Faces of Clingendael: Jelte de Jong
Who are the hard-working people at the Clingendael Institute? We offer you a look behind the scenes in our series Faces of Clingendael. Today with Academy project fellow Jelte de Jong.
If you build a genuine connection, participants are very open in sharing their views on the world
What is your role?
I am a Project Fellow at the Clingendael Academy. I have been working here since September last year, but I interned at the Academy before that. As a Project Fellow, I coordinate training programmes for professionals as well as our open enrolment courses.
What motivates you to do this job?
What I really enjoy is that I get to meet and connect with many different people and support them in their development. During the courses – whether short or long – you can really see participants grow, not only in their skills and knowledge, but also in their confidence.
What are your interests outside of work?
I enjoy singing and classical music, and I sing in a choir. My name is of Frisian origin, and I come from the north of the Netherlands, where sailing is very popular, so I enjoy sailing as well. Besides that, I like to travel, especially visiting friends who live abroad.
What advice would you give people that aspire working in your field?
I think it’s important to stay humble, to be open to different perspectives and to be willing to learn from others who may have more experience or knowledge. At the same time, don’t downplay your own insights and perspectives either. That’s also one of the reasons why I enjoy working at Clingendael: colleagues are open to your ideas, whether you are a junior or senior, your input is valued and taken seriously.
What have you learned during your job?
It has really broadened my perspective. Course participants come from different parts of the world and often have different perspectives on issues than we have in Europe. If you build a genuine connection, they are very open in sharing their views on how the world works.
What’s been a highlight of your time at Clingendael so far?
I remember a group of diplomats from different Eastern African countries, such as Djibouti and the Seychelles. It was one of the first groups of foreign diplomats that I coordinated. Their openness to share their perspectives combined with their engaging and warm personalities is something I won’t forget and learned a lot from.
Have a look at interviews with other Clingendael colleagues here.
