Sarita Koendjbiharie: ‘Through the dogs, I learned a lot about leadership’
University lecturer in Management & Organisation Sarita Koendjbiharie is a welcome lecturer on The Hague campus, and not only because she takes a genuine interest in her students. In fact, Koendjbiharie brings her dog Coco to campus whenever she can.
Bringing a dog to campus, how did you come up with that idea?
'I adopted Coco in summer 2022, when his owner passed away, at a time when I was working from home a lot. Walking dogs was a way to stay active - and to break the monotony of working from home. A dog needs attention or exercise every 45 minutes or so. That's the perfect reminder to stretch and stretch, or walk the dog. When I went back to work on campus, I decided to bring Coco with me sometimes, to maintain that same work rhythm.'
What does a typical working day look like for you?
'I get up early to feed and walk Coco, then I go to campus to work. On the days I teach, Coco stays at home, but if not, he comes with me. Dogs are unfortunately not allowed into the building, so then I regularly work on the steps of Schouwburgstraat among the students, while Coco lies with me. In the afternoon, I go home to walk Coco and neighbourhood dogs, after which I return to campus for the rest of the working day.'
What effect has Coco had on your work?
'Walking Coco and the other five dogs turns out to be a good counterpart to the work I do at the university. There, I am on an intellectual level. Walking dogs is something completely different - I enter a totally different world. By this I mean not only nature, but through the dogs I have met people I would not meet in university circles. So I have learnt things that I haven't been able to learn anywhere else.'
What have the dogs taught you?
'When I walk Coco and the other dogs, I imagine myself in their world, the world of instinct. Which is simple and very straightforward. The dogs are very pure and live in the moment. That brings a lot of energy. You can only control such a pack of dogs if you control yourself. As long as you manage to keep calm and remain calm, the pack will remain harmonious. These are the same principles you need to apply when leading a meeting, for example. The dogs have made me better at that.'
What is your favourite spot in The Hague?
'When I walk Coco and the other dogs, I imagine myself in their world, the world of instinct. Which is simple and very straightforward. The dogs are very pure and live in the moment. That brings a lot of energy. You can only control such a pack of dogs if you control yourself. As long as you manage to keep calm and remain calm, the pack will remain harmonious. These are the same principles you need to apply when leading a meeting, for example. The dogs have made me better at that.'