Apeldoorn Alderman says City Appreciates International Talent Wittenborg Brings in

https://www.wittenborg.eu/wittenborg-students-do-project-apeldoorns-ambitions-attract-international-investors.htm

Apeldoorn, the city where Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has been located for the past 10 years, believes it has all the necessary ingredients and ambition to attract international investors and businesses without compromising its spot as "the green heart of the Netherlands". Alderman Jeroen Joon of the Apeldoorn City Council spoke to Wittenborg undergraduates about these ambitions as part of the first Project Week of the new academic year, which requires students to draw up an advisory for the city on how to lure international businesses to its location. Joon was interviewed by Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng in an online video made accessible to students. 

Wittenborg established strong relations with the city from the start, and most of its graduation ceremonies take place in the city hall buildings with either the mayor or other dignitaries acting as keynote speakers. Joon in his interview recognised these ties and said the city appreciates the fact that Wittenborg brings many international students to the area, studying and living.  

According to Joon, who is in charge of the economy portfolio, the city is already looking towards 2040 in terms of planning and is preparing for a population of between 100,000 – 200,000. "Currently we have about 12,000 companies in the region with a bit more than 100,000 employees or jobs. Our companies are very diverse and I believe that is also the strength of the city – both before and during the corona crisis. Businesses range from logistics to technology to healthcare and insurance."

Wittenborg Apeldoorn Campus Honours 100-Year-Old Building

Open Monuments Day Apeldoorn themed: 'Learning Monument' was held on 12 and 13 September, 2020. Each year, thousands of monuments open their doors to the public on Heritage Day. With approximately one million visitors in attendance, the BankGiro Loterij Open Monuments Day, a component of the European Heritage Days, is one of the biggest cultural events in the Netherlands and a platform to connect the populace with the country’s cultural heritage. On Open Monuments Day, local monuments are open to the public free of charge, generating public interest and increasing awareness and support for preservation. Many activities ranging from exhibitions to treasure hunts are organised to appeal to people of all ages.

Spoorstraat Building - 100 Years

A total of 31 educational institutions in Apeldoorn were open to the public over the weekend, including Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences’ campus on Spoorstraat. The building has a rich history from its conception back in 1920, designed by architect Janssen Schrakamp from Hengelo. In 1965, it was occupied by the Roman Catholic boys' school Saint Gerardus Majella. 50 years later, Wittenborg took over the building for its second campus location after being in Apeldoorn for 5 years.

78 Visitors as Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng Gives Tours

Small groups of visitors were greeted by Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng and 2 volunteers from the organising committee. A short video played at the entrance summarising the building history, renovations, and current state, followed by an in-depth tour. Feng led each group through the hallways explaining in detail reasons behind the lighting selection, pointing out changes made to the staircase down to the unique, sustainable carpeting.

Project Week: "Stimulating Employment should Be Priority in Apeldoorn"

https://www.wittenborg.eu/first-project-week-new-academic-year-features-interview-one-apeldoorns-biggest-employers.htm

As part of the first Project Week assignment for bachelor's degree students in the new academic year, Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng spoke to the managing director of one of the biggest employers in the Apeldoorn region, Centraal Beheer, about the importance of good cooperation between local government, business and educational institutions like Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences.

Jack Hommel is the managing director of Centraal Beheer, a division of Achmea, which in turn is the largest insurance company in the Netherlands with an annual turnover of €23 billion. In Apeldoorn, Achmea employs 5,000 people, so a good understanding with the local government is crucial, Hommel told Feng.

"Centraal Beheer has a big impact in Apeldoorn – thousands of people coming by car, using public transport; we are talking energy and the environment. Secondly, as a big company it is important to contribute to improving life here by supporting local businesses, developing the social environment and supporting activities, like sports development."

No Quality in Education Without Diversity, says Dutch Minister of Higher Education

https://www.wittenborg.eu/dutch-minister-education-presents-action-plan-diversity-and-inclusion.htm

At the beginning of the academic year, the Dutch minister of higher education, Ingrid Van Engelshoven, presented her “National Action Plan Diversity and Inclusion” at Leiden University, saying: “In an inclusive organisation, everyone can fully and equally participate and share in the decision-making process. I find it extremely important to create a safe learning and working environment in which all can feel at home and grow. That is what we want to stimulate with this national action plan. Moreover, it is increasingly clear that diversity is a prerequisite for quality.”

