Jocelyn Ballantyne

Introduction

In this publication you will find papers and reflections that were written by the ten participants in the UAUCU undergraduate research exchange project 2015, a project that offers students from University College Utrecht (UCU) and the University of Aruba (UA) the opportunity to conduct research in a multidisciplinary international student team. All students, 5 from each university, have submitted papers that reflect the diversity of approaches that the students have followed.

On the following pages you will find papers on linguistics, economic development, communication, nature conservation, renewable energy, law, cultural identity and the influence of tourism. While reading you will notice that the research was in different stages of completion at the time of publication of this book: for some of the participants, the field research is completed but data still need to be interpreted, for some the field research still has to start, and for some, the research and analysis have been completed. Based upon this fieldwork the student will write their bachelor’s or master’s thesis. The research interests of the students are diverse but show a common interest in sustainable development and it is clear from the final products that the collaboration in the multidisciplinary team has influenced their approach to their research topics.

Every student has written a reflection on his or her experiences during the project that you will find in this book. It is an interesting experience to read the reflections of the participants and to see how strong the collaboration and support has been among the students. These reflections tell you more about the core of this project: it is not only about doing research and about making student research meaningful; it is also about the realization that we can achieve more if we approach problems from several perspectives at the same time, and work together in teams that are multidisciplinary and as such complementary.

Looking back at this first year of the project, one realizes how many people have been involved. It is impossible to name everybody; many people are crucial to the success of a project like this. For everybody who has been part of this project as (guest) lecturer, supervisor, manager, initiator, facilitator, student, interviewee, respondent, guide, coach, or mentor: thank you very much for your support!

Eric Mijts & Jocelyn Ballantyne Project coordinators UAUCU

Florianne Sollie - UCU

Language and education in a multilingual society: Text comprehension and language attitudes among Aruban high school students.

Sil Boedi Scholte - UCU

Who Plays What Role to Take the Stage? The Governance of Staging Authenticity and Commodification of Cultural Heritage in Aruba.

Kimberly van Loon - UA

Perceptions of internal communication, as told by employees within the health care sector.

Geneida Geerman - UA

Internal communication of sustainable development within hotel sector.

Sharon Meijer - UA

Sustainable practices of Aruban SMEs and their influence on the economy.

Petra Zaal - UCU

Reduction of energy consumption at Aruban hotels.

Francis Malca - UA

Legal perspectives on Solid waste management in Aruba.

Rikkert Loosveld - UCU

Does the Parkietenbos landfill have boundaries? A waste and ph-gradient assessment of Parkietenbos.

Tobia de Scisciolo - UCU

The Assessment of Aruba’s Shoreline Pollution: A Comparison between the South and the North coast.

Giovanni Jacobs - UA

Mapping Aruba’s policy on beach care.

Introduction to the second edition of the UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers

In this publication you will find papers and reflections that were written by thirteen participants in the UAUCU student research exchange project 2016, a project that offers students from University College Utrecht (UCU), University Utrecht (UU) and the University of Aruba (UA) the opportunity to conduct research in a multidisciplinary international student team. All students have submitted papers that reflect the diversity of approaches that the students have followed. The 2015 edition of this program has proven to be successful: three papers have led to international publications and two papers have resulted in thesis that received awards. We wish the same for the participants in the 2016 edition.

On the following pages you will find papers on language and culture, health care development, international relations and diplomacy, labor and productivity, organizational transitions and sustainability. While reading you will notice that the research was in different stages of completion at the time of publication of this book: for some of the participants, the field research is completed but data still need to be interpreted, for some the field research still has to start, and for some, the research and analysis have been completed. Some students are still struggling with the interpretation and presentation of their findings. Based upon this fieldwork the student will write their bachelor’s or master’s thesis. The research interests of the students are diverse but show a common interest in sustainable development and it is clear from the final products that the collaboration in the multidisciplinary team has influenced their approach to their research topics.

Every student has written a reflection on his or her experiences during the project that you will find in this book. It is an interesting experience to read the reflections of the participants and to see how strong the collaboration and support has been among the students. These reflections tell you more about the core of this project: it is not only about doing research and about making student research meaningful; it is also about the realization that we can achieve more if we approach problems from several perspectives at the same time, and work together in teams that are multidisciplinary and as such complementary.

