photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: carmen zomers
rashmi kusurkar
professor and research programme leader at amsterdam umc
about
i am currently professor at amsterdam umc. i am trained as a doctor in india and have specialized in physiology. i moved to amsterdam in 2008 for family reasons. when i came to amsterdam i did not know a soul. i have built my career in the netherlands from ground up. the path to a professorship has been a journey of discovering that i was not willing to give up my indian roots to be successful. with my integrated indian and dutch identity i can make a bigger difference in my work than as someone who assimilated completely into the dutch culture.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
in our research on diversity and inclusion in health professions education, we have found that students from an ethnic minority background miss role models who look like them and they can identify with. when i give keynotes or presentations to diverse audiences i see hope and wonder in these students’ eyes. they are probably thinking, ‘if she can do it, so can i’. thus, i believe we need visible role models for inspiration of the new generation.
amsterdam umc
how different our paths to success may be, we are never alone in walking them. we know that for some the paths are easier than for others and that’s why role models are so important. with diverse and real role models being visualized, they can serve as trailblazers for the next generation and show them that they have more opportunities than they have ever imagined. and hopefully it allows them to dream even bigger.
by participating in this campaign and visualizing inspiring women and their achievements, amsterdam umc wishes to contribute to paving paths. we believe that we are stronger together and want to emphasize that you can be successful, regardless of who you are, your skin color or your background while holding on to your cultural roots and feminine characteristics.