Maaike de Jong

What do you do for the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab Rotterdam?

For the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab Rotterdam, I am a learning coach for groups of (international) students. In addition, I conduct research into the cooperation of teams in a lab setting. Previously, I conducted research into playfulness and creativity. I use the insights from that research to guide the design process of our students.

What is your favourite place in Rotterdam and surroundings?

I came to live in Rotterdam thirteen years ago, because I love the city so much. One of my favourite spots in Rotterdam is the Maasboulevard: from the Esch to the centre and then the part where you can see the Willemsbrug, the Hef and the Erasmus Bridge at the same time, that’s where I always stop for a moment. I also like to walk around the Rijnhaven. Or cycling through the Zuiderpark, from the children’s farm to the Valkeniersweide – a fairly long continuous stretch of green. I could go on like this for a while, so many beautiful things!

What is the best thing about working in the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab Rotterdam?

I love to see students grow during the course of a project. You see them not only make plans, but also become more and more enterprising, independent, and self-aware of who they are and what impact they could have on the world.