• The National Action Plan aims to improve the performance of Dutch higher education significantly by 2025 by:
• Better integrating diversity in existing policy instruments, as for example in accreditation.
• Better monitoring diversity and inclusion in HE.
• Creating an award system to create a workable policy framework.
• Integrating and supporting existing diversity plans and efforts.
• Setting up a national centre of expertise for diversity and inclusion.

This effort will be guided by an advisory committee initially chaired by Vinod Subramaniam, rector magnificus of the Vrije Universiteit.

Although the private education sector was not invited to participate in drawing up the plan, it goes without saying that Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences wholeheartedly supports the aims of this National Action Plan.

Foreign Affairs DG Emphasises Importance of Internationalisation in Dutch Higher Education

With the Netherlands earning a third of its gross domestic product (GDP) from foreign trade, internationalisation in its education sector is of paramount importance. This is according to Peter Potman from the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs who was interviewed by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for the promotion of higher education in the Netherlands. "Dutch companies need people with international experience. If the Netherlands wants to be counted in the world, it needs to internationalise its education," said Potman, acting director-general of foreign economic affairs at the ministry.

Potman bemoaned the fact that relatively few Dutch students seek an international education. "It is a baffling paradox: We cross the world for holidays in far-flung countries, but when it comes to studying we prefer to stay in the Netherlands."

To intensify cooperation between the education and the international business sector, many institutions are increasingly taking part in trade missions abroad. "This is a recent phenomenon," says Potman who has spent a big chunk of his career working in embassies and consulates around the world – from Shanghai to Washington DC.  "Knowledge institutions accompany trade missions to network and make sales. In this way they operate in a similar manner to the businesses that come along."

Higher education is also important for the value proposition of the Netherlands, Potman points out. "It's about more than just tulips and windmills. The Netherlands offers its partners a triple helix package: tailor-made business solutions, scientific support and a facilitating government."

Dutch HE Institutions Ranked Among World's Top

https://www.wittenborg.eu/dutch-he-institutions-ranked-among-worlds-top.htm

With 11 of its 13 universities in the Top 200, the Netherlands was only outranked in Europe by the UK and Germany for institutions on the list. The top spot overall is occupied by England's Oxford University, while the Top 10 is dominated by US institutions. China, a big source of international students for the Netherlands, has for the first time broken the Top 20 with Tsinghua University in Beijing by being ranked at number 20. An additional 15 other Asian universities also made the top 100.

Wageningen University – where Wittenborg's Head of the School of Hospitality, Esther Bakker, is currently pursuing a PhD – was ranked as the top university in the Netherlands, followed by the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University, with the latter claiming the spot of Delft University of Technology, which tumbled to 6th place this year. Other Wittenborg faculty members and support staff have graduated from universities such as Groningen and Leiden University, like Student Registrar Florian Oosterberg.

The Netherlands boasts the highest number of English-taught programmes in Europe outside the UK. It spends 12.8% of its budget on education, of which almost 32% goes to higher education. Pre-corona, it had an unemployment rate of 3.2%

THE said in a comment piece that, although the rankings data covers a period before the emergence of the coronavirus, the data collection period overlapped with the start of the pandemic. "Despite this intense disruption, a remarkable 1,527 universities from 93 countries are included in the rankings this year, making it our biggest table yet."

WUP 5/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

After Months of Waiting, Michael from Indonesia can Finally Start Studies at Wittenborg

https://www.wittenborg.eu/one-international-student-why-he-decided-study-netherlands-despite-covid-19.htm

In May, he deferred his studies because there were no flights from Indonesia to the Netherlands. Now, international student Michael Juan (20) has finally made it to the land of bicycles, tulips and clogs. The ups and downs of his journey towards being a student at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences was shared this weekend in an article by Dutch daily De Stentor. The paper was curious about how he plucked up the courage to study abroad despite the lingering presence of COVID-19 around the world.