The papers in this volume are the product of peer to peer learning: the students in the research team have provided each other with feedback on content, method, style, language and structure. The papers have been published as they were submitted by the students; including the odd spelling mistake, grammatical error, raw opinion or hasty generalization.

Looking back at this second year of the project, one realizes how many people have been involved. It is impossible to name everybody; many people are crucial to the success of a project like this. For everybody who has been part of this project as (guest) lecturer, supervisor, manager, initiator, facilitator, student, interviewee, respondent, guide, coach or mentor: thank you very much for your support!

Eric Mijts & Jocelyn Ballantyne, Project coordinators UAUCU

Language and Culture

Anne Maamke Boonstra - UCU

The Performance of Gender & Sexuality During Carnival on Aruba

Maja Vasić - UU

The preferred language of instruction in the higher education in Aruba: attitudinal, situational and motivational aspects

Fardau Bamberger - UU

The role of English in Aruba’s linguistic landscape

Health and Care Development

Felishah Ponson - UA

The emotional impact on people with disabilities striving to be independent in Aruba

Dahariana Evertsz - UA

A situational Analysis of the relevant welfare services and social security programs for the older population of Aruba: implications for policy

Nurianne Dhalía Arias - UA

Diabetes Management in a Changing Society

International Relations and Diplomacy

Ghislaine Nicolaas - UA

Economic Diplomacy in Sub-National Island Jurisdiction

Labor and Productivity

Giancarla Lobbrecht - UA

Absenteeism in the Public Sector

Gianira Maduro - UA

Satisfaction of the ‘Bezoldigingsregeling Ambtenaren’

Organizational Transitions and Sustainability

Mirjam Snitjer - UU

“The Sexiness of Sustainability” Perspectives Towards Sustainability of Aruban Citizens

Anniek van Wezel - UU

The utility and waste management sector in the 2020 vision of Aruba

Lizanne Takke - UU

Aruba’s sustainable transition: leadership used in an organizational transition towards sustainability from a management perspective

Jochem Pennekamp - UA

Does the Model Fit the Format? A Re-contextualization of the Triple Helix Model(s) in a Small Island Setting

Introduction to the third edition of the UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers

This volume presents academic papers and personal reflections written by the twelve participants of the UAUCU student research exchange project 2017. The texts in this volume reflect a wide diversity of academic disciplines and approaches, as well as the wide diversity in cultural background of this year’s participant cohort. The program, which offers students from the University of Aruba (UA), University College Utrecht (UCU) and University Utrecht (UU) the opportunity to conduct research in a multidisciplinary international student team, has already proven to be a successful formula: work presented in the 2015 and 2016 volumes led to international publications, and several program alumni received thesis awards. We anticipate similar achievements for contributors to the 2017 edition.

The academic works included here treat culture, language, psychology, policy, law, environmental sciences and sustainability. The scope of the research ranges from pilot projects, to theoretical explorations verified with respondent data, to in depth sociocultural and psychological studies that explore fundamental issues confronting society. The diverse papers show a common interest in sustainable societies, reflecting a strong sense of community awareness, and providing research findings that are meaningful for Aruban society. The papers further demonstrate how the student researchers’ collaboration in a multidisciplinary team has influenced their approach to their topics. The papers here are products of peer-to-peer learning: the program participants provided each other with feedback on content, method, style, language and structure. In general, the papers appear here as they were submitted by the student-researchers -- including the odd spelling mistake, grammatical error, raw opinion or hasty generalization. Some of the student-researchers are still working on the interpretation and presentation of their findings, and will later finalize project papers, or bachelor or master theses, based on results of fieldwork presented.

Our 2017 multidisciplinary team is also remarkably multicultural: it includes students with personal connections not only to Aruba, but to Belgium, Colombia, Curaçao, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Myanmar, Russia, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Venezuela. The cultural and ethnic diversity of the group has contributed to an extraordinarily rich social environment for this year’s participants. All of them have written individual pieces reflecting on their personal experiences. These reflective texts show how strong the collaboration and mutual support within this diverse group has been. The texts reveal much about the core of this project: it is not only about doing meaningful research as a student; it is also about the realization that we can achieve more in the world when we approach problems from several perspectives at the same time, and when we work together by building on each other’s complementary strengths. Here, too, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

This third year of the project has involved many people crucial to its success – it is impossible to name them all. But to all who have been part of this project as (guest) lecturer, supervisor, manager, initiator, facilitator, student, interviewee, respondent, guide, coach or mentor: thank you very much for your contribution to this greater whole.

