Feed aggregator

By means of a ‘master class’ the  Veluwse Onderwijsgroep  (a group of primary and secondary schools in Apeldoorn) has launched its Academy (to share knowledge and help teachers to further professionalise). I had the privilege of attending this gathering on behalf of Wittenborg.  

Mathieu Weggemans talked about how today’s students behave in a way which substantially differs from the older generation.  He explained this by referring to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  Although this theory was not unknown to me, I was motivated to look into it again.

According to Maslow, the final level of psychological development can be achieved when all basic and mental needs are fulfilled and actualisation of the full personal potential takes place. The young generation in many places on earth seems to have reached that stage. Work – when boring – cannot be traded off anymore against a wage payment;  work should be exciting and contributing to one’s self-fulfilment. 

The world of Internet plays an important role in it.  ‘Water and gas’ are taken for granted, but good Internet facilities are of paramount importance.  Personal achievement goes together with a sharing of knowledge and experience.  Exclusiveness based on whatever hierarchy is continuously challenged.  The young generation can accept its own human nature stoically, with all its limitations. It is similarly acceptant of others, and generally lack prejudice.

People who have reached self-actualisation have a number of common traits. They embrace reality and facts rather than denying truth. They are spontaneous. They are focused on problems outside themselves.

Dr Teun Wolters

31 January 2012 

The recent agreement which Wittenborg reached with the University of Brighton to start up two master programmes (International Tourism and International Event Management) made me think of Steven Johnson’s book on “Where good ideas come from”.

Deriving analogies from nature to explain innovation, Johnson introduces the concept of ‘the adjacent possible’. New ideas can be impressive but can also be ‘ahead of their time’. New ideas can only be put into practice (in other words, become innovation) if there is a wider context, culturally and technologically, that is receptive to them.

Even though innovation requires individual strength and determination, its success is dependent on many other factors. Seeking coalitions, therefore, can be a means to let such factors ‘work for you’.

The adjacent possible points to a certain ‘logical’ trajectory that an organisation has to follow. By taking the right next step, windows of opportunity will turn into real doors to further development. From there, other opportunities can be expected to emerge.

Dr Teun Wolters

22 January 2011

In 2010 is Wittenborg gestart met WiNet. Een broedplaats waar studenten kennis kunnen maken met het bedrijfsleven. Het idee is ontstaan door een aantal actieve merken op te nemen in de portefeuille van Wittenborg uit de training en consultancy tak van BTC, Birdsall Training Consultancy uit Wenen, met als doel studenten van de universiteit zo vroeg mogelijk te betrekken bij het echte bedrijfsleven.

Tim Birdsall, Wittenborgs bestuurslid, ondernemer en management consultant voor meer dan 20 jaar: “Een belangrijke sleutel tot WiNet zijn de lopende projecten. De ideeën, service en producten die worden ingebracht zijn echt. WiNet is een ‘real life’ bedrijf met een normale winst- en verliesrekening.”  Lees hier meer over Tim's visie. 

Op dit moment bevat WiNet diensten op het gebied van managementvaardigheden en competentie trainingen, consultancy, website ontwikkeling en IT-ondersteuning. Het adviesbureau richt zich op onderwerpen als het ondernemingsplan, de international handel (met name tussen Europa en China) en bedrijfsverbetering door middel van de implementatie van geïntegreerde systemen voor kwaliteitscontrole. Vorig jaar zijn voor het uitvoeren van deze projecten een aantal studenten aangenomen.

Sinds de zomer van 2010 heeft WiNet’s merk ‘Lyniks Systems meer dan 15 websites gebouwd voor het MKB en evenementenorganisaties, en dat allemaal voor minder dan € 2.500,-!

Het plan voor 2012 is om de mogelijkheden voor studenten nog meer uit te breiden. En dat kan maar op een manier: meer omzet en meer financiele middelen om zo meer studenten te ondersteunen. Ook is WiNet actief gericht op het ondersteunen van studenten en  hun startende ondernemingen door externe investeerders uit te nodigen om deel te nemen aan de projecten en er samen met de studenten een zakelijk succes van te maken.

Dit jaar heeft Wittenborg Ioana Bora, docent uit Roemenie te gast om een team van studenten te begeleiden in drie belangrijk WiNet projecten. Ze kijkt uit naar de uitdaging:

“WiNet is een voor 100%  praktisch project dat de studenten de mogelijkheid geeft om ervaring op te doen in het bedrijfsleven. Ze maken op die manier kennis met verkoop, marketing en strategie. Voor 2012 liggen er een aantal grote plannen op de plank: studenten daadwerkelijk laten ervaren wat het verkoopproces inhoudt, hoe creer je merkbekendheid, hoe gebruik je social media om een merk te promoten en hoe maak je het succesvol.”

De drie projecten die ik zal gaan leiden zijn Pipeliner-Sales, SpeakerMedica en Ooopygloop.

Voor Pineliner is het plan om trainingen als dienst te verkopen aan IT-bedrijven in Europa. De activiteiten die bedoeld zijn voor studenten zullen niet alleen te maken hebben met het verkoopproces, maar er zal ook aandacht besteed worden aan klantrelaties en de studenten zullen hun organisatorische vaardigheden verder ontwikkelen.

