Two RSM and ESE graduates, who became good friends while studying in Rotterdam, are now running a successful logistics, marketing, branding and distribution business exporting Dutch milk products to China.

Jan-Paul Vegt and Yonggao Liu (also known as Leo) are giving back to their university by establishing a scholarship for Chinese students who face financial challenges to study at EUR.

“As we wouldn’t be in business today, had we not met at RSM, we want to give other young people a helping hand to gain a degree at one of the best universities in Europe,” said Jan-Paul. We are also happy to mentor entrepreneurial students, if they wish. We are pleased that previous recipients of the scholarship are doing well in their careers and several have stayed in the Netherlands.”

Jan-Paul studied for a BSc in International Business Administration and a Masters’ in Finance and Investments, Leo has a Masters’ degree in Marketing at Erasmus School of Economics. The alumni cherish their close ties with RSM, especially as both met their wives at Erasmus University. Jan-Paul and his family continue to live in Rotterdam, within sight of the Erasmus Bridge. Leo heads the Chinese office with 100 staff in Yantai, his home town in the north-east of the country.

G&D was founded to provide mothers in China with high quality infant formula after a contamination scandal in 2008 prompted many families to look elsewhere for supplies. Jan-Paul signed up family farms in the Netherlands and the company arranged for their milk to be processed and shipped. Now the business supplies milk products such as whole milk, A2 milk, specializes milk powders and infant formula and cheese.

“Strictly speaking it’s not mathematically correct, but we proudly say on our website that we are both 100 per cent Dutch and 100 per cent Chinese, reflecting our strong links with both countries,” explained Jan-Paul. “High quality dairy products from the Netherlands are well-known and popular in Asia and we have now diversified into supplying whole milk and lactose-free milk as well as formula.”

The G&D Europe Scholarship offers €3,000 discount off a year’s tuition fees for a student from China who has a place on a bachelors or Masters course at RSM.

Student Wenjie Zhou is the latest young person from China to benefit from the G&D Europe Scholarship. She is studying MSc Accounting and Financial Management and is currently an intern at Danone in Zoetermeer, South Holland.

“The generous scholarship has eased my financial pressures, which helps me focus on my studies,” she said. “I’m learning about accounting standards and management accounting and we’ve had guest lectures by people from leading accountancy companies and Unilever. RSM is a very reputable business school and organises careers events with companies which will enable us to get good jobs.

“Although I’m working very hard, study is not all about school. The experience of living in a different country is invaluable and I’m enjoying visiting different cities in the Netherlands with my friends. I’m also a student ambassador helping other young people to get to know RSM.”

Learn more about the G&D scholarship

Do you want to support the next generation of RSM students? You can give to one of RSM’s programmes, supporting students from around the world and the Netherlands. Learn more about giving back.