Eric Mijts & Jocelyn Ballantyne Project coordinators UAUCU

Culture, language, media and psychology

Louisa Maxwell

Calypso and cultural commodification in Aruba

Yun Lee

A correlation between cultural identity and juvenile delinquency in Aruba

Tanya Kirchner 

Understanding the roots of parasuicide among the adolescence in Aruba: associated risks and protective factors

Melany Llocclla

Volunteerism: an approach to encouraging more volunteering in Aruba

Zita Ngizwenayo

Adolescent perceptions on language and professional communication

Rachel Tromp

Social media use on Aruba in the business perspective

Policy, law, environmental sciences and sustainability

Rotem Zilber

Assessment of endemic fauna in key biodiversity areas

Larisa Leeuwe

Environmental law: national and international perspectives

Ben Bultrini

Community participation in solid waste management in Aruba

William Cruice

Entrepreneurial governance and sustainable development on Aruba: a cultural political economy approach

Rodolfo Rodriguez

The synergy between academia and industry: success factors towards a healthy partnership

Nayla Yarzagaray

The importance of tax compliance among SME’s in Aruba for business continuity

Introduction to the fourth edition of the UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers

This volume presents academic papers and personal reflections written by the participants of the UAUCU student research exchange project 2018. These texts reflect the diversity of academic disciplines and approaches, as well as the diversity in cultural background, of this year’s participants. The program, which offers students from the University of Aruba (UA) and University College Utrecht (UCU) the opportunity to conduct research in a multidisciplinary international student team, has already proven a successful formula: work presented in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 volumes led to international publications, and thesis awards for several program alumni. We anticipate similar achievements for contributors to the 2018 edition.

During the introductory week in January 2018, the student group defined their guiding principles and goals for the project (see these below). These principles and goals illustrate the collective dedication of the participants to contributing to the project in ways that would be meaningful for others and for themselves personally.

The academic works included here treat topics like identity, culture, creativity, entrepreneurship, economics, human resources, policy, and environmental conservation. The nature of the research is equally far-ranging, including pilot projects, theoretical explorations verified with respondent data, in depth environmental studies, and sociocultural studies that explore fundamental issues confronting society. The diverse papers are linked by a common interest in sustainable societies, reflecting a strong sense of community awareness, and providing research findings that have meaning for Aruban society. The papers further demonstrate how the student researchers’ collaboration in a multidisciplinary team has influenced their approach to their work. The papers here are products of peer-topeer learning: the student authors provided each other with feedback on content, method, style, language and structure. In general, the papers appear as submitted by the authors -- including perhaps the odd raw opinion or hasty generalization. Some of the student-researchers are still working on the interpretation and presentation of their findings, and will later finalize project papers, or bachelor or master theses, based on results of fieldwork presented.

The participants have all also contributed personal pieces reflecting on their experiences. The cultural and ethnic diversity within the group contributed to an extraordinarily rich social environment, and their reflective texts show the strength of the collaboration and mutual support within this diverse group. The texts reveal much about the power of this project: it is about the realization that we can achieve more in the world when we take multiple perspectives in approaching problems, and when we work together to build on each other’s complementary strengths.

This fourth year of the project has involved many people crucial to its success, and as in previous years, it is impossible to name them all. A special thank you goes to Jenny Lozano-Cosme and Carlos Rodriguez-Iglesias, both of the University of Aruba, who took their time to proofread all the papers. But to all others who have taken part as (guest) lecturer, supervisor, manager, initiator, facilitator, student, interviewee, respondent, guide, coach or mentor: thank you very much for your contribution to powering this year’s project.

