Meet the Team

Our Dutch Studies community consists of undergraduate and postgraduate students, Language Coaches, Taalunie Teaching Assistant and our academic staff.

6 people lined up smiling in front of glass doors on which languages is written
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Get to know our Dutch Studies academic staff and find out how you can get in touch with them. If you are an Erasmus student from the Netherlands or Flanders, check out our Taalunie Language assistants' opportunities and get in touch.

Dr Filip De Ceuster
Filip De Ceuster in what looks to be an underground cave

What’s your name?
Filip De Ceuster, but you can call me Filip or Fip.

What’s your role within Dutch Studies at Sheffield?
I teach Low Countries History and Culture, and Dutch Language across all levels. I am specialised in Interwar Literature, but I also teach a module on ecocriticism in contemporary Dutch and Flemish children’s literature.

Favourite spot in Sheffield?
Definitely my colleague Yeti’s lovely garden, where at the end of the academic year all students of Dutch gather for the Gezellige Nederlandse Zomerborrel! Bunting, bubbles, bites and bulbs! 

Favourite spot in the Low Countries?
That’s a difficult one...
Outside: the quays of the river Scheldt (Schelde) in the city of Antwerp. Watching the ships and seagulls on long summer evenings, cracked cobbles with dandelions… It was one of my favourite reading spots when I was a student.
Inside: the magnificent Printing Museum of Plantin-Moretus (also in Antwerp), which has a unique book collection and the oldest printing presses in the world!

Favourite word or expression in Dutch?
So many! But here’s a good one: “Als de vos de passie preekt, boer, let op uw kippen!”. Literally: if the fox preaches the passion, farmer, watch your chickens! 

A tip for incoming SLC students?
Get out of your comfort zone, try new things and keep a journal. (I do realise that that is more than one tip.) And take up Dutch! (that’s four now). 

Check Filip's Academic Profile

Dr Henriette Louwerse
Henriette Louwerse

What’s your name?
Henriette Louwerse. In Dutch, Henriette is shortened to Jet, which you pronounce as /yet/. That is why I am also called Yeti (Jet in Dutch)

What’s your role within Dutch Studies at Sheffield?
I am the Director of Studies and I teach Dutch for Beginners and one semester of our Dutch Advanced course. I also offer a course on (post)colonial history and society and on the representation and ideology of the family in Dutch and Flemish literature and film. And finally I am interested in translation. 

Favourite spot in Sheffield?
I have many favourite spots, I like Tamper Coffee because it serves such a mean flat white. I like Weston Park because it is so green and timeless, but my top spot is the Western Bank Library. Go in, smell the books and you’ll  feel learned! Or at least inspired to read and study. And the staff are very helpful. 

Favourite spot in the Low Countries?
I will go for anywhere in Friesland; I love the northern provinces a lot but it is where I grew up. I am also very fond of the beaches in Zeeland. And Groningen is my favourite city.

Favourite word or expression in Dutch?
I love the ‘oe’ sound in Dutch which is close to English ‘oo’ but a little bit shorter. The word smoesje is one of my favourite words because it is sweet and short and (quite) harmless and it means excuse, little white lie. 

A tip for incoming SLC students?
Give as much as you take; engage from the start; and if you are unsure about something, just get in touch. We are here for you.

Check Henriette's Academic Profile

Lisa Meijer
young woman with long red hair looking into the camera against a leafy backdrop

What’s your name and where are you from?
Hi! My name is Lisa and I am from Deventer, a city in Overijssel, the Netherlands.

What’s your role within Dutch Studies at Sheffield?
I will be a language assistant, which means that I will help students improve their Dutch proficiency by talking with them about a variety of topics.

Favourite spot in the Low Countries?
I love sitting at the river with my friends, which in Deventer means the IJssel and in Nijmegen, the city in which I study, the river the Waal. I do also like to be in the bustling city center, I like seeing all kinds of people.  

Favourite word or expression in Dutch?
“Helaas Pindakaas!”, which you say when there is nothing you can do about the situation at hand.  

What’s currently your favourite Dutch song?
“Hij is van Mij” by Kriss Kross Amsterdam, Maan, Tabitha and Bizzey, or “De Leven” the version by S10.

