Travelers / Participants

Name: Marc van Baal
Date of Birth: April 21, 1984
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

I’m Marc, 23 years old and born in Zeist. My dad is a site supervisor for in the construction industry and my mother is a teacher at a high school in Zeist. I also have one sister, she is 26 and works at a real-estate office in Utrecht. After my Havo degree I went to America for a High School year. That year gave me the opportunity to learn a see a lot of a different culture. When I came back I went to the “Hogeschool Utrecht” where I got my bachelor degree in Civil Engineering. And now I’m in the process of getting my master degree in Civil Engineering and Management at the University of Twente. Besides my academic activities I play field hockey. I started playing when I was 8 years old at the local field hockey club in Zeist, Schaerweijde. Right now I’m the goalkeeper of EHV 1. I’m a very sports minded person, that is why you’ll often find me watching “studio sport” or other sports programs. Next to field hockey I also love to go skiing or go sailing. The picture I added is one of my senior pictures. It’s a tradition when you are in your senior (final) year to let a photographer take pictures of you to frame yourself.

Name: Hans Cortenbach
Date of Birth: November 15, 1984
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

My name is Hans Cortenbach, I was born on 15-11-1984 in a small town called Haelen, where I grew up. After finishing my pre-university education I moved to Enschede where I started the study of Civil Engineering at the University of Twente. After two and a half years of studying I wanted to take another challenge by joining the board of the study association ConcepT. My membership as ConcepT’s Internal Affairs Commissioner took a one year during fulltime job. At this moment I am in the final month of my board membership. From February I will be fully concentrating on my study again. Part of my study will be the study tour to South Africa. After the study tour I will obtain my bachelor’s degree. I think the study tour will be a real addition to my standard Civil Engineering curriculum, because the tour focuses on other ‘non-European’ Civil Engineering issues.  I think it’s interesting to see the contribution of Civil Engineering to problems in another culture. In that way the study tour will broaden my view on Civil Engineering..

Name: Marc Draak
Date of Birth: April 8, 1986 
Specialisation: Transportation Engineering & Management

My name is Marc Draak, I am 21 years old and I am very happy to be a participant of this great journey to South-Africa.  At this moment I am in my third year of the study Civil Engineering at the University of Twente. I regard this studytour as a great opportunity to develop myself because of the responsibilities and things we have to accomplish to make this journey a big success. I live in the centre of Enschede with my girlfriend in a very nice apartment on the first floor. During the weekends I still have to go home to my parents who live near Amsterdam, because I have a very good job over there. I have to watch soccer games and text message people about the scoring. A fantastic job. When I am in Enschede and I not studying, I like to be with my girlfriend or friends. Watch a movie, go to the city centre and party or drink something at somebody’s place. I listen a lot to dance music and like to watch TV.  I like to work with computers. I'm planning to make a DVD about our great journey to South-Africa. Regarding the Study Tour I expect a great trip to a country I always wanted to see and to learn a lot about the culture and civil engineering in third world countries. Also I want to have a great time with my friends and participate in making this journey an unforgettable journey.

Name: Gert-Ruben van Goor
Date of Birth: February 27, 1986
Specialisation: Water Engineering & Management

Hello, I am Gert-Ruben van Goor, student Civil Engineering (& Management) at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. 21 years ago (on February 27, 1986 to be precise) I was born in the small town of Bunschoten Spakenburg. In this town I spend most of my childhood before coming to Enschede to study. I have chosen Civil Engineering because of mine broad interest in everything related to engineering aspects, both technical and managerial. This is also the reason why I recently began with the master Water Engineering and Management (WEM). In Enschede I live with two girls who also study Civil Engineering at the University of Twente. One of them, Marieke Hietbrink, is also joining the Study Tour to South Africa. Together with my friends we have a lot of fun in Enschede. Besides studying and meeting with friends my hobbies are watching television, going on vacation and everything that has do to with airplanes. Recently my roommate and I have begun to pick up running as a sport, keeping ourselves in shape and maybe losing a few pounds. But my greatest ‘hobby’ is my girlfriend Helen, whom I love very much. By joining the Study Tour to South Africa I would like to learn about new cultures and traditions and how this is reflected on decision-making and Civil Engineering. I find it also very interesting to learn more about South Africa’s history and the role of the apartheid on today’s social structure and processes.

