Danine

Hi everyone!
My name is Danine and I’m currently an exchange student at Jissen Women’s University from The Netherlands. It has always been my dream to visit Japan as soon as I started immersing myself in the culture. This started when I was 13 years old. I just started Shotokan Karate and was really exited to learn everything I could. Through the sport, the higher I came with karate and the older I got, I started picking up on the hints of the Japanese culture that were intertwined with the etiquette of karate. This made me start researching everything on my own. I was really inspired and inquisitive about the Japanese culture.
Eventually that also led me to the study program at Zuyd Universities in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Here I would study the Japanese language and culture alongside communication in businesses. When I heard that you could go on exchange in the third year, I was sold. I couldn’t go to Japan because of Covid-19, so this was my chance! At the halfway point in my second year, it was time to decide which university I wanted to go to in Japan. We had 6 options, but Jissen was the first that stood out to me and intrigued me. After researching the university and it’s website, the courses it gave, the campuses, the student life, extracurricular activities and more, I knew this was the perfect fit for me. Everything was so nice and just appealed to me! And here I am!