BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM
BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM
What is Keeping Talent in Twente?
We are a group of students and graduates improving the growth, diversity and attractiveness of the region. We are working together with the government, companies, educational and cultural institutes in the region. We collaborate in their policies, decisions and actions to Keep Talent in Twente.
What do we do?
Research
to understand our ever-changing context.
Co-creation
working with city leaders and decision makers. We make the city, and the city makes us.
Meetups
Conversations to make connections and create community. #Twente4Seven
Here you can download the results of the Keeping Talent in Twente Survey, which highlights the strenghts and opportunities in the region:
Recent
How? “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
We believe that the voices of younger generations should be heard and incorporated in processes and decisions from our region. In order to keep the conversation on the topic of retaining talent in Twente ongoing and keep students in the lead, we initiated a Think Tank in cooperation with the Municipality of the city of Enschede and a group of enthusiastic students and graduates.
The knowledge and experiences of students from multiple disciplines and different cultural backgrounds are used to make the region of Twente more diverse and attractive.
We do independent research, attend regional events, meet with City Leaders for decision making, and organize activities that promote exchange and collaboration.
You can check our calendar with future events and meetings. You can reach out the think tank committees and make your voice heard:
Think Tank Committees
Career in Twente
Improve employability in Twente area by increasing companies connection with students and alumni, as well as promoting job vacancies more widely and efficiently.
Members: Schrutir Jain, Sevim Aktas, Nadhila Sevira, Wim Kamerman, Suhaib Aslan, Samantha Valenzuela, Marcella Claase
City Leader: Marjolein van Loon, Gemeente Enschede
Image of Twente
Branding Twente for students and alumni. Share and shout out about life in Twente, so students and alumni can connect and develop an emotional connection with the region. A lot of interesting things are happening here in the east!
Members: Rens Weustink, Marcella Claase, Samantha Valenzuela
City Leader: Arjan Beerman, Gemeente Enschede
Culture and Events
Promote and organize initiatives for people (students, alumni, other professionals, neighbors) to connect and exchange through participating in cultural and art-related events.
Members: Bran Remie, Leon Kukuk, Rens Weustink, Samantha Valenzuela
City Leader: Willem Jaap Zwart, Concordia
Housing
Improve the housing availability for talents to stay in Twente.
Members: Marcella Claase, Rens Weustink, Nadhila Sevira
City Leader: Tom Brughuis, Gemeente Enschede
Why - Our drives and motivations
We believe that the knowledge and experiences of students from multiple disciplines and different cultural backgrounds help in making the region of Twente more diverse and attractive. Therefore what drives us as a think tank is making our voices heard at the diverse networks and with the stakeholders that make decisions for the city.
The actions we do together today are meant for our future. Do you want to contribute and make the change you want to see happen? You are welcomed to join us!
Who are we?
Marcella Claase
Marcella is committed to the growth and development of the region. To keep talent in Twente after they graduate, she initiated the Twente Alumni Kring. She is member of several networks, for instance, Burgerlid of Enschede for the European LEADER project for Sout-WEstern Twente, and the thinktank Atelier Twente.
She is part of the Housing and Career committees in KTIT. She provides feedback to city leaders and stakeholders, for example for the Housing Vision of Twente and to the housing providers of Roomspot.
Nadhila Sevira
Nadhila is HBO-IT student. She has been involved in several student initiatives such as Saxion Ambassador Program, PPI Enschede (Indonesian Student Association), S.V. Syntaxis and more recently, Nadhila works in the ConnectForward program by Saxion and UT, aiming to give traineeships and connect students with companies in the region.
Nadhila is part of the Career committee and the Housing committee. She contributed and wrote the report Talented Twente, which provides recommendations to improve working in the region.
Bran Remie
In collaboration with Concordia, Bran initiated the Twentse Kunst Alliantie, a platform for music, theater and visual arts. Bran also organizes the Enschede edition of Stukafest (STUdentKAmerFESTival), famous in the Netherlands for hosting cultural activities in student houses. When he is not promoting cultural events, Bran writes for the local newspaper Tubantia and investigates technology from philosophical perspectives.
Bran is part of the Cultural and Events committee in KTIT. Together with members of the Think Tank
he moderated the international meetup Twente4Seven.
Schrutir Jain
Schrutir works in the Energy Planning and Sustainability projects. Furthermore, he has contributed in diverse volunteering organizations, namely Rotary International, Sustain student association at the UT, and at the working group for University of Twente Kick-In.
Schrutir is part of the Career committee in KTIT. He connects organizations in the region and represent students in Twente.
