“Contributing to a fair working environment that fosters a just society”

When Opeoluwa Adedokun (27) arrived in the Netherlands, there was snow on the ground. It was cold and she did not really know where to go. Fortunately, a few student representatives from the university met her at the airport. They helped her with a route description and the necessary apps. People were also waiting for Opeoluwa at Tilburg Central station. They took her to the university and from there to her room. ‘Everyone was so kind. That gave me a very comfortable feeling. It didn’t stop there. I’m not at all good at map reading, so I lost my way numerous times, but everyone always helped me.’ 

 A few months earlier, Opeoluwa had applied for the Master’s program of Labour Law and Employment Relations at Tilburg University. ‘In Nigeria, I worked as a legal assistant at a bank. As a child, I had always wanted to become a surgeon, but one day there was a debate between students from the sciences and the arts departments of my secondary school. It was about the question of ‘who saves more lives, lawyers or doctors?’ The representative of the arts department made a convincing case for the unique position of lawyers in society. I was so struck by this argument that I decided I wanted to be a lawyer.’ 

My interest in labor law was fueled when I myself encountered unfair labor practices

Hire and fire 

‘My interest in labor law was fueled when I myself encountered unfair labor practices. I saw that the power relationship between employer and employee is skewed. The labor laws in Nigeria are obsolete and the ‘common law’ of Nigeria favors employers. They may ‘hire and fire’ on their own conditions. There is little job security. Employees do well to show their gratitude to their employers. That is something of the past and not at all compatible with international best practices. I think something should be done to change this. I want to contribute to substantively reviewing Nigeria’s labor laws and to developing a more equitable working environment that promotes a just society. Every employee must be treated with dignity. To arm myself with knowledge and skills, I enrolled in Labour Law and Employment Relations, a Master’s program on the interface of labor law, social policy, and human resource management. I firmly believe that, if you want to develop a society, you first need to develop yourself.’ 

International and multidisciplinary 

‘I wanted to take an internationally oriented program. Most law programs are about domestic law. Although the Master’s program in Tilburg focuses on EU legislation, it offers a comprehensive perspective, allowing you to make comparisons with your home country as well. Moreover, it is a multidisciplinary program. It deals with about labor law, HRM, and social policy. The Compensation and Benefit course helped me to improve my public speaking skills. We were divided into groups and were given topics to teach our fellow students. That taught me a lot.’ 

Opeoluwa still remembers the moment when she heard she had been admitted to the program. ‘I had to read the e-mail stating I had been admitted several times before I could believe it. I directly e-mailed the university to ask if there were options for scholarships. I received an e-mail with a link to the scholarship page, where I found the ‘Charitas for Charitas’ scholarship. It is aimed at women from emerging and developing countries and is awarded to students who help vulnerable people. That’s in line with my mission. Employees within the Nigerian system are vulnerable: they need to be empowered.’ 

For a moment, it seemed that this fantastic opportunity would pass me by

Exception

‘Given a number of unanticipated financial problems, I was unable to pay the required immigration fees before I received a scholarship. When I had been awarded the scholarship, I e-mailed the Immigration Coordinators of Tilburg University to let them know I could pay the bill. They told me that it was too late: my visa application deadline had expired. For a moment, it seemed that this fantastic opportunity would pass me by. I subsequently I sent a letter to all the Tilburg University e-mail addresses I could find on the internet, explaining my situation. I even wrote to people who had nothing to do with my program or immigration. Within a week, I received an e-mail from the Tilburg University Immigration Team stating they had discussed my situation and that they had decided to make an exception for me. It was a miracle! The Tilburg University Immigration Office really stuck its neck out for me. I think that made me even more emotional than the fact that I was able to study in the Netherlands.’ 

More than academic skills only

She continues: ‘I love life in the Netherlands. I have not immersed myself in it as much as I would have liked but that has a lot to do with my being rather introverted. I am working on it. I did try some of the Dutch snacks, for instance, the stroopwafel.  

Education in the Netherlands is different from Nigeria. One important difference is that you can call your teachers by their first name. There is less distance, so it is easier to start a conversation. I need to process a lot of information. That is overwhelming sometimes, but supervision is good. My supervisor is very helpful and offers invaluable assistance. 

As I said, I have learned much more than just academic skills. The university has many facilities and programs that go beyond the curriculum. For instance, there are career and networking events and there is awareness of mental wellbeing. In May, I went to a networking event at the university, where I have learned a lot. The keynote speaker told the audience to give itself a round of applause, just for having the courage to turn up at the event. She also said everyone has canceled an event some time because it was too far outside their comfort zone. Well, that remark could have been about me. She said that we should be proud of ourselves because we had taken this scary step to attend this event. That really resonated with me. Every step counts, no matter how small. I have also applied this lesson in other areas of my life: you don’t have to have everything under control, just try to be there.’ 

More self-confidence

Date of publication: 3 April 2024