This post was imported from my blog. Background: In the Netherlands, it is customary to include ‘propositions’, essentially opinionated statements defended alongside one’s doctoral work. In this post series, I am outlining the arguments supporting my propositions. Proposition #9: European countries must position themselves as attractive destinations for international immigration. Hot take? Maybe. Immigration has been in the news as a political scapegoat, blamed for anything from inflation to ...

Originally posted as https://www.martinholub.com/2023/12/17/FiveCzechBooks.html Lately, I have been asked about some Czech book recommendations which made me think what to recommend to people interested in the Czech history, culture and mentality. “Luckily” the Czech history is rich with drama and oppression, which gave breeding ground to great storytelling. Unluckily, much of it has not been translated to English. Necessary then, when recommending books to foreigners, I have to limit the ...

Hi everybody, I am writing this on the last day of 2024. Somewhat symbolically - this will be my first post on this platform (I will post a bunch of older ones retroactively). I hope y’all had a good 2024. Well, I didn’t. It was what felt like the hardest and longest year so far. But, as already Ralph Waldo Emerson put it: “Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.”So, I am using this year as an opportunity to learn and sharing my journey. Here are ...