Romanian NextGen Tales is a monthly editorial newsletter developed as part of the Student WorkPRO platform. Its main goal is to offer readers a carefully selected overview of the most relevant and widely read articles published within the platform.
The newsletter focuses on topics dedicated to students and young professionals, including personal development, career guidance, study and work opportunities abroad, and emerging trends in education and professional growth.
The project is managed by a specialized content team responsible for editing, structuring and visually enhancing the materials included in each edition. Custom illustrations and graphic elements are created to support the editorial content and strengthen its visual identity.
In addition, the team coordinates email delivery campaigns, manages reader interaction and ensures that the newsletter consistently reaches its audience in a clear, engaging and professional format. Romanian NextGen Tales also serves as a community-building tool by encouraging feedback and reader engagement.
A live streaming session dedicated to clarifying myths about DUO grants and presenting the lived reality of Romanian students in the Netherlands, hosted under the Romanian NextGen Tales project.
Read description & watch live recordingAn English editorial article about the identity dilemmas of Romanian students in the diaspora, navigating between their home country and the realities of the host society.
Read full articleA structured weekly activity report documenting how the Romanian NextGen Tales – Netherlands community was managed through messages, polls, Zoom calls and follow-up support.
Read activity report Live Streaming
Live title:
“Myths about DUO grants and the reality of Romanian students in the Netherlands”
This live streaming session brings together Romanian students and volunteers to discuss real experiences behind DUO grants, typical myths circulating in the community, and the practical challenges of living and studying in the Netherlands. The event is part of the Romanian NextGen Tales project and aims to offer clear, experience-based information for students who are considering or already following an academic path in the Netherlands.
The format combines presentation segments with open Q&A, encouraging participants to ask direct questions about bureaucracy, financial expectations, integration, and the emotional side of student life abroad. The live recording remains available as a reference resource for future students and families who need a realistic picture of what studying in the Netherlands actually looks like.
Project 1 - Romanian NextGen Tales - STUDENTV
Chosen topic:
“Life Between Two Worlds – Diaspora and Romanian Identity”
Article (approx. 850 words):
Life Between Two Worlds – Diaspora and Romanian Identity
When you leave Romania, at first it seems like a physical move: a flight, a suitcase, a temporary rental. But very quickly you realize it is more than that. You not only change countries, but you start to feel that you are living between two worlds – the Romania inside you and the country where you are trying to integrate. This is how life in the diaspora begins. A life in which, as a Romanian student abroad, you learn to carry your identity in a fragile balance.
The question of identity
For many young people who leave to study abroad, the first break happens in ordinary moments: when you are in a store and you cannot find a label you understand. When you want to make a Romanian joke and no one laughs. Or when you try to explain to a colleague what “dor” means and there is no exact translation.
Then the question hits you: who am I here? Am I a Romanian living somewhere else? Or am I becoming something else? It is not a simple question, but it is an important one. And every Romanian student in the diaspora has to ask it, at least once.
Adaptation versus assimilation
Many young people are faced with a choice – unconsciously, most of the time: either they adapt to the host country while keeping something from Romania, or they assimilate completely and start to forget who they were.
But the most valuable stories come from those who manage to find a middle path. To be part of the local community, to learn the language, to work legally, to contribute – but also to keep their Romanian name, to speak to their parents in their mother tongue, to eat stuffed cabbage rolls at Christmas and to explain to foreign colleagues what Mărțișor is.
This is life between two worlds: it does not mean confusion, but balance.
Community – a lifeline
A huge role in preserving identity is played by Romanian communities in the diaspora. NGOs, student groups, churches, cultural associations – all offer that feeling of a “temporary home” that makes you feel less lost.
In the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium or Italy, there are hundreds of local initiatives where young Romanians join forces. They organize events, live streams, podcasts or counseling sessions for newcomers. In these places, Romanian identity is not an obstacle, but a bridge between people.
