Following on from a visit to China last year, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has entered into an inter-institutional agreement of cooperation with the Weifang University of Science and Technology in Shandong, China.

The common goal of the agreement is to promote academic exchange between the Netherlands and China, to enhance mutual education performance, and to strengthen collaboration in areas of mutual interest, so as to develop academic and research cooperation.  

Weifang was represented by two delegates, Mr Jianping Wang and Mr Yanhui Chengh. They were welcomed by Wittenborg CEO, Maggie Feng, and the chair of the executive board, Peter Birdsall.

Want to pursue a master's degree in education? Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is pleased to announce that from September 2018 it will offer a Master of Arts (MA) in Education, drawing closer to its goal of creating a broad management university with 5 schools in the next 5 years, including a School of Education.

The programme will be offered full-time (1 year) as well as part-time (2-3 years). Students will learn through a mixture of lectures, taught sessions, tutorials, online learning, group work, independent study and through work-related activities.

This week, students and staff have enjoyed Christmas drinks and snacks at the different locations in the Netherlands and Austria. CEO Maggie Feng joined students in Amsterdam for the Christmas party, and chair Peter Birdsall visited students in Vienna for a festive drink at the famous Christkindlmarkt.

Yesterday students and staff at the main campus in Apeldoorn celebrated the start of the festive season with an informal event at the Irish Pub in the towns central bar and restaurant area.

WUP 21/12/2017

by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

The Dutch parliament (Tweede Kamer) has accepted a motion calling for the government to facilitate a new action plan dealing with housing for international students in conjunction with other stakeholders, Nuffic reports. The Netherlands is welcoming record numbers of international students to its shores, but the densely populated country has fallen short of finding accommodation for all.

In the meantime, the new minister of higher education, Ingrid van Engelshoven has urged universities and other institutes of higher education to take the lead in ensuring international students have housing by working together with municipalities and other stakeholders such as housing agents.

“I don’t want to leave!” Chinese student Zhang Yutong exclaimed, as she and her fellow students from the Shanghai Business School enjoyed their last day at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, after a weeklong visit to the Netherlands. They fly back to Shanghai on Saturday.

The group were treated to a luscious, specially designed cake with their photo on, as they said farewell to Wittenborg students and staff. Wittenborg’s chair of the executive board, Peter Birdsall, invited them to come back any time, whether for a short or longer study period. “The aim of this visit is cultural exchange. It is about our students going to China and you coming here.”

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences was commended on the Dutch public broadcaster NPO Radio 1 for its “innovative” approach to  education and for successfully creating a truly international institute of higher education where different cultures are celebrated.

Wittenborg directors  Maggie Feng and Peter Birdsall were interviewed on NPO 1 Radio on Monday morning, talking to presenter Prem Radhakishun who is a well-known political commentator and public figure in the Netherlands.

And not only Radhakishun, but also his listeners were impressed by what Birdsall and Feng have  created in just over 10 years: running an institute with over 700 students, of whom 89% are international, at 3 locations in Europe. “You are basically making the world a better place,” Radhakishun said.

Feng, who was born in Beijing, and retains her Chinese nationality to this day, said to study at Wittenborg you have to be impartial to race, colour and creed. “In any of our classes you have about 30 - 35 students from 15 different nationalities. Students choose Wittenborg because of its international character. You have to be 'colour blind' to come here, and you’ll find during your studies you make wonderful international friends and business relations.”

Wittenborg’s decision to have six entry dates per year was hailed by Radhakishun and listeners as “innovative”. Birdsall, who has mixed British and Swiss nationality, explained the idea was actually born out of necessity. “Back in 2006 when we started the current international programmes, students from outside the European Union would have to wait long for study visas to be approved. “We found that, say, students who were supposed to start in September, would only arrive the next January. We created the six entrée dates to facilitate that problem.”

Radhakishun also reminded his listeners of the financial contributions that international students make to the Dutch treasury and how they enrich the local culture. One Dutch caller said he believes the mentality of international students is higher than that of Dutch students. Radhakishun added that the drive to succeed is higher among internationals.

When asked by a listener (via a tweet) what Wittenborg’s plans are for the next 10 years, Feng said they want to open branch campuses in more countries. “Perhaps Spain, London and Shanghai.” Birdsall also explained the decision to open a location in Amsterdam, citing that the city is highly competitive and well-known for its entrepreneurial endeavors. “We believed it would be perfect for our IBA programme in Entrepreneurship.”

Prem Radhakishun met Feng and Birdsall at this year's 'Ethnic Businesswoman of the Year' (EVZN) Awards Gala, at which Maggie Feng was announced runner-up. Radhakishun himself received the 'Presidents Award' in 2016 for his commitment to EVZN as an advisor. He himself presented the awards gala five times in the past.

Radhakishun's (Dutch spoken) programme is called 'Zwarte Prietpraat' and the interviews with Feng and Birdsall can be heard online here: https://www.nporadio1.nl/zwarte-prietpraat/uitzendingen (maandag 11 december)
 

WUP 12/12/2017

by Anesca Smith
©Wittenborg University Press

Wittenborg alumnus and writer Anesca Smith recently started her own clothing brand We Be Sisters which sells hand-made, African-inspired clothes for women.

Anesca, how did you get started with your clothing brand?
"I have always adored beautiful, well-cut clothes and discovered many great brands when I worked in London, but never dreamed that I would start my own clothing line. It was only this year when I went back home to South Africa – where women dress in beautiful, bold African-inspired clothes – that I realized I wanted to bring some of that magic back to Europe. 

"Also, the information revolution we are experiencing – including social media – empowers individuals like me to start a web shop with a small budget and limited risk. Finally, Dutch people are very entrepreneurially minded and that is so inspiring."

Where does the name come from?
"I was raised by a matriarchy comprised of my mother, aunts and cousins, and always felt immensely supported by women. I wanted the name – which is derived from a poem by Lucille Clifton – to reflect that. Also, I think all women are beautiful and I want them to feel beautiful in the clothes I make. "

Wittenborg lecturer Dr Muhammad Ashfaq has a new book out: “Islamic Banking and Finance in Europe: The Case of Germany and the United Kingdom”.

Ashfaq said the book is the first one comparing Islamic banking in the two countries, and contributes to eradicating the lack of data available on the subject in Europe. It was published by the Peter Lang Publishing Group in Germany and was written as a result of Ashfaq’s doctoral studies on the subject.

“After the financial crisis of 2008-09, there developed a need to understand the Islamic financial system as an alternative. It showed itself to be a viable option,” Ashfaq said.

According to his research, the Islamic financial industry is growing in Europe. “The qualitative study showed that the success of Islamic banking and finance in the UK is mainly due to the proactive role taken by regulators and London’s role as an international financial centre. Germany’s regulatory model is different from that of the UK in that there are no market entry barriers, and the success of Islamic banking in Germany will largely depend on the operating model of Islamic financial institutions.

WUP 5/12/2017

by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press