique contributions to pressing issues, in contrast to the current structure that breeds a culture of individuals working in lucrative positions without a strong moral compass.