Hasse Witteman was the RIAS library intern from October to December 2025. She is currently finishing her thesis for the Latin American Studies MA program, and she will soon start writing her second thesis for the MA North American Studies, both at Leiden University.
“I had the privilege to intern at the RIAS in the fall of 2025. While this period turned out to be very busy – and filled with many academic activities – this internship was truly one of the most educational experiences of my life. I had the pleasure of welcoming many students and visiting researchers to the RIAS. In addition, I was able to help out with two big events – the International PhD Seminar and the American-Dutch Connections in the Revolutionary Era Conference – while I was working at the RIAS. Helping out with both the smaller activities and also the larger-scale activities helped me gain skills and experiences, which I can use for the rest of my life.
Besides helping out with events, I also enjoyed working in the archive and finding unique and interesting sources, for both my own research and the research of visiting scholars. Additionally, I worked on the NASA Newsletter, updated the RIAS and NASA website, and together with Lea, the RIAS communications Officer, I maintained the social media accounts. I especially enjoyed these last tasks and I consider these skills to be useful when I want to start applying for future jobs.
Overall, I truly enjoyed my three months working at the RIAS and I would highly recommend this internship to anyone who wants to improve their academic skills and who would like to experience working with amazing and helpful colleagues at a transatlantic academic archive.”
