Milestone in Wittenborg's pursuit of educational excellence

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has received prestigious accreditation for its Master of Science - Master of Business Management programme. The Foundation for International Business Administration (FIBAA), an internationally recognised and independent higher education accreditation body, has awarded its Premium Quality Seal to WUAS’s MBM programme. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, an award ceremony will be held at Wittenborg's Spoorstraat location on Tuesday 13 June, 2023.

The FIBAA Premium Quality Seal serves as testament to the excellence and practicality of accredited programmes. Through a transparent quality assurance process, FIBAA assesses undergraduate and graduate programmes and helps students make informed decisions about their educational choices. Accreditation helps students identify programmes that meet the highest standards of quality and relevance.

On 22 March, 2023, the FIBAA Accreditation and Certification Committee decided to award the Premium Quality Seal to Wittenborg's MBM programme. This recognition places WUAS among an elite group of only five Dutch schools that have received FIBAA accreditation. This accreditation highlights Wittenborg's commitment to providing the highest level of education and prepares students for a successful career in business.

An important ceremony

The award ceremony promises to be a significant event for Wittenborg. The Managing Director of FIBAA, Mag. Diane Freiberger, will personally present the certificate to WUAS, underlining the importance of this achievement.

The event's agenda includes a plenary session at the Spoorstraat building, where participants will have the chance to listen to several keynote speakers. Kriszta Kaspers will make a presentation on the increasing importance of global perspectives in business education. Mag. Diane Freiberger will then take the stage to award the FIBAA Premium Quality Seal, highlighting the rigorous evaluation process behind the accreditation. WUAS president Peter Birdsall will share insights and reflections on Wittenborg's journey with FIBAA, creating a deeper understanding of the importance of this accreditation. The session will conclude with Q&A between Wittenborg's CEO Maggie Feng and Mag. Diane Freiberger, allowing attendees to engage directly with FIBAA's Managing Director.

At the end of the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to network and partake in what promises to be a joyful celebration. Mag. Diane Freiberger will deliver a 15-minute speech on this momentous occasion, highlighting the significance of the FIBAA Premium Quality Seal for Wittenborg and its prestigious master's programme.

The award ceremony represents a significant milestone in Wittenborg's pursuit of educational excellence. The recognition from FIBAA affirms the institution's dedication to providing students with a top-quality business education, preparing them to thrive in the dynamic and competitive global marketplace. This achievement will undoubtedly inspire current and future students, as well as faculty and staff, to continue striving for excellence in education and research.

WUP 02/06/2023
by Niels Otterman
©WUAS Press

Bringing Apeldoorn's international community together

Apeldoorn is about to witness the exciting debut of English Theater Apeldoorn's latest piece. This innovative theatre group aims to bring together local Dutch residents and expats from diverse backgrounds through contemporary plays that have a meaningful impact on the region and society. The group represents a fruitful combination of cultures and experiences. It includes 10 members from seven nationalities, working in prominent organisations, such as Achmea, Belastingdienst, ABN and Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences.

Tulya Kavaklioglu, the driving force behind English Theater Apeldoorn, is a talented theatre practitioner. As the founder and current President of both WOW-EFFECT Theater in Nijmegen and English Theater Apeldoorn, Tulya's expertise and dedication to the performing arts are evident. While her primary occupation lies in freelance marketing for life sciences organisations through her company, Lyfsci, her work in theatre (directing, producing, acting and marketing) is entirely voluntary, driven purely by passion. "Community theatre has been a big part of my life and identity for more than 15 years. In Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands, I have been part of a variety of amateur theatre groups. I find it so magical and powerful when people who are initially strangers to each other get together, experiment, collaborate and create and eventually become a single unit: a community!"

Tulya's background in marketing and communication, with a specialisation in these fields from Wittenborg, has proved instrumental in her theatrical endeavours. Communication plays a vital role in both research and theatre: "You need to make your research accessible to the general public, and you need to sell enough tickets to fill the seats in the audience for your plays," she explains. Her strategic approach, honed during her studies at Wittenborg, has empowered her to effectively market her theatre projects and assist her clients in achieving their goals as a freelance marketer. "My 'passion projects' in theatre certainly do benefit from my marketing knowledge too. The art we create is not restricted to live performances but we also create content for our website, social media channels and for print," Tulya says. "I see every engagement with our audience both as a part of our creative process and opportunities to reach many people in the area."