Eric Mijts & Jocelyn Ballantyne Project coordinators UAUCU

Daniel van Heusden - UCU

Aruba’s Sustainable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Drivers and Barriers for Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Xavier Boekhoudt - UA

Policy for energy system innovation: Multi-actor policy-making of the Aruba energy transition

Jay-Mar Gamarra - UA

Perceived economic impact of tourism

Luc Lips - UCU

Determinants of eco-innovation: The Aruban Case

Annemieke Drost - UCU

Coral Health and Citizen Science

Emmeline Long - UCU

The impacts of oil contamination on the mangrove ecosystems of Aruba

Fabian Timpen - UCU and Emma Beroske - UCU

The impact of illegal dumpsites on the environment

Stephanie Arango - UA

Improving the Recruitment Procedure at the Renaissance Resort & Casino

Nora Röders - UCU

Becoming Aruban?

Thais Franken - UA

Putting Culture and Creativity in the Heart of the Aruban Sustainable Development

Dirijini Piter - UA

A look into the strategies utilized by SMEs on Main Street during the Oranjestad redevelopment program

Introduction to the sixth edition of the UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers

This volume presents research reports and personal reflections written by the 2020 participants of the UAUCU student research exchange program. This program, now in its sixth year, is founded on the principle that education should challenge students to engage actively not only with the content of their studies, but with the world at large.

As in previous years, students from the University of Aruba (UA) and from University College Utrecht (UCU) of Utrecht University carried out empirical research in and about Aruba, and supported each other in that process. Like the students of cohorts before them, they defined their own guiding principles and goals for their participation in the project during the orientation period. These ideas reflect their hopes of working in ways that could be meaningful to others as well as to themselves.

As in previous years, the topics of the students’ research are wide-ranging, drawing on the diverse backgrounds of their study programs, and yet all related to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 agenda. The works included here deal with issues of culture, employment, equality, leadership, media, policy and the rights of the state and of its people. The type of research ranges from studies on governance to studies on anthropology, economy and sociology. We think that the papers also show how participation in a diverse team influenced the authors’ approach to their work. The students provided each other with feedback on approaches to their research, and on the content, style, language and structure of their papers. The papers appear for the most part as submitted by the authors, including the occasional raw opinion or as yet underdeveloped conclusion. Some of the contributions reflect completed studies, some of the contributions are preparatory explorations. Most of the student-researchers are still working on interpretation and presentation of their findings and will finalize these soon in bachelor theses based on the results of the projects presented here.

This year’s research cycle, though, was anything but typical: 2020 brought COVID19 to Aruba along with the rest of the world. The extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic created an extra set of challenges for the students participating, beyond the challenges usually faced by students in their first serious efforts in empirical research. As of mid March, Aruba went in lock down, and the participants from UCU had to leave Aruba by the end of that month. These challenges, and the rewards of meeting them, are reflected in the personal reflections that all the contributors to this volume have written as a preface to the summary of their own research.

As in previous years, a range of people have also made crucial contributions to the students’ success. We, and our students, appreciate the importance and power of their input to this project as a whole. Among those, we especially want to thank UA’s Carlos Rodriguez-Iglesias for his help in proofreading the papers in preparing them for publication here. And to the many others who have had roles as guides, lecturers, mentors, advisors, facilitators, respondents, interview participants, and engaged citizens, thank you! We hope that you are as excited about the work presented in this volume as we are.

Keti Kapanadze

Beyond Opinion Polls: Multiple Voices of (non)sovereignty from Aruban People

Jairzinho Croes

Leadership and Good Governance in Public Organizations in Aruba

Charlotte Mehlhart

The Ocean Paradox: Values Held by Resource Users in Aruba’s Fisheries

Mikayla Quijada

Treating education as a business

Michele Li

Adolescent Health Issues on Aruba: A Children’s Rights-Based Approach

Hannah Mayr

The Condition of ‘Illegality’: Deconstructing the ‘Illegalization’ of Undocumented Venezuelans on Aruba

Introduction to the seventh edition of the UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers

This volume includes research reports and personal reflections written by the 2022 participants of the UAUCU student research exchange program. This year’s studentresearchers are 17 students from the University of Aruba and Utrecht University, six from UA’s Sustainable Islands through STEM (SISSTEM) program and 11 from UU’s University College Utrecht. They have been working on research in and about Aruba, and supporting each other in that process. Their texts reflect the fundamental aims that the program has had since its inception in 2015: to challenge students to engage actively not only with the content of research, but with each other and the world at large. These challenges, and the rewards of meeting them, are reflected in the personal reflections that contributors to this volume have written as a preface to the summary of their own research.

