454 | London Metropolitan Business School and the School of Graduate Studies, Stenden University of Applied Sciences Leeuwarden, proudly announce the successful validation of Master of Arts in International Events Management.

The validation took place in April in London. The validation panel consisted of senior academics from both Stenden University (formerly CHN) and London Metropolitan University, in addition to Nicoline van Straten.

Nicoline represented the industry in her capacity as Managing Director of The Live House, an events and communications agency, and as a principle of IDEA, the Independent Dutch Event Marketing Association; she is said to be very proud of the new programme.

“This is another innovative first for London Metropolitan University”, says Justin Lance, who conceived the curriculum and shall lead the delivery of the course. His comments relate to the launch in 2006 of MA Events Marketing Management, which has grown in two short years to become significant in terms of student recruitment. Early indications suggest that MA International Events Management shall follow a similar trend.

“We are recruiting for programme entry this September. At this early stage we have already made five confirmed offers of places to applicants from the UK, mainland Europe, and further a field; we even have interest from Australia.”

Although there are in excess of ten academic institutions in the UK offering a programme at this level, the launch of this curriculum represents a first for the Netherlands. Justin Lance is confident that the programme shall compete successfully. He is swift to point out how this truly international programme differentiates.

“Students spend their first semester of study in the Netherlands, at the Leeuwarden campus of Stenden University; they are taught in English. At the end of the semester, students are provided with an opportunity to visit Qatar on a ten-day field trip; then they travel to London for their second semester. Students can also undertake an internship within industry as part of their studies.”

The course is intended for those who have ambitions for a senior, strategic position within the events industry. The core curriculum concepts of Integrated Events Management and Events Experience Management shall develop the skills of future managers to deliver creative, innovative, sustainable business solutions.

Applications have been received from current students studying at Stenden University, recent graduates wishing to augment their training, and individuals who have experience within the events industry wishing to enhance their career opportunities.

For further information about the programme, or how to apply, contact Albert Postma, Programme Coordinator (Netherlands), Tel.: +31 - 58 - 244 1353. See also the website of the School of Graduate Studies.

442 | Jan Nabers, the newly appointed director for International Affairs at Stenden University of Applied Sciences, has had an affinity with international issues for a long time.

»My challenge is the creation of opportunities for young people to accumulate international experience.«

In order to better understand the drawn-out and deeply rooted conflict between the Jewish and Palestinian/Arab inhabitants, Jan Nabers travelled in 1989 to the international living and working community Nes Ammim, in northern Israel. He ended up staying there for two and a half years.

»I wanted to find out why Israelis, Palestinians, and Arabs did not succeed to live in peace and harmony with each other. I still do not understand it, but I have an increasingly better grasp of why I do not understand it.«

Nabers is convinced that the hope of future generations living in peace with each other will never extinguish.

»It is easy to do nothing. With our church, we support the Hand-in-Hand schools, bilingual and multicultural schools with an equal number of students from Jewish and Arab origin. These schools are intended to expand mutual understanding for each other. I think we should wholeheartedly support such initiatives. It concerns young people.«

In Nes Ammim, he tackled a variety of issues. »Over there, I worked in the greenhouses tending to roses and in accounting, and I opened a little store at the swimming pool. Just imagine it and it was done. I think that one of the reasons that I am working here now, is related to my stay over there. As a young adult, you are immersed in an entirely different environment and culture. You get involved with each other. This is a learning experience, which benefits your character development. This is actually similar to the Grand Tour of Stenden. At beginning of April, I was in South Africa, visiting the Educational Institute for Service Studies (EISS). On the Wildlife campus in Alicedale, fifteen individuals participated for ten weeks in the Wildlife semester. They must rely on and help each other, and they learn a great deal from this experience. A terrific experience! If you want to achieve a world in which people have sympathy for each other, you must create opportunities for young people to meet each other and to learn about each other’s cultures.«

Integration

The international character of Stenden appealed to him. What is his first impression? »It is fantastic to see what international contacts there are, with Leeuwarden as well as with Emmen. I would be delighted to link my experience to that.«

He assumed his new position in the middle of March. He is very positive after his first visit to EISS in Port Alfred and Alicedale. »The students are working hard. Yet, they are enjoying it tremendously. There is an ambiance of integration between the South African students, the students from other African countries, and the International Grand Tour students. They care about each other and everyone gets along with everyone else.«

If it would be up to Nabers, many more students would get to experience the Grand Tour. »We have more than ten thousand students! There are only a few hundred annually who get to go on the Grand Tour. With the current programmes, it could be many more.«

Structure

One of his first focal points is the development and implementation of a strategic policy intended to structure the internationalisation. »We will closely review the number of countries with which we are in contact, and the reasons and intended objectives thereof. We will focus on a number of countries. China is one of those countries. However, at this moment, we barely use the many placement opportunities that present themselves, while there is a considerable demand for our students and they are very welcome. Apparently, our students are currently not very interested in China. Many more could go over there. Two of our students who I talked to, Pepijn Klerkx and Lizzy Suijkerbuijk, both have already been offered an interesting job over there. We should see to it that more students get in touch with Chinese culture. In this fashion, we can develop our relationships in China.«

429 | Was ist eigentlich Webzwonull? In Stuttgart, an der HdM, scheint man es zu wissen! Denn von dort gibt es nun »den« Film zu diesem Thema.

