Cultural Aspect of Working in NL: best-practices from 2 successful international engineers

In recent decades, the Netherlands has attracted thousands of engineers from all over the world, mainly due to its outward economy, open trade environment and high-tech industries. Today in this country, the international engineer community is still under fast growth. Nevertheless, for people who arrive in the Netherlands as foreigner employees, cultural adaptation could be a key challenge. International engineers sometimes struggle to adjust their working routine, communicate with colleagues from different backgrounds, and achieve effective international networking.

In this upcoming panel of KIE, we will discuss with you the cultural challenge for working as an expat. We invite 2 guests, both are possessing successful careers in the industry with a non-western background. We wish to share with you their experiences and practices to cope with cultural challenges as an international engineer. Besides, we also encourage and facilitate the interviewing dialogue between the guest speakers and our audience. 

INTERVIEWS

ir. Sepideh Khandan Del. Technical Project Lead at SMART Photonics.

Description: Sepideh was born and raised in Mashhad, Iran. In 2010 she moved to Stockholm, Sweden to peruse her master studies in Materials Science at KTH-Royal Institute of technology. Over the past decade, she worked in different research institutes in the USA and Germany in the field of Micro/Nanotechnology. In May 2018, she moved to the Netherlands to join TNO as a senior Process Development Engineer and since August 2020 she is working as a Technical Project Lead at Smart Photonics. In addition, she is also involved in Female Tech Heroes, as well as Expats Spouses Initiative.

ir. Ling Hong, Senior Program Manager in NN Investment Partner.

Description: Ling came to the Netherlands in 2004 to study and has more than 13 years management experience in the Financial industry. As always the only non-Westerner member around the decision making table, she has built a profound tracking record in delivering high profile transformation projects. She is also a writer, has published many articles around personal development and organizational behavior topics in Chinese media and her personal blog (Lingtalks).

PROGRAM

19:00 - 20:00: Panel Interviews

20:00 - 20:30: Discussion and questions

CONTACT

kie@kivi.nl