Leon Kukuk
Leon is interested in entrepreneurship and IT start-ups. He participated in the European Innovation Academy where he co-founded Resata Vision, a company that provide insights on restaurant visitors combining the power of video technology with AI.
Leon is part of the Career and Culture and Events committees in KTIT. He wants to promote more international and musically-diverse events in the region. Leon also supports KTIT with his technical expertise.
Samantha Valenzuela
Samantha is an ambassador of the city and feels inspired here. She collaborates in cultural projects in Enschede, including volunteering at Tankstation, doing research with artists and designers at Sickhouse, and organizing KTIT events.
Currently she is part of the KTIT coordination team and is involved in the Cultural and Events and Image of Twente committees.
Wim Kamerman
Wim graduated from the BSc Business and IT. Co-owner of SSE Groep, providing side jobs to students that match their studies. This way, he contributes to keeping talent in Twente. Long-term member of the Stanford University Innovation Fellows at the University of Twente, who initiated the research Keeping Talent in Twente in collaboration with Novel-T and the Municipality of Enschede.
Sterre Coenen
Sterre worked at the Gemeente Enschede representing Student Affairs (studentenbeleid). Together with members, Sterre represented KTIT in career fairs such as the Bedrijvendagen, ICT2 and the Kick-In. She is also involved in social initiatives such as the Loneliness project in Enschede. Sterre is part of the Career and Image of Twente committees in KTIT. She connects organizations and cultural institutions in the region with young students and graduates in Twente. At the moment she is a Student Services officer at Twente Pathway College and support students during their pre- bachelor period.
Suzanne Wassenaar
Suzanne is a bachelor student of Real Estate Management at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She is working at the Gemeente Enschede representing Student Affairs. In the past she was board of the umbrella association Fact (umbrella of AEGEE Enschede, A.S.V. Taste, C.S.V. Alpha en DSCC/DJCR Audentis et Virtutis). Within KTIT, she is part of the KTIT Think Thank Coordination Team.
Yorick Moleman
Yorick studies his bachelor in Industrial Engineering and Management at the Univeristy of Twente. He is working at the Gemeente Enschede representing Student Affairs. In the past he was a board member of his Study Association (Stress) as well as the Organisation of Study Associations. Within KTIT, he is part of the KTIT Think Thank Coordination Team.
Suhaib Aslam
An aspiring researcher/designer/scientist, Suhaib is currently an MSc Interaction Technology student
at University of Twente who’s curiously delving into his interests in research through design, artificial
intelligence and the combination of all things design and computing. He is a Stanford University
trained innovation fellow and works part-time as a service designer. He is passionate about the
intersection between humans, technology, design and any other contextual factors that influence the
relationship between these. At KTIT, he’s mainly involved with the career team, where he’s
passionate about connecting talent and companies in the Twente region to one another.
Sevim Aktas
Sevim is a multidisciplinary engineer, specialising in Mechanical Engineering. Currently she is
pursuing her Master’s Degree in Energy Systems at the University of Oxford. She represented the student’s perspective at the University of Twente being chair of the Strategy and Internationalisation committee at the University Council. Sevim is member of the Stanford University Innovation Fellows (UIF) with whom in collaboration with Novel-T and the Municipality of Enschede started to research why talents leave the region, resulting in the publication and starting of the Think Tank Keeping Talent in Twente.
Rens Weustink
Rens was secretary and external affairs commisioner at KOSS (Koepel Overleg Studenten Saxion) the Saxion Student Organizations Umbrella. He organized the event "Twente de Baas", the Economic Motor of Twente for and by young people. He has also done board work for the citizen rowing club in Hengelo (TRV Tubantia). Rens also volunteers at Concordia and helped organized the Dutch Film Night. He recently founded Concept053, a company focusing on marketing and communications. Rens is part of the Image of Twente and Culture and Events committees of the Think Tank.
Who
Suhaib
An aspiring researcher/designer/scientist, Suhaib is currently an MSc Interaction Technology student at University of Twente who’s curiously delving into his interests in research through design, artificial intelligence and the combination of all things design and computing. He is a Stanford University trained innovation fellow and works part-time as a service designer. He is passionate about the intersection between humans, technology, design and any other contextual factors that influence the relationship between these. At KTIT, he’s mainly involved with the career team, where he’s passionate about connecting talent and companies in the Twente region to one another.
Sevim
Sevim is a multidisciplinary engineer, specialising in Mechanical Engineering. Currently she is
pursuing her Master’s Degree in Energy Systems at the University of Oxford. She represented the student’s perspective at the University of Twente being chair of the Strategy and Internationalisation committee at the University Council. Sevim is member of the Stanford University Innovation Fellows (UIF) with whom in collaboration with Novel-T and the Municipality of Enschede started to research why talents leave the region, resulting in the publication and starting of the Think Tank Keeping Talent in Twente.