As in previous editions, the topics of the students’ research are wide-ranging, drawing on the diverse backgrounds of their study programs, and yet all related to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 agenda. The works included here treat, for example, issues of sustainability in tourism and in transportation, coastal ecologies, public participation, food security & food sovereignty, science communication, biodiversity, vertical farming, circularity and waste. The type of research ranges from studies on governance to studies on technology and engineering, anthropology, geology and sociology. We think that the papers also show how participation in a diverse team influenced the authors’ approach to their work. The students provided each other with feedback on approaches to their research, and on the content, style, language and structure of their papers. The papers appear as submitted by the authors, including the occasional raw opinion or as yet underdeveloped conclusion. Some of the contributions reflect completed studies, others are preparatory explorations. Most of the student-researchers are still working on interpretation and presentation of their findings and will finalize these soon in bachelor theses based on the results of the projects presented here.

The 2022 program nevertheless differs from the earlier cycles. The student-researchers taking part find themselves on an island, and in a world, changed by the COVID19 pandemic. We program coordinators have also re-booted the research exchange in a new form, after a year of hiatus forced by lockdowns around the world. The students from Utrecht prepared in November and December for their participation in a renewed preparatory module (Community-engaged research in the Caribbean), and joined the UA students in a new bachelor course at SISSTEM (Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to sustainable development in small island states). Together in a classroom at UA, they defined their guiding principles and goals for their participation in the project. These ideas reflect their hopes of working in ways that could be meaningful to others as well as to themselves.

A range of people have also made crucial contributions to the students’ success, this year as in 2020 and earlier. We, and our students, appreciate the importance and power of their input to this project as a whole. We especially want to thank UA’s Carlos Rodriguez-Iglesias for his help in proofreading the papers in preparing them for publication here and for, together with Tobia de Scisciolo, fostering the collaboration between the UAUCU students and the Academic Foundation Year students in the Research Aruba Program. There are, in addition, many others who have had roles as guides, lecturers, mentors, advisors, facilitators, respondents, interview participants, and engaged citizens: thank you! We hope that you have anticipated work presented in this volume as eagerly as we.

Milena Stoilova

Sustainable tourism in Aruba: a myth or reality? A case study from the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort

Klara Röhrs

Remembering the Coast: Assessing the coastline and coastal changes on Aruba by using volunteered geographic information (VGI)

Carlotta M. Henning

Learning to play it by ear: Understanding barriers to public participation in urban planning on Aruba

Karlijn van der Loo

If the Ship Stops Sailing: How can food sovereignty in Aruba be protected in public policy and developed as a notion in international human rights law?

Lynn Smeets

Impacting the island’s future: an insight into the effect of perceived efficacy of young Arubans on their civic and political engagement in environmental action

Maro A. Savvides

Communicating the Geologic History of Aruba: Contextualizing Gold and Incorporating Human Activity as a Geologic Force

Joao Wendrich Teixeira

Winds of change in Aruba: a Push For The Return of higher Biodiversity

Tracy van der Biezen

How citizen science can contribute to Aruba’s SDG indicators: Creating a framework for meta-analysis

Endy Brooks

SIDS vertical farming: water- and energy assessment on Albion strawberry production in Aruba

Nigel de Cuba

The challenges of implementing circularity in the flow of waste tyres on Aruba

Alejandra Moreno

Food security perceived by Aruban households

Armand Kelly

Electrification of airside equipment at Aruba Airport Authority

Rachel Nel

Fostering community stewardship: The role of sense of place in participation in environmental initiatives

Sophia Klaußner

Water = Water, right? Comparing wetlands on the island of Aruba to determine influences of wastewater effluents on the water quality of a wetland area

Laura Mathieu

Breathing Unevenly: Community Response to Environmental Injustice. A case study of Aruba’s Landfill and the Parkietenbos community

Michel Frank

Citizen science, a tool to fill the plastic waste data gap in Aruba

Daniel Balutowski

Brown Tides: Assessing the Past, Present, & Future State of Sargassum in Aruba