Together alone

This enthusiasm led her to establish WOW-EFFECT Theater and English Theater Apeldoorn. The latter, with its diverse cultural backgrounds, ages, occupations and experience levels, has become a close-knit group of friends working together on their project, Together Alone. A project with its first show scheduled for the 3 and 4 June at Gigant in Apeldoorn. Written and directed by Tulya, the performance depicts complex and fundamental emotions of estrangement, existential loneliness and love in a surreal way while it reflects on our ability (or inability) to make unconscious choices in our lives.

"We became more than teammates; we are dear friends to each other. Every single member of our community feels proud of their accomplishment in bringing a play to life from scratch by working as a team," she says.

English Theater Apeldoorn's significance to the city of Apeldoorn lies in its commitment to community building and inclusion, especially for internationals. The group aims to provide a space where individuals can be themselves, find acceptance and feel at home. "I think there is much value in creating opportunities to not only help these people be the best versions of themselves, but also to support the cultural exchange between the Dutch and internationals by building bridges between them," Tulya explains. "This cultural and economic enrichment eventually benefits everyone in the region. And I think this is exactly what English Theater Apeldoorn brings to Apeldoorn, not only for its members, but also the greater Apeldoorn community."

The alignment of goals between English Theater Apeldoorn and Wittenborg is evident. This is exemplified by the involvement of Myra Qiu, Wittenborg's Process & Quality Manager, who has joined the theatre group's team and board. The support of both GIGANT and WUAS has helped realise English Theatre Apeldoorn's vision over the past year. English Theater Apeldoorn's performance Together Alone will premiere on Saturday 3 June at 19:30 at Gigant theatre (Nieuwstraat 377, Apeldoorn) with another performance on Sunday 4 June, same time and location. Tickets are available now.

WUP 31/05/2023
by Niels Otterman
©WUAS Press

A city to platform growth and career advancement

From 31 May to 2 June, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences will host the ninth edition of the European Sales Competition 2023 (ESC 2023). At the Brinklaan location in Apeldoorn, more than 100 participants from 25 institutions from across Europe will gather in the royal and green city to challenge each other in this exciting event filled with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for professional self-development. The competition will also be a great place to have fun and network. As an entrepreneurial city, Apeldoorn is the perfect location for the ESC 2023.

Renowned for its beauty, royal history and green surroundings, the city of Apeldoorn offers participants the opportunity to explore stunning nature and experience a rich cultural heritage, such as Palace Het Loo, which used to be the home of the Dutch royalty. Beyond its beautiful natural environment, Apeldoorn has a thriving business climate and a strong commitment to sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, with initiatives like LONKT as well as other programmes centred on making sure local businesses thrive. Apeldoorn's commitment to its entrepreneurs has created a strong ecosystem of local enterprises, especially in the catering sector, meaning those travelling to the competition from abroad will find a host of amazing restaurants, pubs and various artisans. The city has a history of welcoming visitors from all over the world, making it a great location for international competitions like the ESC 2023. It is no coincidence that Wittenborg, the most international business school in the Netherlands, settled in Apeldoorn. It is not the first time Apeldoorn was the home of an international business event, as Wittenborg also hosted EuroCHRIE in Apeldoorn in October of last year.

The European Sales Competition serves as a platform for participants to enhance their sales skills, expand their professional networks and improve their employability prospects. Apeldoorn is very enthusiastic to be hosting this prestigious competition organised by Wittenborg. By providing a conducive environment for participants to showcase their abilities, engage with industry professionals, and gain valuable experience, Apeldoorn aligns with the competition's goals of supporting and platforming economic growth and career advancement.

Travelling participants in the ESC 2023 will not only have the opportunity to showcase their sales talent but will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the unique offerings of this remarkable city. They shall be welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of Apeldoorn, Jeroen Joon, during the start of the competition where they can compete, network, have fun and experience the eclectic business climate of Apeldoorn.

WUP 26/05/2023
by Niels Otterman
©WUAS Press

Promoting the applied research capacity of Wittenborg

Welcome to Wittenborg Research Centre’s series of interviews with our research-active faculty members! To kick off this series, Wittenborg Research Centre spoke with Wittenborg’s Vice President of Applied Research, Prof. Dr Ad Kil.