As the new academic year officially kicked off on Monday, Michael was one of a small number of students happily dashing from class to class, while the majority followed their lessons online. After arriving in the Netherlands, he directly went into self-quarantine, only venturing out to buy groceries. It helped that quarantine in the Netherlands is only 10 days instead of 14 like in many other countries. He told De Stentor he was surprised to find that people in the Netherlands were more relaxed about wearing face masks – unlike Indonesia where they have to be worn everywhere.

"My father was shocked when I said I wanted to study in the Netherlands, but my uncle said he thought it was a sensible move. You cannot keep delaying or waiting until corona is gone. And that is true. I wanted to get on. Eventually, Dad understood."

Wittenborg Lecturers Impress as they Navigate Hybrid Teaching with Ease on First Day of New Academic Year

https://www.wittenborg.eu/what-wittenborg-classes-looked-first-day-new-academic-year.htm

A smaller number of students then at the typical start of a new academic year were spotted at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences' campus in Apeldoorn on Monday morning with the majority logging in online for classes. Those students and staff who did attend in person could be seen wearing masks in common areas or social distancing in classes. Aside from a few technical glitches, everything was running as planned, said Wittenborg's Head of Operations, Lasantha de Silva.

"Honestly, it's good to be back in class and engaging face to face with students after almost 6 months," enthused lecturer Stanley Mbelu. He showed up early for the Corporate Entrepreneurship course he teaches to IBA students, setting up his laptop to engage with online students. For a few nervous minutes it looked like not a single student was going to show up in person for the class but soon a few were rushing in.

Wittenborg Becomes First Authorised Dutch University to Operate in Bavaria, Germany

https://www.wittenborg.eu/cooperation-between-wittenborg-and-new-european-college-milestone-spirit-eu.htm

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences' Munich Campus, operated by New European College (NEC), has become the first Dutch university to fulfil the rigorous legal and administrative requirements of the Bavarian Higher Education Law and the Bavarian Ministry of Science and Culture. This means that, in accordance with Article 86 of the Bavarian University and College Act, Wittenborg is now authorised to offer academic courses at its campus in Munich.

All courses on offer at Wittenborg's Munich Campus are fully accredited and state recognised in Germany, as well as in the Netherlands, in Europe and further abroad. In fulfilling the high academic standards of NVAO and FIBAA accreditation, Wittenborg was able to satisfy the rigorous requirements of the Bavarian Ministry of Science and Culture, as well as the Dutch Ministry of Higher Education, Culture and Science.

The management of the cross-border governmental expectations for this venture was facilitated by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Munich. Thanks to the individual support and guidance of Dutch Consul General Paul Ymkers, all conditions for the cooperation were successfully achieved. “We sincerely thank Consul General Paul Ymkers, whose knowledge, wisdom and unrelenting good spirit has helped ensure a successful cooperation,” said NEC Chancellor, Sascha Liebhardt.

First International Arrivals of New Academic Year Excited to Join Wittenborg

https://www.wittenborg.eu/our-new-students-are-here.htm

Safely arrived and happy to be in the Netherlands! This was the mood among the first international students to join Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences in person for the new academic year as they participated in (safely distanced) Introduction Week activities this week. The first arrivals hailed from countries ranging from far fledged Zimbabwe to Russia, Iran and, closer to home, the Netherlands.  

Master's student Vimbai Nhubu from Zimbabwe says she was not nervous about travelling on the long-haul flight to the Netherlands. "The plane was not full – I think less than 30 people on the flight – and besides, the number of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is relatively low, so borders were open for international flights." She will do a Master of Business Management in Human Resource Management and says she chose to study in the Netherlands because she wants to broaden her international skills, and she likes the country's culture and openness to diversity.

It took Russian student Lilia Alimova 20 hours to travel to the Netherlands due to some flight cancellations on the way. Alimova, who is doing and IBA in Marketing and Communication, started her studies at Wittenborg online in the previous academic year and is now able to travel. She is happy with the hybrid education she will receive at Wittenborg, and happy too that she will be able to attend classes in person, as this is part of the experience of studying abroad.