Humans of IHS is a mini-portrait series that features the people who make IHS a unique place. Many of the urban professionals with common roots at IHS, often describe it as a very welcoming, familiar space, where they not only acquired valuable knowledge for their career, but also formed solid ties and friendships with their peers. This is what drove us to create this mini-series: the wish to give others a glimpse of the amazing people that make IHS special.
Manatsavee or Vee, as his friends call him, is a fresh alumni from the Urban Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change Master track at IHS, Erasmus University. He is an urban planner from Thailand with a background in urban resilience and risk management.
“I am really interested in urban management and sustainability because it helps us to build resilience and become conscious of the environment and its possible risks of disasters.”
The lack of consciousness leads to urban issues as sometimes citizens are too focused on their personal and financial comfort. Vee would like to minimize the impact on nature by raising awareness and educating citizens on their ecological footprints.
When asked about his favourite IHS memory, Vee mentions the international community. “It has been a very eye-opening experience to be part of such a culturally diverse group. We met up with friends to share food and our cultures in the F building. I appreciated the variety of people, and I learned more about the world as we sometimes had similar problems but very different approaches.”
Vee adjusted to the Dutch lifestyle as he biked all around South Holland and cooked some national dishes.
“I biked a lot in the past year, and although I couldn’t feel my legs the next day, it is a flat country, so I got to enjoy biking to the fullest. You can also get to see so much more of the city on a bike; it almost makes you feel part of it.”