Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Two placements in the Dutch foreign service, researching innovation, mobility and urban design at the consulate in Istanbul and the embassy in Tokyo.
Two placements in the Dutch foreign service in 2018. Istanbul came first. There I mapped Turkey’s green and smart mobility sector, identified the people and organisations that mattered and wrote the opportunity analysis for Dutch organisations looking to enter sustainable transport. I also wrote policy reports on Turkish science and technology and coordinated visiting delegations.
Tokyo followed in the autumn. I split my time between the embassy and Shibaura House, a public architecture and civic space in Minato. I researched the impact of design interventions in public space and compared how design thinking travels between Japanese and Dutch cities. The placement ended with a featured talk on inclusive design at FORUM DESIGN KYOTO.