Voor Speakermedica is het plan om de naamsbekendheid te creëren. De voorbereidingen voor een grote verkoopcampagne zijn volop aan de gang. Studenten zullen zich dit jaar bezighouden met het overbrengen van de boodschap aan de juiste mensen en zij zullen een verkoopstrategie ontwikkelen die volgend jaar gebruikt gaat worden als de campagne gelanceerd wordt. Dit houdt ook in dat er een markt- en concuurrentie onderzoek gedaan moet worden.

OoopyGloop is een project dat alle aspecten omvat om succesvol te worden. Het plan is om te starten met de promotie vanaf het begin. Alle belangrijke aspecten zullen aan bod komen: gebruik maken van social media, search engine optimalisatie, vinden van adverteers, aantal bezoekers van de website  laten groeien en het daadwerkelijk creëren van een merk.

Debora Piancastelli Heiderich is een tweede jaars student Bedrijfskunde uit Brazilie. Ze heeft gewerkt aan het project voor Speakermedica;

“ Verkoop, marketing, presentatievaardigheden, customer relation management en webdesign zijn een paar voorbeelden van terreinen waar ik veel van geleerd heb en ervaring op heb kunnen doen binnen Speakermedica. Werken met het WiNet team heeft niet alleen mijn sales- en marketing vaardigheden verbeterd, maar ook mijn zelfvertrouwen is gegroeid en de bereidheid om een carriere op te bouwen. Tim Birdsall is een motiverende en inspirerende baas. Met een goed gevoel voor humor leidt hij het team om doelstellingen te verwezelijken en strategieën op te zetten.”

WUP 2/02/2012

Tags: WiNetWittenborg University NetworkTim Birdsallbedrijfslevenreal life projecten

WiNet staat voor “Wittenborg Network” en is de commerciële tak van Wittenborg, gerund door Wittenborg University Network BV. Het bedrijf is eigendom van de universiteit in samenwerking met mij als eigenaar/directeur van Birdsall Training Consultancy, en een trainings- en adviesbureau in Wenen.

WiNet creëert merken en toetst deze vervolgens op de markt. Het geeft de studenten van Wittenborg de gelegenheid om binnen deze ‘real life’ projecten ervaring op te doen in het bedrijfsleven. De studenten worden voor deze projecten betaald volgens wettelijke specificaties.

“Een belangrijke sleutel binnen WiNet is dat de ideeën, diensten en producten lopende projecten zijn en een goede kans hebben om zich te ontwikkelen in de markt. WiNet is een  echt bedrijf met een normale balans en winst- en verliesrekening!”

De studenten worden begeleid door een manager, een extern persoon in dienst van BTC in Wenen. De studenten rapporteren aan de manager en deze rapporteert weer aan WiNet. Ze hebben wekelijkse/maandelijkse targets en doelstellingen en ontvangen feedback over hun werk en advies om zich te verbeteren. Ook worden de studenten uitgenodigd om deel te nemen aan evenementen om daadwerkelijk de resultaten te zien van hun werk.

Momenteel werk ik met name aan projecten die gerelateerd zijn aan verkoop. Deze projecten bevatten:

Pipeliner Sales Training - Pipeliner training is een methode van sales training speciaal ontworpen voor de IT-industrie. De taak van WiNet is het creëren en verkopen van een “open seminar” voor de Europese markt. (www.pipeliner-sales.com). Het belangrijkste doel voor de werkgroep is het opdoen van ervaring in de directe verkoop en het benaderen van klanten om interesse te wekken en verkoop te genereren.

Speakermedica - In 2011 was WiNet verantwoordelijk voor het ontwikkelen van het ontwerp en de inhoud van de website. WiNet zal in 2012 beginnen met verhogen van de naamsbekendheid van Speakermedica in de farmaceutische industrie wereldwijd. (www.speakermedica.com)

Ooopygloop - Dit project draait meer om plezier dan om het maken van winst! Ooopygloop is een portal voor online kinderverhalen. De verhalen zijn geschreven en geïllustreerd door twee neven en die nu op zoek zijn naar een sponsor.  De werkgroep van WiNet omschrijft de markt en ontwikkelt het promotiemateriaal waarmee het in de markt gezet zal worden.

Het belangrijkste doel  van WiNet is het opdoen van leer- en werkervaring over het ontwikkelen van een product in de FMCG-industrie.

