Everything you want to know about Gunay Uslu
After the revelations from BOOS about the sexually inappropriate behavior at The Voice of Holland, there was a lot of uproar surrounding the statements made by broadcaster chief John de Mol. In a statement, he placed the responsibility on women, whereas it should have been on the men. State Secretary Gunay Uslu of Culture and Media spoke with him on Wednesday about the misconduct in the program. What do we need to know about the new state secretary?
Gunay Uslu (49) is a member of D66 and has been responsible for Culture and Media as state secretary since this month. She started as a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam after going through mavo, havo, a history teacher training program, a study in Dutch law, and a study in cultural sciences. Uslu also worked as director of development at Corendon, the company founded by her brother, as well as a curator and conservator at the Rijksmuseum. Uslu often appears in a council or as an advisor to museums. Her love for culture and art is therefore well established.
Hugo de Jonge's remark that we should just put on a DVD instead of going out also rubbed culture lover Uslu the wrong way. She wondered how you could compare that, but after checking with De Jonge (hear hear), it turned out the story was a bit different. It touches Uslu's heart, as the museum is a second home to her, a fact that leads the cultural sector to have high expectations of her. She seems to apply the idea of checking in on the situation arising from the revelations in BOOS as well. Uslu described the conversation with De Mol as good: ‘The atmosphere was good and various follow-up agreements will be made.’ She also emphasized after the conversation that it is not only about The Voice of Holland; reports have also been made about other programs.
Uslu is a new face in politics, but according to insiders, she is made for the job. A former colleague who worked with her at Corendon describes her in NRC as sharp and effortless in dealing with different people. This is due to her genuine interest in people, which allows Uslu to truly connect with them. People who have interacted with her use words like ‘charming’ and ‘engaging’ to describe the new state secretary, as well as ‘dominant when necessary.’.
In an interview with Flow Magazine, Gunay Uslu stated that the coronavirus crisis has made her take things less for granted: ‘The past year has made me appreciate all the beauty in my life, what you always took for granted, even more. From hugging the people you love to making a beautiful trip: I take that less for granted now.’
Her love for art is also expressed in The College Social Club, of which Uslu is one of the founders. The club describes itself as a place for creative and entrepreneurial minds with a broad interest, where art and culture hold a significant place.
Source: NRC, Flow Magazine, AD, Parool
