With the goal of discussing the state of mental health care in the Netherlands, Apeldoorn citizen group MeetUp055 organised an event that was hosted by Wittenborg last month (28.04). Attended by approximately 70 people, the debate was inspired by an episode of the Dutch investigative documentary TV series 'Tegenlicht’.

The activity featured three guest speakers: chairperson of the PILL foundation and author of the book 'Wie is er nu eigenlijk gek?' ('Who is really crazy?') Ewout Kattouw, care worker Bram van der Leden and chairperson of the Dutch Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care (GGZ) Ruth Peetoom. Among other topics, they discussed the fact that 90,000 people are waiting for mental health care in the Netherlands and other challenges faced by the country in this sector.  

To help organise the event, Wittenborg recruited four volunteers among its students, who were assigned tasks such as preparing and serving drinks, welcoming and talking to guests and making sure that the atmosphere was pleasant and comfortable.

Third Intake in 2022 Includes Students from 12 Countries

https://www.wittenborg.eu/introductory-lunch-welcomes-54-new-students-wittenborg.htm

“This is the beginning of your new life and career, and it will certainly mean lots of opportunities for you in the future,” said Wittenborg Executive Board member Karen Penninga to the school’s new students during the introductory lunch that took place on 12 May.

Coming from 12 different countries, 54 students will be starting their programmes on Monday, 16 May, in the school’s third intake this year. Wittenborg has six yearly intakes in February, March, May, August, October and November (click here for more information).

The new Wittenborg family members are originally from Yemen, South Africa, Vietnam, Pakistan, Brazil, Iran, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Russia, Bangladesh, Turkey and India. In total, 46 students will be based in Apeldoorn, while eight will be pursuing their studies in Amsterdam.

Hossein Parvin’s Study Focuses on Challenges Faced by New Companies

https://www.wittenborg.eu/mbm-thesis-analyses-market-entry-strategies-dutch-sesame-oil-industry.htm

With a long track record in business management, having run his own company for 10 years in Tehran, Iranian MBM student Hossein Parvin chose the Dutch sesame oil industry as the subject of his graduation assignment. Parvin’s research is divided into two main subtopics: while the first part seeks to identify the determinants of the Dutch sesame oil market, the second section analyses how companies in this sector develop their market entry strategies.

The student, who has just completed a degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Wittenborg, explains that he chose this topic with the goal of learning more about business in the Netherlands in order to prepare for the next phase of his professional life. “I found this subject relevant because, according to statistics, the consumption of oils and fats in the Netherlands is high, and the country currently stands at the third position in Europe. So, it is definitely a profitable market,” he stresses.

Activity Conducted by Wittenborg and Start-up Connect2Co

https://www.wittenborg.eu/project-week-gives-students-insights-sustainability.htm

In partnership with SaaS start-up Connect2Co, Wittenborg’s Munich study location coordinated a project week for 22 bachelor’s and master’s students between 6 and 14 April. Centred on the theme of sustainability in business, the activity addressed multiple topics including the Triple Bottom Line perspective (People, Planet and Profit), how to become a sustainability-focused entrepreneur and the interconnection between the economic, social and environmental aspects of businesses.

Michael Sheppard Working to Strengthen Bonds

https://www.wittenborg.eu/wittenborg-representative-meets-student-agencies-vietnam.htm

Since 16 April, Wittenborg’s visiting lecturer and Sales & Admissions Representative Michael Sheppard is in Vietnam, meeting with local student agencies with the goal of strengthening existing partnerships and establishing new relationships. Throughout his assignment, Sheppard has spent eight days in Ho Chi Minh City and four days in Da Nang. Currently, he is in the capital Hanoi, where he will conclude his assignment on Friday, 6 May.

According to the representative, each meeting has been unique. “Wittenborg has worked with some of these agencies for a long time and they have sent us many students, so their knowledge of the school is very strong. When meeting with these partners, I have been talking about the success of the relationship so far and what we can do to make it even more successful in the future. At the other end of the spectrum, some organisations do not yet have expert knowledge on Wittenborg, so I have been talking about our courses, advantages, unique selling points and what makes the school special,” he said.

Activity Brought Together Eight Staff Members

https://www.wittenborg.eu/plant-care-evening-gives-wittenborgs-plants-makeover.htm

To make Wittenborg office spaces even more pleasant and beautiful, eight staff members participated as volunteers in the “Plant Care Evening” conducted on 25 April in Apeldoorn. During the activity, participants gave some of the plants that are located in the school’s communal areas and offices a makeover, focusing on those that were in need of special care.
 
Some of the actions included putting the plants that had outgrown their pots in bigger recipients, adding support stakes, discarding dead parts of plants, trying to help new roots grow, replacing soil and changing the pots that were in poor condition.

Activity Brought Together 125 Bachelor’s Students from Three Programmes

To learn more about how companies can reduce their impact on the environment, 125 Wittenborg bachelor’s students recently participated in a project week focused on sustainability in business. Conducted in Apeldoorn between 11 and 14 April, the activity was aimed at students of three programmes: International Business Administration, Hospitality Business Administration and Marketing, Communication & Information.

Having been divided into groups of four or five, participants were assigned different tasks according to the programme phase they are currently in. Phase 1 students were required to initially conduct research about sustainable business in general, later picking a real company as an example and analysing their sustainability practices. During the third part of the research, they chose a specific field of activity and investigated how businesses in this sector work towards reducing their ecological footprint.

'Royal Year' Tourism Campaign Launches

https://www.wittenborg.eu/royal-year-tourism-campaign-launches.htm

Following a thorough restoration, 'Paleis Het Loo' - the royal palace in Apeldoorn that serves as a museum - reopened its doors to the general public on 15 April. National and International visitors can get to know the royal story of the palace, its residents and Apeldoorn.

The reopening of Appeldorn's royal palace kicks off the 'royal year', a local tourism marketing campaign aimed at highlighting Apeldoorn and its surroundings by focusing on its royal history.

Apeldoorn has a long history of hosting not only the Dutch royal family, but also royals from across the world. For example, in 2006, Apeldoorn was a temporary home to the now-Emperor of Japan and his family. For several weeks, they stayed in one of the smaller royal residencies that are still being used by the Dutch royal family.