WUP 2/02/2012

Tags: wittenborgWiNetTim Birdsallnetwerkreal life projectenbedrijfsleven

n 2010 Wittenborg instigated a Brand Incubator, WiNet to manage business ideas and company start-ups in order to expose students to some real life business creation and innovation. The idea was started by bringing a number of already active brands into the portfolio, from the training and consultancy arm of the Birdsall trustees, with a view to involving students from the University at the earliest stage.   Tim Birdsall (left), Wittenborg trustee, and entrepreneur and management consultant of more than 20 years: “Key to the ideas, services and products that are brought into the WiNet organization is that they are viable running projects. WiNet is not an emulator, but a real life company with a normal balance, profit and loss!” read more from Tim Birdsall, on WiNet; http://www.wittenborg.eu/tim-birdsall-winet-wittenborg-university-network.htm   Currently, the WiNet brands include services in the field of management skills and competence training, consultancy, website development and IT support. The consultancy focusses on areas such as business plan / company start-ups, international trade (especially between European and China), and business performance improvement, through the implementation of integrated quality control systems. Last year, WiNet (Wittenborg University Network) employed a number of students working in WiNet projects.   Between the summer of 2010 and the end of 2011, WiNet’s website building and service brand ‘Lyniks Systems’ built more than 15 websites for SMEs and event organisations, all for under €2,500-!   In 2012, WiNet plans to expand its opportunities for students, in the only way it knows how: more sales, providing more funds to support more students in WiNet!  Also, WiNet is actively aiming to support students in their business start-ups by inviting external investors to join projects and work with students to make their business projects a success.   This year Wittenborg visiting lecturer, Ioana Bora, based in Romania, has been brought in to manage a team of students in three key WiNet project. She is looking forward to the challenge;   ‘WiNet is the Wittenborg 100% practical project that gives the students the opportunity to test the business experience and get to work hands on sales, marketing, and business strategy. For 2012, Winet has big plans: it will give the students the actual experience of selling, creating brand awareness,  learning how to use social media to promote a brand and actually creating a brand and making it successful.   The three projects that I will lead, under the Winet umbrella are Pipeliner-Sales,SpeakerMedica and Ooopy Gloop.   For Pipeliner the plan is to actually sell training services to IT companies in Europe, so the activities designed for the students include not only the sales process from scratch, but also some focus on client relations and the development of some organizing skills.   For SpeakerMedica, the plan is to create brand awareness, preparing the ground for a big sales campaign that is going to start next year. This year, the students will start getting the message to the right people and develop a sales strategy that will be used next year. This  also involves market research activities and the study of the competition.   For Ooopy Gloop, the plan is to actually start promoting a project from scratch. That includes everything that an online project needs to become successful: using social media, search engine optimization, growing number of visitors, finding advertisers, creating a brand.’   For an overview of the WiNet Brands, and links to their individual sites: http://www.wittenborg.eu/wittenborg-university-network.htm   Debora Piancastelli Heiderich (left), a second year business school student from Brazil worked on SpeakerMedica’, a training product for the international pharmaceutical industry;   "Sales, marketing, presentation skills, customer relationship management and web design are a few examples of fields on which I learned with the experience in SpeakerMedica.  Working with the Winet Group sharpened not only my sales and marketing skills, but also improved my self-confidence and willingness to build up my career path. Tim Birdsall is a very motivating and inspiring boss, who leads the team to meet objectives and set up strategies with focus and a good sense of humour."   WUP. 29/01/2012  

WiNet stands for "Wittenborg Network," and is the commercial arm of the Wittenborg, run through a Dutch limited company called Wittenborg University Network BV. This company is directly owned by the University, in partnership with me as a trustee and owner / director of BTC and training and consultancy firm based in Vienna.

WiNet creates brands, and then tests these brands on the market, while giving Wittenborg students to opportunity to get some real life project experience. The students are paid according to the legal specifications under Dutch law. “Key to the ideas, services and products that are brought into the WiNet organization is that they are viable running projects. WiNet is not an emulator, but a real life company with a normal balance, profit and loss!”

 

Within the projects, they have a manager - an external person employed by BTC in Vienna, and they report to this manager and the managers at WiNet directly. They have weekly / monthy targets and objectives, receive feedback for their work and advice on how to work better. When possible, WiNet invites the students to events so that they can see the results of their work.

 

At the moment, my own WiNet projects for 2012 are mainly sales related and include:

Pipeliner Sales Training - WiNet is tasked with creating and selling an "open" seminar offering for the european market. There will be 4 specific offerings in 2012. Pipeliner training is a method of sales training designed specifically for the IT industry. (www.pipeliner-sales.com)

The main learning and experience for the WiNet workgroup will be direct sales and calling clients to generate interest and business 

Speakermedica. In 2011, the WiNet group was responsible for designing the website and creating quality content. In 2012, WiNet will begin raising the brand awareness of Speakermedica in the Pharmaceutical industry worldwide (www.speakermedica.com)

The main learning and experience for the WiNet workgroup will see how brand awareness activities link into relationship based sales, and knowledge of the clients’ business .

Ooopygloop. This is a project which is more about fun than about profit!! Ooopygloop is a portal of online childrens stories, writen and illustrated by 2 cousins, which needs a sponsor. The WiNet workgroup will define the market, and create the advertsing material and then take it to the market.

 

The main learning and experience for the WiNet workgroup will be learning about creating a product for the FMCG industry

Vanaf september gaan de 2 nieuwe masteropleidingen die Wittenborg gaat aanbieden in samenwerking met de University of Brighton in Engeland van start. Na een uitgebreid accreditatietraject van de University of Brighton met te hebben doorlopen zijn de Wittenborg-Brighton masters goed bevonden. De eerste inschrijving is een feit en verwacht wordt dat dit aantal zal oplopen naar 100. 