Prof. Dr Ad Kil is Vice President of Applied Research at Wittenborg. He holds a BA in Psychology, an MA in Social Pedagogy, a PGDip P&O, a PGDip CE (Corporate Education), an MA in Human Resources Management, an MBA and a PhD in Management Science and Business Administration. His PhD research was on competences of managing partners of law firms. Ad is also Emeritus Professor of Research Didactics for Professionals at Nyenrode Business University, he was Director of Executive PhD programmes at Nyenrode and Professor of Research at Nordic International Management Institute, China. He is a former HRD professor at Nottingham Law School, UK, and former Master of Conflict Management Research Manager, Maastricht University Law School. Ad was also a senior lecturer at the Dutch Bar Association (NOvA), where he developed the Advocacy Skills Programme, and Radboud University Law School, the Netherlands. His areas of research interest include research methodology, business research, family business, succession and wealth management and professional service firms. 

Beginning the Education and Research Journey

From when he began higher education in his early twenties, Ad has always been involved in the intersection of professional development and education simultaneously. Ad describes himself as not being an easy learner. “I learn best when I take something, and I do something with it.” This basic principle triggered him throughout his higher education and professional career. Speaking about the role of education and research, Ad says, “At the end of the day, the aim of education and research is to get the myth out of it. Science is nothing other than demystification." Ad outlined that although he has done other types of work throughout his career, he was always nonetheless involved in lecturing and teaching, mainly in the domains of social sciences (psychology, sociology, organisational behaviours, etc.). He also spent some time involved in curriculum development, particularly developing professional training programmes for corporate bodies and institutions.

Publishing in Academia

Ad is no stranger to the field of academic publishing. He initially started publishing in the field of conflict management over twenty years ago. For the past ten years, he has been particularly active in academic publishing. “I have good publications and enough publications - last year (2022) I had six, and I have three already so far this year.” The third edition of Praktijkgericht kwalitatief onderzoek (''Practice-oriented Qualitative Research''), which Ad co-authored, has recently been published. This bestselling book is a practical manual that outlines the methods of practice-oriented qualitative and deductive research and covers important topics including research design, theoretical framework/conceptual models, analysing and summarising research data, and writing up research results and findings.

Ad endorses collaborative effort in research and publication. “You combine knowledge, disciplines, brains, and time”, he says. Ad also shared some of his perception of doctorate level research. ''You learn the game of research after your PhD – getting your PhD is just the beginning”, he comments.

The Differences and Challenges of Applied Research

Ad describes how he has become more and more interested in applied research rather than theoretical research. He talks about the difference and distinction between the two. “The end product of theoretical research is a test or improvement or expounding of a theory. Whereas the end product of practice-based research is on finding solutions for real-life problems.”

Ad identifies a social impact aspect to this and says that it is important for universities of applied sciences to take their research very seriously. “The effects are in practice, not in the head. Therefore, the research needs to be accountable to the real situation”, says Ad. “The real-life solutions that applied research can provide have a direct impact on innovation”.

According to Ad, the biggest challenge in applied science is to get people from the concrete to the abstract level of thinking. “Concrete thinking is a slow way of thinking; the more abstract your thinking, the faster, more mercurial it is.’’ As such, there are many ways of solving issues. “Research is a forced reflection. There is always more than one solution, but there is also the best solution,” Ad comments.

Advice for Future Research

Ad gives advice to both students and faculty as regards developing future research capacity at Wittenborg. Ad encourages students to learn how to conduct research, to follow themes and trends which are important within the industry one is studying or researching, to learn to do statistics and how to use research tools, and to get involved in research projects where possible. Ad encourages faculty to go one layer deeper in researching of their fields of interest, and to take a subject and see how it works in the context of education.

For further information about Prof. Dr Ad Kil, please see his official website, his Wittenborg website profile and his LinkedIn profile.

WUP 24/05/2023
by Selina White
©WUAS Press

Insights from Dutch hotels

WUAS' Associate Professor Vanessa de Oliveira Menezes recently published two book chapters in the Brazilian book Universidade e Sociedade: por uma construção de cidadania. The book will be published in 2023, but the project started in 2021 and was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two chapters deal with sustainability in hospitality, applying studies in different cases in Dutch hotels.  

The first chapter examines the best way to communicate sustainable initiatives in hotels, specifically at the Stenden Hotel in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, where De Oliveira Menezes did her postgraduate research. "According to the findings, guests prefer short, dynamic messages, with a bit of humour," she explains. "Moreover, this information should not be intrusive and should not be provided at times when guests are in a hurry, such as during check-in and check-out."

