1978, Studies in Political Science at the VU University, Amsterdam; 1983, graduate in Political and Social Sciences, University of Amsterdam; 1981, MA , School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Bologna and Washington DC. 1983-92, Personal Assistant to several members, House of Representatives of States General; coordinating Foreign Policy Assistant for parliamentary Labour Party; 1993-94, European Staff Member and Political Advisor to Special Representative of Secretary-General of the UN, working in Mozambique, South Africa, Mexico; Principal Administrator, Policy Planning Staff, Directorate-General for External Relations, Conflict Prevention and European Union Enlargement, European Commission in Brussels until 1997; since 1997, Member, House of Representatives of States General; 2000-02, also Visiting Professor of International Relations, Johns Hopkins University, Bologna; since February 2007, current position.