Afgelopen donderdag zijn in Engeland tijdens een officiële ceremonie de handtekeningen gezet en in september gaat Wittenborg Business School van start met 2 masteropleidingen: Master of Science in International Tourism en Master of Science in Management International Event Management. De samenwerking met Brighton University biedt unieke kansen. Professoren uit Engeland zullen een deel van de lessen verzorgen en de student zal ingeschreven staan bij zowel Wittenborg als Brighton University en heeft daardoor vele faciliteiten tot zijn of haar beschikking. Door veranderingen in de bekostiging van het hoger onderwijs in Engeland is het voor Engelse studenten aantrekkelijker om bij Wittenborg studeren. De kwaliteit van het onderwijs van Brighton University, en van de deze opleidingen in het bijzonder, is een van de beste van het Verenigd Koninkrijk. 

Toerisme is zonder twijfel een van de grootste industrien ter wereld, de evenementen industrie groeit daar snel achteraan. Geschat wordt dat het aantal toeristen zal groeien naar 1,6 biljoen in 2020 en het is dan ook van groot belang dat goed opgeleidde professionals de complexiteit en de dynamiek van deze groeiende sector begrijpen.

Naast deze masteropleidingen kunnen studenten zich ook inschrijven voor Bachelor of Science in Hospitality. Een 3 jarige opleiding, ook in samenwerking met de University of Brighton, waarbij de student elk jaar in een ander land studeert: één jaar in Nederland, in Frankrijk en in Duitsland. In 2013 een 3e masteropleiding aan het Wittenborg curriculum worden toegevoegd, Master of Science in Hospitality Managment.

Apeldoorn is de perfecte plek voor business studenten en Wittenborg wil in de nabije toekomst meer studenten naar Apeldoorn trekken. De particuliere onderwijsinstelling telt op dit moment ongeveer tweehonderd studenten met als doel binnen vijf jaar te groeien naar zeshonderd.

Tags: hogeschool wittenborguniversiteit brightonmasteropleidingapeldoorntourismtoerismeevent management

Wittenborg-Brighton International Management Master programmes through validation process and given green light to start in September 2012!

The first joint programmes of Wittenborg University and the University of Brighton (UK) was given the green light last week as the International MSc programmes in International Event Management and International Tourism Management completed their accreditation process at a partnership validation event held at the University of Brighton’s Eastbourne campus.

On Thursday, the validation panel, chaired by the University of Brighton’s deputy vice Chancellor Professor Stuart Laing approved the formal teaching and programme partnership between Wittenborg and Brighton. The Wittenborg-Brighton MSc programmes had already been approved after extensive documentation, due diligence and two visits by Brighton panels to the campus in Apeldoorn.

The event in Eastbourne was supported by teaching and programme management staff from the University of Brighton, and Wittenborg was represented by its directors Maggie Feng and Peter Birdsall, Wittenborg Academic Dean and Head of the Research Centre, Dr Tuen Wolters, and Wittenborg’s MSc programme coordinator Annette Kappert-White.

The partnership means that the MSc programmes will be fully provided in Apeldoorn, jointly by a team of lecturers from Brighton and Wittenborg. Successful students will receive an internationally recognized Master of Science degree.

Director Peter Birdsall said in a reaction after the event ‘this is a fantastic opportunity for Wittenborg to grow and we hope the start of many such programmes with Brighton. It allows Wittenborg University to pioneer international collaborative education at an academic level in the Netherlands. More than 50% of each module will be taught in Apeldoorn by lecturers of Brighton, and all marking right up to the dissertation will have the involvement of both parties. This very much sets it apart from many of the franchised UK master programmes at Dutch Universities of Applied Science and is aimed at Dutch and International students who want to gain an academic Master degree directly after their HBO Bachelor. It especially offers a great opportunity for Wittenborg University students to continue their studies and graduate with an internationally recognized MSc degree.'

Both International Management programmes will be offered in both full time (1 year) and part time (2 years) variants and will include an optional work placement in the Netherlands.

For more information please send a request: http://www.wittenborg.eu/apply-msc-international-tourism-or-msc-international-event-management.htm

For the first time, the Dutch government has signed an agreement with the non-funded Universities in the Netherlands regarding their participation in the development and implementation of State Secretary Halbe Zijlstra’s Higher Education Strategic paper that was published last summer.

The agreement covers a range of issues including a new accreditation system, to be implemented in the coming year, and the opportunities that non-funded Universities can provide the Netherlands government in their implementation of a more ‘lean and mean’ approach to the funding for higher education.

Wittenborg played an important role in the review process of the agreement, signed last Friday (13th January 2012) ensuring that an agreement was made that the Dutch government would promote funded and non-funded accredited institutions in the same way, and ensure that all communication both in the Netherlands and internationally about Dutch Universities would be the same, regardless of central funding or not. This includes ensuring that schools such as Wittenborg are also evenly represented on lists of institutions in world wide databases in which accredited Dutch Universities are mentioned.

WUP 18/01/2012

The full (Dutch) press release can be read here: 

http://www.wittenborg.nl/nrto-sluit-hoofdlijnenakkoord-met-staatssecretaris-zijlstra.htm

 

NRTO sluit hoofdlijnenakkoord met staatssecretaris Zijlstra

Het is voor het eerst dat private aanbieders van hoger onderwijs afspraken maken met de overheid over de bijdrage die zij gaan leveren aan de uitwerking van de Strategische Agenda Hoger Onderwijs, Onderzoek en Wetenschap van staatssecretaris Zijlstra. Vandaag hebben staatssecretaris Zijlstra en Eric Fischer, voorzitter van de Nederlandse Raad voor Training en Opleiding (NRTO) daarover afspraken gemaakt in het hoofdlijnenakkoord. 

