Hi, I’m Wesley de Vries from the Netherlands, and since I was young I have had a great passion for complex global systems such as airport operations. This led me to study industrial engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology, a program that provided me with a technical skill set to analyze and optimize complex systems.

For my master’s program, I am currently pursuing a degree in operations management and logistics, which focuses on optimizing operational processes through programming simulations, analyzing stakeholder data and leveraging new technical innovations such as AI. My studies are quite technical—so why did I choose the Berkeley Haas Global Access Program (BHGAP)?

It all started during my bachelor’s program. During my first years at university, I often attended conferences on various topics such as AI, international security and new innovations. Furthermore, I completed my bachelor thesis at the Royal Schiphol Group, one of Europe’s busiest airports. While interacting with many people, I soon realized that many problems arise from nontechnical inefficiencies such as not understanding different perspectives, miscommunication (also on the global stage), unclear expectations and the inability to effectively collaborate across diverse teams, which often leads to misunderstandings, delays and missed opportunities for innovation and problem-solving.

To become a true global problem-solver, it’s essential to master intercultural dynamics, refine strategic thinking skills and have strong interpersonal abilities. Hence, I embarked on finding a program that allowed me to develop these crucial nontechnical skills.

BHGAP is unique in its kind, as it allows international students to study one or two semesters at UC Berkeley, taking core courses from the renowned business school while allowing the flexibility of choosing other courses from any other department that you are interested in. For me, the choice to do BHGAP was quickly made. The core courses, such as Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, provided me with strategic opportunities to strengthen my interpersonal skills. Furthermore, Berkeley is renowned globally for its problem-solving attitude, being the university with the highest number of startup founders (1,642 companies founded and counting). Its location in the San Francisco Bay Area, close to Silicon Valley—one of the most innovative places in the world—really drew me in.

BHGAP was a great way to enhance my strategic thinking while immersing myself in tech and problem-solving in the Bay Area. Key highlights of my time abroad included the courses at UC Berkeley, speaker sessions, company visits, volunteering at conferences and exploring the U.S.

Let’s recap my experiences together!

Courses From Renowned Departments and Interesting Professors!

In addition to the negotiation class, I also took Opportunity Recognition, FinTech and Thriving at Haas and Beyond. For one of my electives, I took Special Topics in Public Policy (PUB POL 290) from the Goldman School of Public Policy. Being able to choose courses from different departments was fantastic, as it provided the flexibility to build a program that targeted the skills that I wanted to develop.

The public policy elective provided a deep dive into U.S. elections and political writing. For my class graduation project, I wrote a paper on disinformation strategies in Dutch elections and proposed policies that could be implemented to counter this. It was fascinating to connect U.S. and Dutch politics and see the differences and similarities between them.

Throughout all my BHGAP classes, what stood out was the consistent connection between course content and real-world business situations. The professors are not only highly knowledgeable and well-connected within their fields, but also passionate about their subjects, which made the classes always super interesting!

Learning Inside the Classroom—and Beyond

One of my core memories from my time abroad is how dynamic the UC Berkeley community is. Any day of the week, you can find an interesting event—from student-organized conferences to venture capital recruiting companies hosting startup pitching evenings. The BHGAP community and program play a significant role in contributing to this vibrant atmosphere.

The BHGAP cohort is selected because of their diverse backgrounds, which was clearly noticeable in class. With peers from Asia to the Americas, our conversations were always highly engaging, provided new perspectives and allowed me to build a truly global network of friends.

Participating in the BHGAP extracurricular program—featuring speaker series, company visits and cohort social events—further allowed me to gain a broad network. One highlight was a visit to Tata Steel Industrial Consulting, where we had an engaging discussion about the company and its approach to data-driven consulting. Everywhere we went, people welcomed us warmly, engaged in meaningful conversations, and often offered to help us, such as by reviewing our résumés.

The Bay Area—Innovation, Sunny Skies and Endless Opportunities

Ever heard of the Golden State? California’s nickname is well deserved! With an average of 256 sunny days per year in Berkeley, it’s a great climate to explore and enjoy outdoor activities.

During my time at UC Berkeley, I traveled every weekend and had some incredible trips. I highly recommend Lassen Volcanic National Park, a lesser-known destination but worth a visit due to its unique volcanic activity. Other memorable trips included Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even Hawaii (!!) at the end of my semester! Exploring these places with friends from around the world was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

San Francisco became our usual go-to place; it’s just a short trip across the Bay! With countless cool restaurants, cafés and sightseeing opportunities, this city is truly unique, and we spent many long days and nights there. BHGAP also organized several events in the city, allowing us to get to know San Francisco even better!

In addition to fun trips, the Bay Area is also known for its innovations, hosting many prestigious conferences throughout the year. The UC Berkeley environment greatly connects with businesses and organizations. Thanks to this dynamic atmosphere, I had the opportunity to volunteer during the APEC 2023 conference, where President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met.

My advice to any future student is to dive into the entire ecosystem of Berkeley and San Francisco. Don’t just focus on academics—explore the endless opportunities the university and the Bay Area have to offer. You’ll learn a lot, have a lot of fun and grow immensely as a person.

Since BHGAP and Future Plans

During my BHGAP semester, I learned a lot and gained tangible skills. I’m currently taking a half-year gap year, doing an internship in the Netherlands at Tesla Inc. in the EMEA Infrastructure Construction Purchasing team. Within the team, we negotiate with contractors to build future Tesla service centers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Being able to apply the negotiation skills I learned through BHGAP in real life is super-cool!

Five years from now, I see myself working in an international organization, tackling global inefficiencies and collaborating with diverse stakeholders to build resilient global value chains. I aspire to make a difference in strategic thinking and problem-solving, understanding various perspectives and uniting people worldwide to create stronger systems.

During my time at BHGAP, I not only gained knowledge but also grew significantly as a person. It helped me discover my passions and build lasting relationships with amazing people. I highly recommend the program—whatever your background, BHGAP will offer you a unique experience