UT alumnus Peter Riezebos (38) is an artist, writer and multidisciplinary scientist who currently lives in China. Despite the large distance to Twente, he still feels connected to the University. With his Named Fund, he wants to help students study in a way that suits them best.
By Marieke Vroom
Right before our call, Peter Riezebos sends a picture of his view of Shanghai’s imposing skyline. “I am ready,” the caption reads. He had planned to work out with his personal trainer, but he has rescheduled that appointment. The artist’s agenda is packed. His work is popular all over the world and he hops from plane to plane – from China to America to the Netherlands and back – to attend expositions, book presentations, auctions and painting sessions. In between, he finds the time to work on his doctoral research. “I need that pressure, otherwise I get bored easily.”
Catching up
The alumnus did not have an easy start in life. He did not fit within the traditional school system and was classified as an “unruly” student. Teachers had no idea what to do with him. He spent a lot of time in detention, failed his intermediate general secondary education and was expelled from his senior secondary vocational education programme twice. A serious depression resulted in a clinical admission for a period of a year. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s and ADHD, among other things. “With the help of doctors and psychiatrists, I found out that there was a lot going on in my head, but that it also held a lot of potential.” Love brought Riezebos to the UT. His wife Lindy lived in Haaksbergen at the time and studied Commercial Economics at Saxion. “She stimulated me to resume my education.” Between 2006 and 2014, he studied Psychology and Communication Studies, took two minors and a premaster’s in Philosophy, completed the honours programme for excellent students and enrolled in a higher education Business Administration programme in the evenings. “Call it catching up or a need to prove myself. When you move from a negative to a positive situation and you suddenly find out that you can do a lot more than you thought possible, you seize every opportunity you can get,” he says when asked about his choice to enrol in multiple programmes at the same time. “On top of that, I am interested in a great many things. When I found out what works for me and where my talents lie, I also discovered that I love understanding the world and connecting different aspects from a multidisciplinary perspective – as long as things happen by my rules and meet my conditions.”
Support and flexibility
The University of Twente gave him the room he needed. Riezebos did not attend many lectures. Instead, he worked on extracurricular projects, collaborated on publications and presented his research at conferences abroad. “I have trouble sitting still and listening. A two-hour lecture tired me out as if it were eight hours long. However, if you gave me a project that allowed me to do my own research, I would do eight hours’ worth of work in two hours’ time.” He found the joy in life during his time as a student, the alumnus says. “I met people who supported me and were very flexible. That allowed me to flourish.” It also motivated his decision to give back. “The University has done so much for me. My time at the UT was a major factor in making me who I am today. I cannot simply forget about that.”
With the Peter Riezebos Fund, he wants to support students with learning difficulties. “I know from personal experience how challenging life can be when you are dealing with mental obstacles.” A student who has trouble functioning in a lecture hall or as part of a study group can apply for a scholarship to create a study area at home. The fund is also available for ambitious students who want to take on extracurricular activities. “I learned a whole lot from the international conferences I attended during my studies. That takes money, though. I often struggled to scrape together enough cash to pay for my ticket. It is important to me that there are funds available for that. If it gives someone the opportunity to learn and have fun, I am happy to contribute.”
In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the Twente University Fund, artist and UT alumnus Peter Riezebos displayed his work at the UT. Throughout the month, a selection of his art was presented in the exposition space of the Vrijhof building. Riezebos has achieved international success with his work. Art enthusiasts line up to attend his expositions and auctions. This year alone, he had shows in Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles and Shanghai. The artist still has close ties with the UT. He has set up a Named Fund to offer motivated students – with or without learning difficulties – financial support for their special educational needs or extracurricular activities. During the opening of his exposition at the UT, the alumnus and his wife donated 15,000 euros to the Peter Riezebos Fund.
This article originally appeared in the UT Alumni Magazine Summer 2018 issue.