Name: Leon de Graaf
Date of Birth: October 15, 1984
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

I'm 23 years old and a 5^th generation Civil Engineering student. At the time this study tour will take place I just got my bachelor degree. This means I`ve had some study delay, but this is mainly caused by the external activities I do. Beside my study I put a lot of time in playing volleybal, squash and table tennis. I`m also treasurer for the youth association in Westervoort, which contains the weekly organisation of different kinds of activities like swimming, bowling or a discoparty. In the spare time that is left I like to spend time with my girlfriend, drink some beers with my roommates or to watch a movie at the cinema. This study tour I hope to learn something about a country with such great contradictions. Also I think South Africa has a lot to offer qua civil engineering projects and hopefully we get to enjoy them ourselves as much as possible!

Name: Benjamin Groenewolt
Date of Birth: January 28, 1984
Specialisation: Transportation Engineering & Management

On January 28^th 1984, Benjamin Groenewolt was born in Appingedam, The Netherlands. In 2003 he started his study Civil Engineering and right now he is doing his Master Traffic Engineering and Management. Last summer he wrote his bachelor thesis about road pricing during an internship at Witteveen+Bos (consultancy and engineering services). Next to studying, Benjamin is involved in sports. His main sport is handball, which he plays at Cabezota. He also joined the board of this club for two years. Furthermore, he was board member of the Sportraad, representing all university sport clubs. He is still involved in committees of this association. When there is time left, Benjamin plays futsal (indoor soccer) in a team of Civil Engineering friends.

Name: Reint Haverkamp
Date of Birth: October 23, 1983
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

My name is Reint Haverkamp and I’m 24 years old. I’m in the sixth and probably the last year of my study Civil, management & engineering, where I chose for the master track Construction process management. Before I chose for this master track I finished my bachelor Industrial Engineering at the University of Twente. After this study tour I’ll begin with finishing my study. In 2006 and 2007 I organised the Batavierenrace, world biggest relay. Off study I like to participate in sports (volleyball, fitness and cycling), and I like to play trumpet. The main reason for my application is that I think the study tour is a great opportunity to gain insight in the international work field of civil engineering and the tour will give more insight into the job opportunities and possibilities of civil engineering. Besides these study-related reasons I like to travel and I am interested in other cultures.

Name: Marieke Hietbrink
Date of Birth: April 3, 1986
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management 

Hi, I am Marieke Hietbrink, 21 years old and now in my fourth year of the study Civil Engineering and Management at the University of Twente in Enschede. I live with two roommates in a student house near the centre of Enschede. I have almost finished my Bachelor degree and next two years I will be busy with my Master. I have chosen for the specialization ‘Construction Process Management’. This specialization is focused on the development and realization of infrastructure and real estate. We will be busy with analyzing, designing and controlling the integral building process. We also analyze the function of different parties within the building process, concerning their role and activities. One of the reasons why I join the Studytour to South Africa is to get more international experience with building processes. I am really looking forward going to South Africa at the end of May. Not only the projects related to Civil Engineering wake my interests, but also the South Afrika cultures, geographic and animals (the big five!!). Last years I have spend all my savings on holiday trips to Asia and Africa. Last summer I went to China. I saw the great wall, the terracotta army and also the famous mountains also known as the Karst mountains. During my weeks in China I learned a lot about the country,  in several ways. Now I am really looking forward to getting to know South Africa and I am hoping that it will be an experience that I will never forget.

Name: Tom Janssen
Date of Birth: January 26, 1984
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

My name is Tom Janssen, I’m 23 years old, and I was born in Geleen. In the summer of 2006 I achieved my Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at “Hogeschool Zuyd” in Heerlen. At the moment I’m participating various courses in order to obtain my Master’s degree in “Civil Engineering and Management”. The track which I’m participating within the study is the building process management track. I expect to start my Master thesis in September 2008. Besides sporting, watching sports and going out with friends, travelling is one of my hobbies. An important reason for me to join the study tour is to combine my passion for travelling with the learning of new features within my own field of study in an unknown country.

Name: Bas Klaver
Date of Birth: January 1, 1985
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

Ah… the first threshold to encounter after signing in for the Gateway to Africa Study Tour: writing an interesting, funny and/or representative masterpiece on background, ambitions and of course, the study tour itself. A short history of nearly everything… After my birth at a very young age, my childhood was mostly spent 4 m below sea level. The weather was good, the environment clean and the air smelled like birds, flowers and cute little cows. Although the ingredients for a happy life were manifold, the urge to gain knowledge and to understand the way of the world called for a drastic change. The wide polder landscape turned into a 41⁺NAP student condo on the campus of the University of Twente. The academic course Civil Engineering was going to be the answer to fundamental questions as well as practical problems, and formed an ideal mix between technology and management. After four years of hard work and side activities, personal goals shifted from The Netherlands to foreign lands, and the Study Tour became the ultimate way to combine global orientation and the interests taken in Civil Engineering.

