The stinging cold of the northern Netherlands is largely compensated for by the warmth of the communities that live there, says Vineeth Maniyara, engineer at Ocean Grazer.
Speaking to Made it in the North, Ir. Vineeth Maniyara, a series spotlighting internationals working in the region, described a smooth transition to working life in the Netherlands.
“I am from Kerala, South West India. As part of the Erasmus Mundus programme, I studied in Berlin and then in Delft. Then I took part in the Ocean Glaser in Groningen, so I went back and forth to Holland,” Manyara said.
Life in Ocean Glazer and Groningen
Ocean Glazer is a Dutch company that develops hybrid solutions for the offshore renewable energy sector. Maniyara joined Ocean Grazer in July 2022 as a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Engineer. He combines his knowledge of mechanical engineering, physics, and computational science to ensure other engineers are in line with the company’s performance and safety requirements. He is also responsible for the fluid dynamics systems behind the company’s innovative systems. marine batterya system that can store surplus energy from wind farms.
Asked what it was like to experience the Dutch work culture, Manyara says it’s not all that different from what he’s experienced before.
“But Groningen is special in a way. Vineeth: You can also be seen as a person, and I think the North Korean mindset is to see you not just as a resume, but as a person,” says Vineeth.
He also found that life in Groningen was similar to life in other parts of the Netherlands. Except at a traffic light intersection where all the cyclists turn green at the same time he jokes.
Although he is currently learning Dutch, Vineeth had no problems communicating when he started working in the scientific field.
“Language is not essential but helpful if you want to connect, get to know the people around you, and immerse yourself in the culture and conversation,” Vineeth adds.
Do you have any advice for international engineers interested in the North of the Netherlands?
“Look for the role you want to apply for. Everyone has skills to contribute and everything we do has tasks that need to be completed in order for human life to move forward. Find what you love to do, pursue it, and enjoy it,” recommends Vineeth.
He says Groningen has room for engineers and people from different scientific backgrounds, project managers and administrators.
Video by Julia Dumchenko and Daindra Utami.
Interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.This article is make in the north‘s Personal Spotlight series focuses on internationals working in the North.
https://northerntimes.nl/the-cold-of-the-north-is-compensated-by-the-warmth-of-its-people-ocean-grazer-engineer/ Northern cold made up for by people’s warmth – Ocean Glazer engineer – Northern Times