Het akkoord bevat concrete afspraken over de bijdrage die de 33 private hogescholen die lid zijn van de NRTO gaan leveren, zoals het bevorderen van het aanbod van Associate-degreeprogramma’s (Ad’s) door leden van de NRTO. Hierbij wordt gestreefd naar 8000 studenten die in 2020 een Ad volgen. 

Daarnaast hebben de staatssecretaris en de NRTO afspraken gemaakt over de borging van de kwaliteit van het onderwijs, versterking van de kennisbasis, de kwaliteit van docenten en een transparante voorlichting aan de studenten. Met dit akkoord wordt een basis gelegd voor een toekomstbestendig hoger onderwijsstelsel waarin studenten meer worden uitgedaagd en docenten met enthousiasme onderwijs van hoge kwaliteit geven. 

Leven Lang Leren

‘Vooral bij het opleiden van werkenden binnen het Leven Lang Leren kunnen we als overheid ons voordeel doen met de opleidingscapaciteit en infrastructuur van het niet-bekostigde onderwijs’, aldus staatssecretaris Zijlstra. 

Door de wereldwijde concurrentie is het noodzakelijk dat de bevolking goed geschoold is en zich blijft bijscholen. Jongeren en volwassenen worden hiertoe gestimuleerd als het onderwijs aansluit op hun leerstijl en hun leerwensen. Privaat onderwijs biedt onderwijs aan vanuit de wensen van de klant, gericht op specifieke doelgroepen en branches. 

“Eén van de grote sterktes van het niet-bekostigd onderwijs is het leveren van maatwerk. Private aanbieders zijn bij uitstek in staat om binnen de eisen die verbonden zijn aan een wettelijke erkenning bepaalde doelgroepen, zoals volwassenen, werkenden en herintredende vrouwen op te leiden en aan te sluiten op de wensen van de arbeidsmarkt”, aldus de heer Fischer.

Met het akkoord erkent staatssecretaris Zijlstra de specifieke kracht en positie van het privaat onderwijs voor het opleiden van werkenden en zegt toe een aantal maatregelen te onderzoeken om mogelijk te komen tot een meer gelijkwaardig speelveld tussen privaat en bekostigd onderwijs. Private aanbieders geven aan dat zij bij een gelijkwaardige en open concurrentie op iedere marktvraag een toegankelijk en kwalitatief goed aanbod formuleren tegen een concurrerende prijs.

© NTRO

In één van de richtlijnen, waar Hogeschool Wittenborg een belangrijke bijdrage aan heeft geleverd, is vast gesteld dat er wordt toegezien op de relevante communicatie van o.a. het Nuffic en OCW over het Nederlands particulier onderwijs. Hierin is opgenomen dat behalve de bekostigde instellingen ook de rechtspersonen voor hoger onderwijs in de communicatie naar binnen- en buitenland worden meegenomen. Ook zij zullen vermeld worden met hun geacrrediteerde opleidingen in publicaties, websites en registers die landelijk worden gepubliceerd.

Het bestuur van Hogeschool Wittenborg heeft besloten om de ontwikkeling van de International Business Administration (IBA) Associate degree-programma’s(AD) tijdelijk uit te stellen en zich te concentreren op de verdere ontwikkeling van volledige bachelor- en masteropleidingen in samenwerking met de Universiteit van Brighton.   Deze beslissing komt op een moment dat staatssecretaris van Onderwijs, Halbe Zijlstra, niet-bekostigde hogescholen in een vijfde ronde van registratie heeft aangemoedigd een aanvraag te doen voor de Associate Degree programma's. Deze aanmoediging is in kader van de AD pilot die zijn einde nadert, voordat de Associate Degree wordt opgenomen in de Wet op het hoger onderwijs.   Volgens bestuurslid Peter Birdsall heeft Wittenborg een IBA Associate Degree ontwikkeld in vijf specialisaties, inclusief algemene economie en informatie-en communicatietechnologie. Deze sluiten aan bij de afspraken tussen Hogeschool Wittenborg en de lokale overheid, die de ontwikkeling van de Associate Degree-programma's altijd heeft gestimuleerd.   Echter, na overleg met werkgevers in de regio, de wethouders in de gemeenteraad van Apeldoorn en Wittenborgs partner ROC Aventus, werd duidelijk dat Aventus zich ook aan het voorbereiden is om samen met Saxion Hogeschool (Deventer) twee Ad-programma’s te lanceren in 2012. Als gevolg van gecompliceerde regels van accreditatie voor gefinancieerde scholen, zouden de voorgestelde Wittenborg programma's problematisch zijn voor de samenwerking tussen ROC en Saxion. Birdsall verklaarde verder dat goede betrekkingen met lokale bedrijven en organisaties en andere instellingen voor onderwijs in Apeldoorn, zoals het ROC Aventus, extreem belangrijk zijn voor Wittenborg.   “De werkelijke waarde van een Associate Degree voor werkgevers is nog niet volledig onderzocht, en dat er twee of meer Associate Degrees in bedrijfsadministratie worden aangeboden door twee instellingen binnen dezelfde locatie, zou niet gunstig zijn”, aldus Birdsall. Wittenborg kijkt uit naar het validatieproces (accreditatie) volgende week voor de Master International Event Management en de Master International Tourism Management op de Eastbourne campus van de Universiteit van Brighton. Deze twee MSc programma's worden vanaf september 2012 aangeboden door Hogeschool Wittenborg in Apeldoorn. WUP, 13/01/2012

Wittenborg University’s board has decided to suspend development of its Associate Degree programmes in International Business, and concentrate on the further development of the full Bachelor and Master programmes, also in partnership with the University of Brighton and NTI.

