Ukrainian national Oleksandr Mialyk came to the Netherlands as a research student in 2019 and was far away from family and friends when Russia invaded his home country in February 2022. He’s taken up the tikkie, loves life in Enschede and would like to meet DJ Armin van Buuren.

How did you end up in the Netherlands?
As a child, I remember helping my father grow vegetables in our garden. From an early age, I became fascinated by how all the elements come together to put food on my plate and it is this curiosity which has inspired my life’s work.

After completing my first Master’s in Ukraine, I looked around for a new challenge. My sister was studying in France and told me about the Erasmus Master’s programme, so I applied and was awarded a scholarship in 2016. Following studies in Lisbon, Delft and Dresden, I applied for a PhD post at University of Twente. Back in 2019, the whole feeling of the Netherlands was very positive. Enschede felt like a very nice place to live. People seemed quite happy and friendly, and everyone spoke English.

How do you describe yourself – an expat, lovepat, immigrant, international?
I would describe myself as international because I’ve lived in many different countries and made friends with people from all over the world. My personality is a real mix.

How long do you plan to stay?
My strategy is to stay here as long as I feel my work is meaningful. However, I’ve just passed all my exams to become a Dutch citizen and am waiting for the king to give my application his blessing this summer, so perhaps I’ll be here for a while. [Olek has since become Dutch.]

Do you speak Dutch and how did you learn?
Yes, een beetje. Unlike English, which I largely learnt while playing computer games, I took Dutch classes when I arrived and passed the first two levels. In the long term, I would like to become fluent. Soon, I’ll have a new Dutch roommate, so perhaps I’ll improve!

What’s your favourite Dutch thing?
I love the general work-life balance in the Netherlands. Work is not the only thing in your life. You can have other things too! In academia, everything is very flexible and everyone respects your boundaries. This is very different to Ukraine where you work longer hours.

How Dutch have you become?
I do like sending Tikkies, I am ok eating raw herrings and am even ok with rain, 365 days a year! So yes, I have picked up some Dutch culture.

Which three Dutch people (dead or alive) would you most like to meet?
Starting with the fun choice, Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren who is a regular at the internationally renowned Tomorrowland dance festivals. Why? Because many years ago, my father introduced me to van Buuren’s album, Imagine, and I’ve been a fan of trance music ever since.

His weekly two-hour radio show A State of Trance, which started in 2000 and is broadcast to 84 different countries all over the world reaching an audience of 40 million listeners, helped me stay sane during the final months of my PhD. It’s crazy that he’s been doing this for so long.

My second choice is Dutch historian and writer, Rutger Bregman. His book, Humankind: A Hopeful History includes inspiring and refreshing ideas about humanity. He says that while people sometimes do bad things, in general, we are actually nice. He encourages individuals to use their time and skills to solve the world’s problems instead of wasting their talents on meaningless activities.

My final choice is my late supervisor professor Arjen Hoekstra who developed the globally recognised concept of a water footprint. Sadly he passed away three months after starting my PhD, however, he is still the most inspiring person I have ever met. He was super motivated and full of self-belief, always pushing me to do more.

Tell us something surprising you’ve found out about the Netherlands
Enschede is a really cool city!  When you arrive by train, a sign greets you with facts about the city. It’s not just FC Twente which is famous here. Enschede is the birthplace of Booking.com and Thuisbezorgd. Wi-fi and Bluetooth technology were also developed either by alumni or by people who worked at the University of Twente.

In Enschede everything is just ten minutes away, and there are lots of cultural things to do as well. Visit the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, go to concerts in the Wilminktheater or watch a film in Concordia, the arthouse cinema.

What’s your top tourist tip?
If you send Armin van Buuren your story, you might just win a visit to his Amsterdam studios!

If you had just 24 hours left in the Netherlands, what would you do?
I would go to the market, get some coffee and cake in one of the many hip cafés and just enjoy the small things. And since I’m leaving, I would also get some stoopwafels and Gouda cheese, the aged type with salt crystals. Great with some sourdough for breakfast.

Oleksandr Mialyk was talking to Clare Varney