"Sustainability isn't just something you need to do professionally; you also need to understand it. I want to change our employees' mindset so that they understand why sustainability is important and become more involved in helping us achieve our sustainability goals." Sura El Gazzar, a UCV alumna, says. She is Sustainability Specialist at Flex, an American manufacturer of electronic parts and devices. Flex has several locations in the Netherlands, including three logistical and supply chain service centres in Venray, Venlo, and Oostrum. Sura is the first employee on these sites who is solely concerned with sustainability. It is her responsibility to put Flex's Global Sustainability Framework into action.

Her goals sound ambitious, but not impossible. With the help of her friends, Sura developed her own sustainable mindset. “At UCV, I studied psychology and took courses in behavioural change, sports psychology, and social psychology. I saw how passionately my classmates discussed sustainability. They not only took courses on sustainability, but they also implemented it in their daily lives. When they had to travel, they made more environmentally friendly decisions. Thanks to my friends, I learned about the importance of sustainability for people, nature, and our planet.”

Sura switched her studies to sustainability and took courses in sustainable entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and environmental justice. "Because UCV allows you to choose your own courses, I was able to switch subjects despite being one and a half years into my bachelor's. I didn't have to start from scratch in a new bachelor's programme.”

“If you have a general interest in the subjects that UCV offers, I will always recommend UCV. Sura suggests experimenting with your courses until you find the topics that most interest you. "Make sure you have a plan for your second and third years", she advises the experimenting students. Talk to your fellow students in those years about their experiences with courses. Allow your Academic Adviser to assist you, and do not choose courses solely based on their titles. Delve into their content. This way, you can avoid what happened to me, which was a study delay.”