Published on April 24, 2025. Reading time: 5 minutes.
Josje-Marie and Miki are part of the Master's in Applied Museum & Heritage Studies at the Reinwardt Academy
Josje-Marie Vrolijk and Miki Dai are both studying part-time in the Master's programme in Applied Museum & Heritage Studies at the Reinwardt Academy. We spoke with them about their love for museums, the balance between studying and family life, and the impact of an international learning environment.
Two completely different backgrounds
Miki grew up in Shanghai, China, and moved to the Netherlands in 2003 to pursue a Bachelor's degree in International Business and Management Studies. In the past, she worked at a Japanese investment bank in Amsterdam and at Vattenfall. “There, I gained valuable knowledge about financial and capital markets and about renewable energy — the essential fuel of the future.” In 2016, Miki decided to fully focus on the cultural and creative sector. “I started out as a cultural entrepreneur, initiating and facilitating intercultural projects between Europe and Asia, such as exhibitions and theatre productions. After the pandemic, I joined an exhibition architecture and design firm in Amsterdam as an International Business Development Manager, where I secured a European museum tender with the (creative) team and developed a strategic business development plan for the company.” More recently, Miki worked at the Design Academy Eindhoven, where she explored design and art in their broadest forms whilist collaborating with talented, dedicated creatives. “I developed a project for educational innovation and a strategic plan for the academy’s internship programme.”
Josje-Marie completed the Drawing and Painting programme at the Royal Academy in The Hague, after which she worked for nearly 30 years as a multidisciplinary designer and maker. “This mainly involved graphic design, but also spatial design, fine carpentry, illustrations, and research projects — in employment, on commission, and on my own initiative.”
Why Applied Museum & Heritage Studies?
When asked why she chose the Applied Museum & Heritage Studies programme, Miki responded: “The moment I first stepped into a museum in the Netherlands, I was sold! Seeing the work of a Dutch master — the vivid portraits and the artist’s delicate technique in a dimly lit, serene space — reminded me of the unique world that museums represent.” Miki says she experienced significant economic developments in Shanghai, which left behind remnants of factories and old neighborhoods.
Masterstudent Miki Dai
“I had my wedding photos taken in an abandoned industrial park, rented a secondhand double-decker bus, and hosted our wedding lunch for Dutch and Chinese guests in an old slaughterhouse from 1943. It was unimaginable for my Chinese family and friends… The contrast I experienced evoked a feeling of nostalgia in me.” She feels caught between the past and the future.
“I discovered the small-scale and intimate Master's programme at the Reinwardt Academy and felt as if it had been designed especially for me. It aligned perfectly with my ambitions.” She continues: “I found the selection committee for the Master’s programme both strict and open-minded. This approach breaks down the 'walls' between disciplines and prioritizes students’ experience, vision, passion, and motivation over rigid academic requirements.”
Josje-Marie chose the programme because natural and cultural history museums have always been her great love: “I decided that it’s never too late to pursue my dream and to do so professionally. I chose the Master's in Applied Museum and Heritage Studies because it offered exactly the theoretical complement to my experience as a designer, and because I could do the programme part-time alongside my work and family.”
Part-time studying
Both Josje-Marie and Miki are enrolled in the part-time version of the Master’s programme, allowing them to balance their studies with work and family life. Josje continues to work two days a week during the programme: “That should be manageable given the expected study load. I’m very ambitious, I want to fully understand all the material offered, and I wasn’t yet experienced in reading and writing academic literature in English before starting the programme. Combined with my work and family responsibilities, it’s definitely quite tough. But I’m really enjoying it and absorbing the knowledge like I’m starving for it. So there’s no lack of motivation!”
Miki shared: “In the first year of my Master’s programme, I worked two to three days a week. It was sometimes challenging, but I was mentally prepared before I started. Thanks to my husband, I managed to combine studying with work and family life. I used evenings and weekends to catch up on required readings and assignments.” She added, “Of course, there were moments when my body reminded me of the workload, and then I would go to Zumba classes. This past year, I received the news that my mother had breast cancer. At that moment, it felt like my world was falling apart. Fortunately, she is very strong, and so far, the treatments have gone well.”
Currently, Miki is working on small projects alongside her studies. One of them involves setting up a series of lessons on Chinese language and culture for a high school (Havo/Atheneum) class. “I hope that the seeds of art and multiculturalism will one day take root among these young people.” She also served as a member of the Reinwardt Academy’s participation council: “It was valuable. It gave me the opportunity to learn from even more amazing people who are working together to provide good education.”
An International Learning Environment
The Master's programme consists of an internationally mixed group, which brings new perspectives, greater sensitivity, and critical questions. What does this bring to you?
Masterstudent Josje-Marie Vrolijk
Josje-Marie: “Most students have years of work experience and are both critical and motivated. You regularly collaborate on small case studies, and sometimes for longer periods on larger assignments. In Nigeria, Suriname, or Sri Lanka, the topics museums deal with are similar to those in the Netherlands, but you can tell — from the sometimes unexpected questions students ask — that they approach a challenge from a different perspective than I do. That brings a lot of depth and reflection. It makes me more sensitive to other viewpoints and ensures that I no longer take anything for granted. It’s also incredibly inspiring to hear others talk about the projects they’ve worked on or the heritage they care about.”
Miki adds: “Today was my last full day of classes. Some of my classmates presented our research plans to the class. The themes we explored included restitution, amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, and other decolonial practices within Dutch and international museum and heritage institutions. I found the presentations by international students especially sincere and powerful, particularly those based on the personal experiences of people from former European colonies. Their — and our — intersectionality enables them and us to understand these issues on a profound level, precisely because many recognize themselves in the position of ‘the other’.”
Conducting Research
At the end of the programme, students complete a placement at a heritage institution, which includes a practice-based research project. Miki began her placement at the Rijksmuseum, where she is researching the visitor experience in the Asian Pavilion within a changing discourse. Josje-Marie is conducting her research at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center: “I’m researching how a natural history collection can be used to raise museum visitors’ awareness about the importance of biodiversity.” She is examining how Naturalis’ ambition to place greater emphasis on the biodiversity crisis in its exhibitions is being realized in the Suriname exhibition, which is currently in development. “I’m incredibly grateful for all the knowledge and experience I’m gaining there, and I hope that my research will be meaningful for Naturalis — and perhaps even for other natural history museums as well.”