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Lisa
Mika Wezemer
Young person sat on rocks with a long bridge in the background

What’s your name and where are you from?
Hello I’m Mika. I’m a visiting student from the eastern part of the Netherlands

What’s your role within Dutch Studies at Sheffield?
My role within Dutch Studies will be to support Henriette and Filip to teach Dutch to students at the University of Sheffield.

Favourite spot in the Low Countries?
My favourite spot in the Low Countries would be Giethoorn. It’s a quaint little town where you can make the most peaceful boat trips on the little waterways that run through it. The place is popular with tourists yet everyone enjoys the calm and quiet.

Favourite word or expression in Dutch?
I think my favourite word in Dutch would be ‘beunhaas’. I associate the word with people who are working on something in a clumsy manner. But that is not the main reason why I like it: the word feels unique and refreshingly different from the rest of my Dutch vocabulary.

What’s currently your favourite Dutch song?
That is a difficult question because I don’t really listen to a lot of Dutch songs. If I have to choose I think I will go for Oceaan by Racoon. There is something about that song; when I listen to it, it feels like I could drown in it.

John Cairns
Student showing magazine with big smile

What’s your name and where are you from?
Hi! I’m John and I’m from Leeds, in the north of England about one hour away from Sheffield.

What’s your role within Dutch Studies at Sheffield?
I’m an MA Translation Studies student working with Dutch and German, and I’ll be helping to run the conversation classes this semester for Dutch alongside Mika and Lisa!

Favourite spot in the Low Countries?
My favourite spot is a little cafe in the centre of Tilburg where I spent my Year Abroad! It's a great place to read a book or do some work! They also do an AMAZING oat latte!

Favourite word or expression in Dutch?
I love the phrase 'ophoepelen' - literally it means 'to hula hoop up' but it's a way of telling someone to go away, like 'beat it!' or 'get lost!'. It's not very cheery but the mental image of someone hula hooping away makes me chuckle!

What’s currently your favourite Dutch song?
My current favourite song is 'Erop of eronder' by Pommelien Thijs, a Belgian artist - it's a great song for hyping yourself up in the morning!

Lottie Armett
smiling young woman on an Amsterdam bridge in a sunny day

What’s your name?
Charlotte Armett, but everyone calls me Lottie!

What’s your role within Dutch Studies at Sheffield?
I’m in my final year of Dutch and German and this year, I will also be an Events Coordinator for 75 Years of Dutch Studies. With it being the 75th anniversary of Dutch at Sheffield, there will be lots of exciting events taking place that I can’t wait to help organise!

Favourite spot in Sheffield?
It has to be Bole Hills! Such beautiful views and stunning at sunrise and sunset. But if we’re talking food, there’s a gezellig little cafe on Campo Lane called Tigs that I really like. They do amazing vegan food- their French toast is a must-try!

Favourite spot in the Low Countries?
So many! My friend Caroline’s flat in Amsterdam’s Rivierenbuurt, where I spent many evenings of my Year Abroad watching cringey Dutch films. Egelantiersgracht and Beatrixpark were my absolute favourite reading spots. And I love the corner where Reguliersgracht and Prinsengracht meet- such beautiful houses and there’s often a little flea market if you’re there at the right time! Haarlem is also such a gorgeous city.

Favourite word or expression in Dutch?
I like the phrase, ‘Ben je van suiker?' Not one I’ve managed to use myself, but I heard someone say it once on my Year Abroad and it made me giggle. It literally means, ‘Are you made of sugar?’ but it’s used if someone is making a fuss about going out in the rain; as if they are sugar and are going to ‘melt’ when they come into contact with the water. I like how it highlights that the Dutch aren’t ones to let a bit of rain ruin their plans!

What’s currently your favourite Dutch song?
Not necessarily my favourite, but I heard a new song called ‘Koekje met je Moeder’ by Kalvijn en Guy playing in Albert Heijn at the end of my Year Abroad and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since! I would say, give it a listen, but I don’t want to be responsible for giving you a slightly irritating ear-worm!!


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