The second chapter researches the use of toiletries in hotels and focuses on a case study at the Crowne Plaza South Amsterdam, a business hotel owned by Intercontinental Hotels. The hotel planned to replace its small bottles for toiletries with large ones to comply with EU restrictions on certain single-use plastics. The findings showed that most guests were in favour of the new approach because they understood why the change was taking place and preferred brands with more attractive bottles and scents.    

De Oliveira Menezes chose these case studies based on the partnership the hotels or hotel chain had with NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, where she worked as a senior researcher in hospitality. The hotels were looking for specific research in these areas, and they contacted her because of her expertise.

She started writing about this topic because the chapters are part of her postgraduate study, which she is currently working on in Leeuwarden, focusing on her research in this area. She wants to continue her research and was lucky to meet someone who offered her guidance on her research: "I found a professor at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences who was also researching the topic," she explains. "I showed her my research ideas and she agreed to guide me on this new project."  

Challenges and setbacks

The process of getting the articles published faced some setbacks due to the pandemic. "This book was supposed to be published by the end of 2021, but the publisher did not want to invest in new projects until they were certain about the future."

Normally, when the publisher buys an author's idea, the authors and the editor sign a contract setting deadlines, processes and sales. The editors sell the idea to the publisher, and after approval, they make a formal invitation to researchers who have interesting research on the topics. The authors then send a draft of their main idea to the editors, and if they like the idea, they approve it, and the authors send the final chapter within a few months.

"However, the publishers did not want to invest in new projects until they were sure about the future. It's an investment for them too," De Oliveira Menezes explains. "Even though it was a good time to sell their stock, they were afraid to invest in new projects because the moment was uncertain." This led to this book and its chapters being published in 2023, a year and a half after the original publication date.

Vanessa de Oliveira Menezes' book chapters offer valuable insights into sustainability in the hospitality industry. Her experience highlights the importance of partnerships between business and academia in producing relevant research and offers useful advice for those who want to publish their research in book chapters.

WUP 22/05/2023  
by Niels Otterman  
©WUAS Press

Catching up with friends and making new connections

In late April, Wittenborg attended the AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting (ICAM), which was held in Chicago, Illinois from 23 to 25 April. The large event for the world’s top business schools was attended by Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng, President Peter Birdsall, Head of Business School Rauf Abdul and Assurance of Learning Manager Kriszta Kaspers-Rostás, who represented Wittenborg at the conference. The conference was attended by business and education experts from around the world, most of which were AACSB Business Education Alliance members like Wittenborg. The conference provided attendees with excellent networking opportunities, insightful lectures and chances to catch up with old colleagues, such as Wittenborg's former Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor Ron Tuninga, who was also in attendance at the conference, having become AACSB Vice President and Managing Director of EMEA in 2022.

At the conference, Wittenborg had the opportunity to connect with other members of the AACSB Business Education Alliance and share their experiences with each other. The conference provided a unique platform for attendees to learn from experts in the field and gain new insights into the latest trends and developments in business education. The conference offered a range of educational sessions covering a wide array of topics that are important to business schools in 2023, including leadership, innovation and sustainability. Attendees were able to participate in interactive workshops and engage in lively discussions with their peers in a city with an extensive business history.

Chicago is a city that offers a wealth of resources and attractions that make it an ideal destination for business events. The city has a rich history of innovation, commerce and international culture that has made it a hub for business and education. Known as America’s “melting pot” because of its incredibly diverse population, Chicago is a fitting place for Wittenborg, the most international Dutch business school, to visit. The city is known for its food, architecture and cultural attractions, which made it an ideal destination for the conference. Between workshops and meetings, attendees had the opportunity to explore the city's many restaurants, museums and parks, which provided a welcome respite from the conference's busy schedule.

ICAM is also the annual meeting of AACSB, an association where its members are annually asked to vote on important issues, such as raising or lowering membership dues, which was the topic this year. Peter Birdsall, as official representative of Wittenborg, voted in favour of raising membership dues by $630 per year. AACSB has the lowest membership fee of all business school associations that Wittenborg is part of, and its accreditation fees are also lower than others.

The Wittenborg representatives were delighted to have had the opportunity to attend the conference and learn from their peers. They were also able to make new connections and deepen existing relationships with other members of the AACSB Business Education Alliance. Each Wittenborg representative took with them new connections, insights into education as well as stronger ties with their fellow AACSB members. The AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting was a resounding success. Wittenborg’s attendance at the conference was a testament to the university of applied sciences’ commitment to providing its students with the best possible education and preparing them for success in the global business arena.

WUP 17/05/2023
by Olivia Nelson & Peter Birdsall
©WUAS Press