An Associate Degree is a programme that is roughly equivalent to a UK HND award, or a Foundation Degree. It has recently been introduced in the Netherlands, often offered jointly by ROC colleges and Universities of Applied Science.

Wittenborg’s decision comes at a time when the (Dutch) State Secretary of State for Education, Halbe Zijlstra, has especially encouraged (privately funded) Universities of Applied Science to apply for Associate Degree programmes in a fifth round of registration as part of the AD pilot that is nearing its end before the Associate Degree is incorporated in the Higher Education Act.

According to Wittenborg’s Director, Peter Birdsall, Wittenborg had been developing an IBA Associate Degree in five specialisations, including general economics and information and communication technology. This was in line with contractual agreements made between Wittenborg and the local government, in 2010, which has always stimulated the development of Associate Degree programmes.

However, according to Birdsall, after discussions with employers in the region, Councilors at the City Council of Apeldoorn and Wittenborg partners ROC Aventus College, it became clear that Aventus was also preparing to launch business ADs in 2012, together with Saxion Hogeschool (from Deventer) and that due to complicated rules of accreditation for funded schools, the proposed Wittenborg AD programmes could be problematic for them, and would at least confuse the local market. Birdsall went on to explain that relations with local companies and organisations and other education institutions in Apeldoorn, such as Aventus were extremely important to Wittenborg, and that the decision has been in full agreement with the local council.

The actual value to employers of an Associate Degree has not yet been fully explored, and the idea of two or more Associate Degrees all in the business administration domain being offered by two institutions within the same location would not be beneficial, Birdsall added, and went on to comment, ‘Maybe in the future, if the Associate Degree system proves a success, we can work together with Aventus to develop programmes such as these in other sectors.’

Wittenborg is looking forward to completing the validation process next week for the Master International Event Management and the Master International Tourism Management, at the Eastbourne campus of the University of Brighton. These two MSc programmes will be offered at Wittenborg in Apeldoorn from September 2012.

WUP, 13/01/2012

Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate 60 years of the Nuffic, Yang Meng, Vice Secretary General of the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), explained that internationalisation of Higher Education is a major aim for China in the coming eight years, and that the country expects its population of higher educated citizens to rise to around 195 million by 2020, double the number counted in 2009.

The Netherlands is home to thousands of Chinese students studying at Research Universities and Universities of Applied Science, and the majority of students return back to China to follow their careers. Recently, the new Director of Neso China Visited CEAIE, as the Netherlands steps up its Higher Education Relations with China. From the CEAIE website it is shown that on Oct.18th, Madam Yang Meng and Mr. Zong Wa, Deputy Secretary General, met with Sander van den Eijnden, Director General of NUFFIC, accompanied by Mr. Jacques van Vliet, the Director of Neso China and his successor Mr. Marcus Wilhelmus Bellen, who has taken over the task of running Neso Beijing. Mr van den Eijnden is also Chair of the Board of Trustees of ROC Aventus, the Apeldoorn college in which Wittenborg University is located, and partnered with.

In Early January, Wittenborg University had discussions with staff at Neso, now based in the modern Beijing neighbourhood of Xidan, regarding the promotion of its programmes in China, and the possibilities Neso offers Chinese graduates from the Netherlands in its Alumni programme. Neso staff were positive regarding Wittenborg’s development in Apeldoorn and looked forward to working closely with the school as it developed its partnerships in China.

(picture from http://en.ceaie.edu.cn)

Some years ago I was involved in an EU research project on the selection and development of statistical New Economy indicators. The subject was about how ICT and globalisation are changing economic relationships. The project restricted itself to the first 15 EU countries.

As a member of a panel during the final ‘wrap up’ conference (held in Greece) I pointed out that Italy was in a special situation. In terms of the ‘old economy’ Italy was still doing well. However, in terms of the ‘new economy’ the indicators showed that this country was lagging behind. This was something to worry about.

One of the participants, a scholar from the rich north of Italy, responded by saying that according to him Italy was doing fine. There was nothing to worry about. You can imagine, I was not happy about this response. The point was that if the Italian was right, he should have warned the project team that the selected indicators were inadequate.

Here we witnessed a remarkable case of fact-free thinking. There was no reason to doubt the indicators (nobody did), but when it came to drawing the right conclusions, someone whom it concerned would not hear of it.

Fact-free thinking should be distinguished from entrepreneurial thinking (even though it is surrounded by ‘elements of fiction’). The entrepreneur is aware of what is reality but is determined to make use of (often self-created) opportunities, even if that is a risky endeavour. Fact-free thinking is also different from ‘outside the box’ thinking. In the latter case, the facts are recognised but approached in a different unconventional way, so that new ideas may emerge. If our students understand this, to a great extent our educational efforts can be considered successful.