Suzanne
Suzanne is a bachelor student of Real Estate Management at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She is working at the Gemeente Enschede representing Student Affairs. In the past she was board of the umbrella association Fact (umbrella of AEGEE Enschede, A.S.V. Taste, C.S.V. Alpha en DSCC/DJCR Audentis et Virtutis). Within KTIT, she is part of the KTIT Think Thank Coordination Team.
Yorick
Yorick studies his bachelor in Industrial Engineering and Management at the Univeristy of Twente. He is working at the Gemeente Enschede representing Student Affairs. In the past he was a board member of his Study Association (Stress) as well as the Organisation of Study Associations. Within KTIT, he is part of the KTIT Think Thank Coordination Team.
Wim
Graduate BSc Business and IT. Co-owner of SSE Groep, providing side jobs to students that match their studies. This way, he contributes to keeping talent in Twente. Long-term member of the Stanford University Innovation Fellows at the University of Twente, who initiated the research Keeping Talent in Twente in collaboration with Novel-T and the Municipality of Enschede.
Sterre
Sterre worked at the Gemeente Enschede representing Student Affairs (studentenbeleid). Together with members, Sterre represented KTIT in career fairs such as the Bedrijvendagen, ICT2 and the Kick- In. She is also involved in social initiatives such as the Loneliness project in Enschede. Sterre is part of the Career and Image of Twente committees in KTIT. She connects organizations and cultural institutions in the region with young students and graduates in Twente. At the moment she is a Student Services officer at Twente Pathway College and support students during their pre- bachelor period.
Marcella
Graduate MA Business Administration
Committed to the growth and development of the region, Marcella initiated and is member of several networks in Twente, for instance, the Twente Alumni, Burgerlid, Culture board, Music festival.
Nadhila
Student IT Service Management
Nadhila has been involved in several student initiatives such as the Saxion Ambassador program, the Indonesian Student Association in Enschede, S.V. Syntaxis and more recently, Nadhila works in the project Connect, aiming to connect students with companies in the region. Nadhila is part of the Career committee and the Housing committee. She contributed and wrote the report Talented Twente, which provides recommendations to improve working in the region.
Leon
Student BSc Business and IT
Leon is interested in entrepreneurship and IT start-ups. He participated in the European Innovation Academy where he co-founded Resata Vision, a company that provide insights on restaurant visitors combining the power of video technology with AI. Leon is part of the Career and Culture and Events committees in KTIT. He wants to promote more international and musically-diverse events in the region. Leon also supports KTIT with his technical expertise.
Sam
Samantha is an ambassador of the city and feels inspired here. That’s why she believed in the goal of Keeping Talent in Twente, became a member of the Think Tank, and eventually worked at the Gemeente as the Think Tank coordinator. Her background is in Industrial Engineering and came to Twente to pursue her dream studies: a Master’s degree in Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society, which she completed successfully. She collaborates in cultural projects in the city, including volunteering at Tankstation, doing research with artists and designers at Sickhouse, and organizing KTIT events. At the Think Tank she organized the PR and promotion, design, and events planning. Currently she is part of the coordination team and is involved in the Cultural and Events and Image of Twente committees.
Bran
Student MSc Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society
In collaboration with Concordia, Bran initiated the Twentse Kunst Alliantie, a platform for music, theater and visual arts. Bran also organizes the Enschede edition of Stukafest (STUdentKAmerFESTival), famous in the Netherlands for hosting cultural activities in student houses. When he is not promoting cultural events, Bran writes for the local newspaper Tubantia and investigates technology from philosophical perspectives. Bran is part of the Cultural and Events committee in KTIT. Together with members of the Think Tank
he moderated the international meetup Twente4Seven.
Schrutir
Student MSc Sustainable Energy Technology
Schrutir works in Energy Efficiency and sustainability projects. Furthermore he collaborated in diverse volunteering organizations such as Rotary International, University of Twente Kick-In, and Sustain student association. Schrutir is part of the Career committee in KTIT. He connects organizations in the region and represent students in Twente.
Rens
Rens was secretary and external affairs commisioner at KOSS (Koepel Overleg Studenten Saxion) the Saxion Student Organizations Umbrella. He organized the event "Twente de Baas", the Economic Motor of Twente for and by young people. He has also done board work for the citizen rowing club in Hengelo (TRV Tubantia). Rens also volunteers at Concordia and helped organized the Dutch Film Night. He recently founded Concept053, a company focusing on marketing and communications. Rens is part of the Image of Twente and Culture and Events committees of the Think Tank.