Name: Barry Kooijman
Date of Birth: April 19, 1984
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

Hi, I'm Barry Kooijman, 23 years old and born in Maastricht which can be found in the sunny south of the Netherlands. It’s been about a year and a half since I left Maastricht to study Civil Engineering and Management at the University of Twente. Coming to Enschede wasn’t the first time I moved out of Maastricht. I’ve lived the first half of the year 2005 on the island St. Maarten for my HBO, which I attended in Heerlen, internship. During my stay in the Caribbean I learned a lot about the construction industry and the local culture. I hope to get the same great experience during the study tour.

Name: Alexander Leicher
Date of Birth: March 18, 1985
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

My name is Alexander Leicher and I’m a fifth year’s student. In November 2007, I started the Master course Construction Management and Engineering. The reason I want to participate in ConcepT’s study tour “Gateway to Africa” is that I want to learn more about the basics of civil engineering problems. For example, in the Netherlands, we invest millions of euros in research on intelligent transport systems and advanced building methods. On the contrary, civil engineering in South Africa has some more “basic” characteristics. A big part of the population lacks sufficient housing, while some South African places are economically well-developed. The South African government has to deal with large income gaps and shortage on lots of facilities for civilians on the other hand, and problems related to economic prosperity. This contrast makes South Africa an interesting country to me. Besides the interesting subject of this study tour, another reason for me to join this tour is the fact that I like to travel and see other cultures and nature. As a child, I always wanted to understand everything, and I still want to understand lots of things. I think that an experience like this makes you better understand characteristics of your own country. Last but not least, another reason why I like traveling is the fun you can have with the group. I already know a lot of people who join the study tour, and I’m sure that the group will contribute to an unforgettable experience!

Name: Buddy Lentjes
Date of Birth: September 11, 1984
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

I’m Buddy Lentjes, 23 years old and I’m studying Civil Engineering and Management at the University of Twente. At this site you can take a look around at all the participants of our study tour “Gateway to Africa”. This is my personal spot and I can say: I’m glad to be one of the participants!Something about myself: patient, curious and I like to drink a beer with my mates, but I can be very serious sometimes in my work or study, so beware! Besides my personality I want to tell something about my hobbies: travelling and running. I’m not that good at running but I’m still trying! I’d like to travel because I’m very interested in other cultures and persons, what I like the most about travelling is to meet local people in another way then only at the tourist spots.

Name: Daan Mestrum
Date of Birth: December 17, 1985
Specialisation: Transportation Engineering & Management

I am Daan Mestrum and I have been student Civil Engineering & Management since 2003. This year I have started my Master stage. This will be a master in Transportation Engineering, with in addition a number of Building Process Management courses. I have chosen this combination because my main interest within the Civil Engineering lies in transportation projects. However I prefer to get insight in these projects in a broader context than only the technical part of transportation projects. I’m also interested in the political, economical and juridical aspects related to a traffic project. Furthermore I am interested in the management part of transportation projects. During my Bachelor phase I performed several extracurricular activities. In 2005 I was part of the organization committee for the fifth anniversary celebrations of study association ConcepT. In 2006 I took place in the board of this study association. In the same year I was in the board of the Overleg Studieverenigingen, the umbrella organization of the study associations linked to the University of Twente. This extracurricular activities turned out to be very useful for improving several organizational and interpersonal skills and they gave me a good insight in my own strengths and weaknesses. I want to use the last years of study to travel abroad a lot. From August to November, 2007, I have been in Tanzania for an internship. This internship was related to the proposed public transport network in Dar es Salaam, Dar Rapid Transit (DART). My task was to make a comparison between the characteristics of the proposed network and the preferences of the people in Dar es Salaam. Both living three months in a developing country and the research related to quite a large transportation project was a great experience. Without doubt I am sure that we are going to have also a great time in South Africa. There are a lot of interesting projects for a student Civil Engineering. Besides the projects related to our study, South Africa is also a very interesting country to discover because of its history and natural wealth. And additionally we have a nice group of travelers, so I am really looking forward to the trip next year!