Dr. Teun Wolters (2 Jan. 2012)

 

2 Partner University Agreements in Shanghai! Wittenborg and Shanghai Business School agree on partnership and programme collaboration.

On 28th December 2011, Directors Maggie Feng and Peter Birdsall signed the Memorandum of Cooperation between Wittenborg University and Shanghai Business School, at the main SBS campus. The MOU covers the possible development of joint programmes, credit transfer and student and faculty exchange between the two institutions.

Wittenborg Students to visit Shanghai in Project Week

Wittenborg business students will be given the opportunity to complete a project week in Shanghai during the end of May 2012. During the trip, the students will stay at Wittenborg’s partner institution campus and follow joint seminars with their Chinese counterparts. The trip will also enable Wittenborg students to visit international companies active in the Shanghai region, as well as see the sights and soak up the atmosphere of China’s business city.

Wittenborg also Signs a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Shanghai Finance University<?xml:namespace prefix = o />

At the end of 2011, Wittenborg University and the Shanghai Finance University signed the Memorandum of Cooperation that had been agreed between the two institutes in a previous visit in October 2011. The OU will allow Shanghai Finance University lecturers and students to spend periods of study and learning in the Netherlands and also paves the way for a double degree programme with ambitious Shanghai Finance University students completing their degree’s at Wittenborg in Apeldoorn.

Monday 9th January 2012

Directors Peter Birdsall and Maggie Feng wish all Wittenborg students, staff and relations a happy Christmas break, and a successful start to the New Year 2012.

Maggie Feng: “Summing up 2011 I would say ‘new and exciting challenges’, ‘professionalisation’, ‘change management’, ‘lots of business networking’, ‘learning to find my way round Apeldoorn without TomTom’ and last but not least Student Housing and Spaceboxes!”

Peter Birdsall: “My 2011 keywords are: ‘another new website’, ‘branding and google ranking’, ‘even more different nationalities at school’, ‘R&D: University of Brighton MSc’, ‘NTI  MBA’,’ Quality System Good – Student Support Excellent’,  and last but defiantly not least  ‘accreditation and validation panels’.”

“Wittenborg has now settled into its new location in Apeldoorn, and 2011 has been a year of consolidation, in which the school has been audited three times by independent panels, as part of the development of Bachelor and Master programmes in Business Administration, Hospitality, Events and Tourism. An important partnership with the University of Brighton was further developed and Master of Science programmes in International Event Management and International Tourism Management will be launched in 2012. The development of an international MBA route for International Students, Expats and Knowledge Migrants, was started, with partner NTI University”

“Networking was an important aspect to the year, starting with the Apeldoorn New Year receptions and ending with the at the ICT Gala, at which music and entertainment was central, but even here, the development of new programmes in ICT Project Management were discussed with members of the Apeldoorn IT sector.”

“Central to the year has been student housing, cumulating with the arrival of 24 brightly coloured SpaceBoxes, situated in the centre of Apeldoorn, within walking distance of the campus. Excellent Student Housing will remain an important theme in 2012!”

“Central to the year 2011 has been professionalization of education, and the processes and systems within the business school. The NVAO audit panel in September considered Wittenborg’s quality system to be “good”, and its student support mechanisms as “excellent”, however Wittenborg intends to continue the process of increasing quality of education and service to students and staff in 2012”

 

This week saw the launch of a real-life business project based on the re-development of the remarkable Central Beheer Achmea (Insurance) building, designed by the Dutch architect Herman Hertzenberger. The building was bought by the Real Estate Investment Corporation TCN in 2007 and will be vacated by the Insurance giant in the summer of 2013.

TCN currently has plans to redevelop this large building, situated on the edge of the city centre, and within easy walking distance of shops, bars, railway station and the City Hall, into the Apeldoorn Business Campus, which would include a combination of spaces for companies, education institutes and a hotel function with student housing possibilities.

This concept ties in with the aims of the city of Apeldoorn to encourage the growth of Higher Education in the city and the industries central to the economy of Apeldoorn: Management of ICT, Health, Human Resources and Manufacturing.

TCN has joined forces with Wittenborg Business School and its students to come up with out-of the box ideas to re-develop the location.1st and 2nd year students have been formed into project teams of 4 or 5 and have been set the task of coming up with a viable business plan, whilst showing that they can work together in teams in a professional and efficient way. The project has similarities to the methods used in the well-known BBC series The Apprentice, in which entrepreneur Alan Sugar hires and fires young professionals based on their performance in project teams. ”Of course students won’t be ‘fired’,” explains director Maggie Feng, who is leading the project, “but students will be evaluated both as a team and on their individual performance. The project results will be evaluated by project managers from TCN and from the City Council of Apeldoorn, as well as Wittenborg management, and the winning team will be awarded a ‘prize’ – a day out at the Netherlands Television centre – Media Park- which is owned by TCN”

TCN, known for its playful dog logo, has been active in the European Real Estate market since 1994 and focusses on the transformation of existing buildings into comfortable, functional and safe living and working environments. TCN employs 200 staff and carries out projects in the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and Russia.

