Joost Albrecht

About Joost Albrecht

My name is Joost Albrecht, and I have been studying International Relations & International Organisations in Groningen since 2024. My parents are from Germany, and I have both Dutch and German nationality. In addition to my studies, I row for the Gyas rowing club. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with friends and occasionally playing the guitar.

Why International Relations & International Organisations?

All my life, I have been interested in subjects such as geography and history, but also in topics such as politics and international citizenship. In addition, my international background has always made me interested in foreign languages and cultures. That is why, when searching for a suitable bachelor's programme, I looked for a course that best matched these interests. After participating in a student for a day event, IRIO turned out to be the perfect match for me.

Why Groningen?

I ended up in Groningen because of my best friend Floris. I had already found the right programme for me and just needed to find the perfect city to study in. He pointed me towards a town in the north that I hadn't heard of before. After visiting Groningen once, I knew straight away: this is the best and most enjoyable student city in the Netherlands. In addition to the great student life here, the University of Groningen is also one of the most beautiful and enjoyable universities to study at. It is a city with a village feel, the city centre is the campus and you bump into everyone on the street.

Future

I like to keep my future open; the options after my studies are enormous and I have not yet chosen a specific direction, but I do know that I want to have lived in many different places and countries in my life. Whether this is within the diplomatic service or as an employee of a large international organisation does not matter to me.

Golden tip

My advice to future students is: stay true to yourself, enjoy the wonderful time that lies ahead, and don't forget to dip into those textbooks every now and then.