MISOC is the programme for those passionate about solving social issues using public tools, and for those who is not afraid to lead changes.
Kathy Han Nguyen
student Management of International Social Challenges
Hi! My name is Kathy. I was born and grew up in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The Mekong Delta is one of the most fertile deltas in the world, producing half of Vietnam’s rice and providing livelihoods for around 18 million people including my family.
The Delta is my home, but every year it sinks by 1 – 3 cm due to impacts of climate change. Already several years when I was in secondary school, my parents had taken me home on our scooter with the water up to our knees. Research estimated that by the end of this century the Delta will be completely under water. I might be dead by then, but if I have children and grandchildren, I fear that they will never know that home.
I decided to study in the Netherlands in hope to learn about the Dutch way of managing delta, At the same time, I also wanted an interdisciplinary programme which focuses on solving the interconnected issues from the public management level.
MISOC offers exactly what I needed. Courses like Global Development and International Migration helped me to see the nexus between climate change, policy responses, and social costs. From there, Policy Analysis and Allocation of Public Resources taught me how to best organize public resources to address such issues in ways that are both practically feasible and fair for the people involved. The programme has introduced me to different ways to saving the Mekong Delta, which I hope to explore further in my master’s and my work after graduation.
But it’s just not the programme that makes MISOC inspiring, it’s also the people in it. MISOC students are probably the most passionate and socially engaged bunch I’ve seen on campus. From running the Sustainability Hub to organizing guest lecture on social issues such as women rights in Iran to hosting a War & Justice essay competition, MISOC students are already pushing for social changes.
So if I must summarise MISOC in one sentence: MISOC is the programme for those passionate about solving social issues using public tools, and for those who is not afraid to lead changes. I am very proud to call myself a MISOC student, and I’m confident you will too.