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Wittenborg-Brighton International Management Master programmes accredited 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

NRTO and State Secretary for Higher Education sign historic agreement.

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

Wittenborg University suspends plans to offer Associate Degree (AD) programmes in 2012.

Wittenborg University’s board has decided to suspend development of its Associate Degree programmes (AD) 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

 China looking to double its higher educated by 2020.

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 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)

Fact-free thinking

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 new Partnerships in Shanghai.

Wittenborg and Shanghai Business School agree on partnership and programme collaboration.

On 28^th 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 Signs a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Shanghai Finance University

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