Aber man braucht 35 Minuten und viele ein- und umleitende Worte, um sich der Frage überhaupt zu nähern und irgendwie sozusagen zum Thema zu kommen.

Die abgebildeten Meetings sehen so aus, als handele es sich um wissenschaftliche Kongresse. Aber was von diesen Zusammenkünften im Film vorkommt, erhellt nichts, sondern produziert Feelings, Atmosphäre, unter Verwendung von Insider-Begriffen.

Ich befürchte, dass nach Betrachten / Anhören dieses Films alle Uneingeweihten nicht mehr wissen als ohne diesen Film, denn er bleibt ihnen unverständlich.

Was ist Web 2.0? Dieser Film lädt dazu ein, der Frage gezielt(er) nachzugehen. Vielleicht sagt es uns jemand kurz und klar in 35 Sekunden?

So bringt es Tim O’Reilly auf den Punkt. Nachlesbares von ihm gibt es hier.

424 | Edou Hilverda was born in Sneek in Friesland. He lived in Bolsward until the age of 17. After secondary education in Bolsward he started his Bachelors in International Hospitality Management at Stenden in Leeuwarden. Despite the small distance between Bolsward and Leeuwarden he decided to move to Leeuwarden to experience and enjoy student life to the fullest.

by Iffat Hussain

Edou is always looking for challenges in his life. He wants to use his potential to its fullest.

“The first 2 years at CHN I was not too motivated. I was too busy partying and doing trips throughout the Netherlands by train. Besides my busy life I felt IHM was not very challenging for me. Often I successfully passed a module assignment by only working one or two nights in the last week of a module. In the second year I was even thinking about leaving. After a thorough thought I decided to stay. In my third year I became more motivated. The module assignments were more challenging and of course I grew to maturity. Furthermore I was able to choose the elective semester Humanitarian Hospitality Management. This was a subject that really interested and still interests me.”

He did his internship at the facility department of MCL, the hospital in Leeuwarden. He had a very good leaning experience there and decided to continue working for another two years after his internship. He worked at the ‘Bedrijfsbureau’. This department, in addition to other things was mainly responsible for MCL-broad projects, movements, interior and design, and the department was closely concerned with the building and rebuilding of the new MCL.

Now he is studying part-time MA in International Service Management at the School of Graduate Studies, and is also working as a junior practical instructor of the facility department of Hotel Wyswert, where he is having new experience of managing people. This part-time programme is the best thing he likes in Stenden, in addition to have interaction with people of different cultural backgrounds.

He adds: “I like the interaction between teachers and students. The distance between teachers and students is smaller than I have experienced during my previous education. I think this is really motivating.”

After his Masters he wants to do a traineeship abroad to gain international experience. He further adds “Like many people I also have big dreams, but maybe I will also end up ’huisje boompje beestje’, (having wife, children and a pet). But I won’t marry. I really believe that if you love somebody, then you don’t have to promise this to her by means of a marriage.”

Edou’s dream is to travel more. When he is finished with his studies and have earned enough money, he would be exploring new places. He says “I want to travel around the globe. I want to see different cultures. I have travelled to France, Portugal, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and of course almost all of Netherlands but I also want to experience countries with completely different cultures. I had this dream since childhood. Once I will be finished with my study and have earned enough money I will definitely travel more. Eventually I would like to contribute my experience and knowledge to an international organisation in the field of development assistance.”

Watch the Master students working

423 | It’s really television, online! This channel shows documentaries about students of the Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, while they are following some study modules at the Stenden Rangsit University in Bangkok, Thailand, and at the EISS University in Port Alfred, South Africa.

These videos are »on air«, permanently. New episodes will be added as soon as possible.

You can embed this channel into your own website and your Facebook and MySpace profiles, too.

417 | Unsere niederländische Stenden Hogeschool hat Niederlassungen in Qatar, Südafrika und Thailand. Um den internationalen Austausch zu beleben, bietet die Hochschule ihren Studenten die Möglichkeit, Teile des Studiums an einer ihrer internationalen Niederlassungen zu absolvieren.

Mein Kollege Andreas Beusker hat mit der Videokamera im Gepäck die EISS in Port Alfred, Südafrika, besucht.

In sechs Minuten lässt er in Teil 2 seiner Dokumentation die Studenten aus ihrem Alltag und aus ihren unterschiedlichen Studien- und Praxisgebieten berichten. Teil 1 wurde bereits vorgestellt.

Diese beiden »Stippvisiten« wurden am Stand der Grand Tour® beim Tag der Offenen Tür der Stenden Hogeschool in Leeuwarden am 8. März erstmals gezeigt und fanden reges Interesse.

In Vorbereitung ist eine Gesamtdokumentation des spannenden Konzepts der Grand Tour®. Dazu wird es ergänzend eine Folge über die Geschichte dieser Tradition in der früheren Universitätswelt und eine Folge über ein weiteres Ziel für die Stenden-Studierenden, nämlich die Niederlassung in Doha (Qatar), geben.

Die Stenden Hogeschool ist die internationalste Hochschule der Niederlande. In ihren Niederlassungen in Qatar, Südafrika und Thailand können die Studenten problemlos eine Studienperiode ihres niederländischen Pensums absolvieren.