This week saw the launch of a real-life business project based on the re-development of the remarkable Central Beheer Achmea (Insurance) building, designed by the Dutch architect Herman Hertzenberger. The building was bought by the Real Estate Investment Corporation TCN in 2007 and will be vacated by the Insurance giant in the summer of 2013.

TCN currently has plans to redevelop this large building, situated on the edge of the city centre, and within easy walking distance of shops, bars, railway station and the City Hall, into the Apeldoorn Business Campus, which would include a combination of spaces for companies, education institutes and a hotel function with student housing possibilities.

This concept ties in with the aims of the city of Apeldoorn to encourage the growth of Higher Education in the city and the industries central to the economy of Apeldoorn: Management of ICT, Health, Human Resources and Manufacturing.

TCN has joined forces with Wittenborg Business School and its students to come up with out-of the box ideas to re-develop the location.1st and 2nd year students have been formed into project teams of 4 or 5 and have been set the task of coming up with a viable business plan, whilst showing that they can work together in teams in a professional and efficient way. The project has similarities to the methods used in the well-known BBC series The Apprentice, in which entrepreneur Alan Sugar hires and fires young professionals based on their performance in project teams. ”Of course students won’t be ‘fired’,” explains director Maggie Feng, who is leading the project, “but students will be evaluated both as a team and on their individual performance. The project results will be evaluated by project managers from TCN and from the City Council of Apeldoorn, as well as Wittenborg management, and the winning team will be awarded a ‘prize’ – a day out at the Netherlands Television centre – Media Park- which is owned by TCN”

TCN, known for its playful dog logo, has been active in the European Real Estate market since 1994 and focusses on the transformation of existing buildings into comfortable, functional and safe living and working environments. TCN employs 200 staff and carries out projects in the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and Russia.

Over the past 25 years Wittenborg has grown from a Dutch Real Estate HBO in Deventer to an International Business School in Apeldoorn. Many students came and went. What has happened to them? Where are they now?

Elsemieke Meulenbrugge was following an MBO (College of Further Education) study, when her interest in the Construction Field was formed during her placement at a Real Estate company in the region. When she completed her College diploma, she signed up for Wittenborg’s Bachelor in Real Estate Management (HBO Vastgoed en Makelaardij).

During her time at Wittenborg the school was undergoing a lot of changes. The focus turned from Dutch taught HBO to International Business Administration degrees; English taught modules started and the first international students arrived. “The first year went relatively quickly and I learned a lot. The change from a Dutch focused school to a completely international business school was not without ups and downs and hiccups, and for Dutch students it became a challenging environment. Luckily, things worked out just fine during my second year and by that time Wittenborg had really established itself as a more international school. Even though the ‘old Wittenborg atmosphere’ I was used to was gone, the overall effect was very positive.” During that time Wittenborg developed from a small local school to an institute in which classes would often be comprised of 10 or even more nationalities studying and learning together. With the changes a profesionalisation and systemization was introduced, developments that continue to this day..

During her studies, Elsemieke also combined her studies with working at a Real Estate company in the Apeldoorn region. After her graduation in 2009 she started her career as an estate agent in the field of new property development in Apeldoorn. Unfortunately, as is widely known, the housing market in Europe has all but collapsed in recent years and Elsemieke decided to try her luck elsewhere: “Because I still wanted to stay in contact with Real Estate, I started working as a secretary for a Construction Consultancy Firm in Zwolle. It soon turned out I was missing some commercial aspects, which is why I made another switch from secretary to Consultant for a job agency in Apeldoorn again. I work here in Apeldoorn fulltime now, as an employment consultant for a work agency, and enjoy it very much.”

When questioned on what her fondest memory of Wittenborg is, Elsmieke says: “My graduation! All graduates were dressed up in togas and received a personal speech, which was really nice. Also, the ceremony took place in the Synagogue in Deventer, which created a beautiful atmosphere.”

13 December 2011

Tags: Alumni

Wittenborg is making strides in setting up its research centre.  I expect to substantiate this in the near future by informing you about a couple of interesting research projects that Wittenborg has embraced. 

However, this does not imply any kind of complacency. Recently, I attended a meeting where research professors working for Dutch universities of applied sciences explained how they had organised their research programmes. One of them was an organisational sociologist who enthusiastically talked about research as a way of learning.

On the one hand there was ‘learning by instruction’.  Indeed, we readily recognise this.  In our imagination we see teachers telling students what is worth knowing. 

On the other hand, there was research that involves students in a process full of cognitive surprises and discoveries.  The speaker had established a group of companies which could air their organizational problems for which they had no satisfactory solution.  After that, students could put on their research hat in order to come up with imaginative solutions.  You may wonder whether the students involved had enjoyed sufficient ‘instruction’ to deal with the kind of problems to which experienced professionals had no answer.

The speaker was able to take away this worry right away. The students could leave behind all the business knowledge they had ever learnt.  They had to conduct interviews with people in the company covering a diversity of functions and responsibilities from shop floor up to the CEO him/her self.  The questions asked had to be frank and unbiased, that is, not prejudiced by any book learning.

The results were amazingly interesting for all parties. New solutions emerged that remained hidden before.  In the final analysis only, could the students put the book knowledge and the field knowledge together, leading to a remarkable synthesis.  I was impressed by the presentation. Is this the way forward?

Dr Teun Wolters, December 2011