Name: HG Nomden
Date of Birth: February 2, 1985
Specialisation: Water Engineering & Management

My name is Harm Gerrit, but everybody calls me HG. I’m originally from Groningen (the north of Holland) and at the moment I just started with the master Water Engineering at the UT. Although I have chosen one specialisation, I’m still interested in everything that has something to do with civil engineering. In the past I did a lot of work at the Study Association ConcepT and also was a member of the board in 2006. Beside my study I also like to play football and to have a couple of beers with friends. South-Africa will be a great country to stay and I’m looking forward to go see all the interesting projects. With the other participants we will have a great and unforgettable time.

Name: Rick Noordink
Date of Birth: February 15, 1985
Specialisation: Construction Engineering & Management

Rick Noordink is my name. When you look it up in the telephone book there isn’t much left for guessing for where I come from. Haaksbergen is one of the few places where you would find a Noordink. Though a few years ago I decided to move to the metropolis of Enschede to go and study Civil Engineering (and Management). Meanwhile, I’m busy finalizing my Bachelor after which I’ll probably continue studying here in ‘Eanske’. In spare time I like to do all kinds of sports, mainly soccer and running. Besides that I like to read books, watch movies and off course go out and drink a few beers with my friends. I’m very happy to be one of the participants of this study tour and am looking forward to travel to South Africa and enjoy one hell of a time together with the rest of the group!

Name: Mathew Olde Klieverik
Date of Birth: June 14, 1985
Specialisation: Transportation Engineering & Management

My name is Mathew Olde Klieverik, also called The Mat. On the 14^th of June 1985 I was born in Hengelo in our beautiful region Twente. When I was five years old I moved to Malden, just below Nijmegen, where I finished my primary and middle school. But after that nice time, I decided to go back to my roots, I started in 2003 with the Bachelor Civil Engineering and after a nice internship last spring in Southern Italy I just started with the Master track Transportation Management. Besides my study activities I like to sport a lot. My favourite sports are football and cycling and I try to do them both two times a week. Finally people sometimes wonder why I am almost every time in a good mood, but that is just the way I am. I hope to infect all participants with my positive energy during our study tour.

Name: Tom van Swaay
Date of Birth: June 18, 1985
Specialisation: Transportation Engineering & Management

On June 18th, 1985, Tom was born in a hospital in the city of Arnhem. It was a heavy entrance, so he spend his first day at the intensive care. His childhood Tom spend, contrary to his birth, careless at the 'city' of Huissen. At a young age he joined the Scout Movement, were he made a lot of friends. When he visits his parents, he always drops by at the Scouting Headquarters to meet his friends. Huissen got city privileges before 1319 and still celebrates many traditional events which are never missed by Tom and his Scoutfriends. After his Atheneum (pre-university) degree at Olympus College, Arnhem, Tom went to the University of Twente where he got his bachelor degree in Civil Engineering. Last summer he finished his bachelor degree by writing a thesis about traffic generation of harbor activitities at the Port of Rotterdam during an internship at the consultancy firm Witteveen+Bos. In September 2007 Tom started his Masters in Traffic Engineering and Management. During the introduction period at the University, Tom made some great friends, and most of them will join him on the study tour to South Africa, which he will never forget.

Name: Marthe Telgen
Date of Birth: August 26, 1985
Specialisation: Transportation Engineering & Management

I was born in the beautiful village of Lunteren, in the center of the Netherlands. The first 18 years of my life I was busy playing tennis, hockey and soccer, ballet dancing and playing flute and piano. After graduation I moved to the center of Enschede where my student life began. I started rowing at the boat club DRV Euros, where I have been a cox of a womens eight, a rower and a coach. After one year of studying Industrial Engineering and Management in 2003-2004, I decided to switch to Civil Engineering. That course suited me better and in August 2007 I received my Bachelor of Science degree. I started in September 2007 with the master Transportation Engineering and Management of Civil Engineering. Nowadays I am still an active member of DRV Euros. I look forward to the study tour 2008.

Name: Werner Weeink
Date of Birth: December 28, 1985
Specialisation: Water Engineering & Management

I am Werner, 22 years old and a 4^th year student Civil Engineering and Management. Grown up in the beautiful region of Twente and a passion for civil engineering made the choice for University of Twente an easy one. I’m focusing on integrated water management and (construction) process management in my MSc program. A hot issue in the Netherlands; taking the Dutch spatial planning policy and global climate changes into account. Also one of the reason why I took some electives about climate change at the University of Bergen, Norway. But even more important: I had a great time with unforgettable experiences and friends in Europe’s most exciting country. The “Gateway to Africa” study tour gave me the possibility to combine my passion for civil engineering and traveling. A challenge to face.