Blog: Jochem de Ruijsscher

"Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is mainly known as a tourist destination, but in addition to its beautiful beaches, historic towns, and tourism during the holiday seasons, the region has much more to offer."

Living in a village sometimes makes you think about the opportunities that larger cities have to offer. After finishing high school, I felt it was time to leave the region. Currently, as someone born and raised in West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, I mostly live in Eindhoven because of my studies. In the spring of 2021, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Urbanism & Building Sciences at Eindhoven University of Technology. I am currently pursuing a double master's degree in Urban Systems & Real Estate and Construction Management & Engineering. After living in Eindhoven for four years, the city now feels like a familiar environment.

I am certainly not the only Zeeuws-Vlaanderen student who leaves the region to study. A different environment brings new contacts, new friends, and really a different life. Despite the great distance, there are also many people from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen in Eindhoven, which made adjusting to a new environment even easier. My connection with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is still very strong; friends who live in the region and my family ensure that I always enjoy coming home. In addition, the surroundings and the peace that the region offers make me want to live and work in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen after my studies. Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is mainly known as a tourist destination, but in addition to its beautiful beaches, historic towns, and tourism during the holiday seasons, the region has much more to offer. The region does not have any very large cities, but all facilities can be found here, even if the distance is sometimes a bit greater. In fact, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is a peaceful location between large Belgian and Dutch cities. These aspects make Zeeuws-Vlaanderen an ideal living environment for me, which I highly recommend.

Because of my interest in living and working in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen after my studies, I spent the spring and summer looking for a place to expand my work experience. After a search, I got the opportunity to set up and carry out a research project for OnbegrensdZeeuwsVlaanderen regarding vacancy in the municipalities of Hulst and Terneuzen. This research examined the differences between theoretical vacancy and actual vacancy in practice. It is good to see the impact of the research and that the results have provided new insights.

I hope that in the future, in addition to a beautiful living environment, I can also find a challenging working environment in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.