The fatigue of explaining who you are
Living in the diaspora, you learn to wear your country on your forehead. You automatically become an ambassador of Romania, even if you did not intend to. At university, at work, in your group of friends – you constantly encounter questions and stereotypes: “Oh, Romania… is it safe there?” “Do you really have Dracula?” “How come you speak English so well?”
After a while, you get tired. But at the same time, you learn to answer with pride. Because being Romanian does not only mean coming from a country with problems, but also from a place with warm, talented, resilient people. Being Romanian in the diaspora is a daily effort to rehabilitate the image of a nation. It is no small thing.
Returning – another dilemma
For some, the diaspora is a stage. For others, it becomes permanent. But regardless of the length of stay, returning to Romania is another identity crisis. You return “home,” but something has changed. Maybe you. Maybe the country. Maybe both.
Friends are no longer the same as before, the pace of life seems foreign, and the jokes from abroad are no longer funny. You start to feel... like an expat in your own country. This is how you understand how deep life between two worlds really is. That you no longer fully belong anywhere, but that you can build a “home” wherever you carry your language, your values, and your personal memory.
Conclusion
Being a Romanian student in the diaspora does not only mean studies, scholarships and rent. It is a journey in which you rebuild your identity, learn to navigate between cultures and to live between worlds. But precisely in this double belonging lies our strength: we can be ambassadors of Romania without a tie, without titles, simply through the way we live, work and love beyond the borders.
Project 1 - Romanian NextGen Tales - STUDENTV
Activity Report – Community Management
Period: March 3–9, 2025
Platform: WhatsApp Group & Facebook Page “Romanian NextGen Tales – Netherlands”
Responsible student: Ana-Maria D., student in Groningen
Daily activities (chronological)
Monday, March 3
Published welcome message for new members:
“Welcome everyone! If you are new in the group, we invite you to write which city you study in and what expectations you have from this project.”
Results: 18 responses, 4 new active members
Tuesday, March 4
Published poll on Facebook:
“What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a Romanian student in the Netherlands?”
Options:
Financial problems
Language & integration
DUO bureaucracy
Loneliness
Results: 62 votes, 12 comments (including 3 relevant personal stories)
Wednesday, March 5
Organized Zoom meeting for new students (announcement published on WhatsApp + Facebook)
“Friday, March 8, 6:00 PM – informal meeting for newly arrived Romanian students in the Netherlands. We talk, laugh and get to know each other! Zoom link in the description.”
Results: 21 registered participants
Thursday, March 6
Informative post:
“Did you know that you can collaborate as a freelancer with non-profit organizations and still be eligible for DUO support? Here is what the law says (link to the official DUO guide).”
Results: 9 shares, 2 questions in comments (answered promptly)
Friday, March 7
Zoom meeting reminder + open questions for the evening session:
“What questions would you like to discuss tonight? Write here and we will address them in the call!”
Results: 7 questions collected
Saturday, March 8
Zoom call organized: 60 min, 14 active participants
Topics discussed:
How to apply for DUO
How to legally collaborate with NGOs
What life is like in the first months in the Netherlands
Feedback after the call:
“The discussion helped me a lot, I feel calmer now. Thank you so much!” – Andreea, student in The Hague
Sunday, March 9
Follow-up post:
“Thank you all for attending the Zoom session! If you couldn’t make it, we’ll be back next week with a session dedicated only to questions about DUO. What would you like us to include?”
Results: 3 suggestions already received
Weekly summary statistics
Activity – Result
Posts published – 6
Polls organized – 1
Zoom meetings – 1 (60 min, 14 participants)
Replies to direct messages – 9 (WhatsApp & Messenger)
Total reactions/engagement – 140+ (likes, comments, votes)
Conclusion
The student kept the community active through:
Active communication initiatives (posts, polls, Zoom)
Accurate information about rights and options
Support for the integration of new students
Prompt and helpful responses in private and public channels
