drs. G.J.M. (Geramé) Wouters

Already during my studies in Slavonic Languages and Literatures at Leiden University with a major in Russian, I started working at the Leiden University Library, first at the lending desk, later as a reading room assistant. For my thesis I received a grant to do research in Belgrade for six months. After graduation, I continued my research - in addition to my work in the Leiden University Library. In the months immediately following the fall of the Soviet Union, I spent almost four months in St. Petersburg and Moscow. However, I shifted my focus when, in 1993, I landed my dream job as a subject librarian in Slavonic Languages and Cultures at the Groningen University Library. In the year 2002, I spent my educational leave as a trainee in the library of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) in London and worked in the library of Churchill College Cambridge, the college where I also lived with my family. After an award-winning project about video in education (ZOEP) at the University Center for Education Groningen (UOCG), I decided to leave the University Library and look for new challenges. At the time, I had worked in libraries for almost 30 years. I took a postgraduate course in teaching Dutch as a second language and obtained a teaching qualification. Since 2013, I enjoy working at the Language Centre of the University of Groningen. I teach courses Dutch as a second language at all levels, also to highly educated civic integration students and I am a certified ONA trainer (Orientation Dutch Labour Market). It is a great pleasure to work with international students. Because of my own experiences abroad, I can sympathize with what they experience.

After leaving the University Library, I kept my interest in Slavonic Studies alive: I became involved in the Association of Teachers of Living Languages, Levende Talen. As chairman of the Russian section, I am a member of the Main Board of Levende Talen. Within the Section I am responsible for continuing education, PR and for the website. I am editor for Russian of Levende Talen Magazine (LTM) and I also enjoy writing contributions of my own from time to time.