Meet Wittenborg's New Chair of the Advisory Board: Rijn Platteel
Rijn Platteel
has been appointed as the new chair of the Advisory Board at Wittenborg
University of Applied Sciences. He replaces the outgoing chair, Ruud Dost,
who has been a member of the board for the past 10 years. In an
interview Platteel spoke about how he envisions his new role and the
importance of creating equal opportunities for youngsters in an unequal
society reflecting on recent incidents that rocked Dutch society, like
the child benefit scandal and youth unrest. Platteel is the regional
chair of the employer's association VNO-NCW (Stedendriehoek), as well as company director of Change=, a social real estate development and property management company.
Why were you interested in the position?
Apeldoorn needs excellent education. Being so international,
Wittenborg fills a gap that no other school or university does. As
chairman of VNO-NCW Stedendriehoek (Apeldoorn, Deventer, Zutphen and
surrounding municipalities) I need to stay in close contact with the
education sector. While the public education system is well taken care
of, Wittenborg, as a private institution, may easily find itself
overlooked. I am here to ensure Wittenborg stays in the limelight.
How do you see your role as chair of the advisory board?
I do not have a background in education, so I see my role is as connecting entrepreneurs, government and education.
What contribution to you hope to make?
What I would like to accomplish is that the municipality of Apeldoorn
finally really supports Wittenborg. Wittenborg has so much to add to
the educational climate in Apeldoorn and surroundings and its programmes
are the only ones that really add the element of internationality to
its curriculum. Employers need internationally oriented employees. I
believe there needs to be a closer link between Wittenborg and the
business community. Since its student body, lecturers and even the
management are mostly international, I think I can contribute to
strengthening its local network.
What do you think we can learn from the past year as a society?
COVID-19 taught us a number of things. Proximity is no longer an
issue, be it for social interaction purposes. That requires a complete
new way of thinking about the future, about communication, about
travelling, about information technology. What we held dear in the past
no longer exists and we need new ways of adapting to the future. Besides
that, even with less travel, the CO2 emission rate did not really
alter. We need new strategies on how to cope with climate change and
environmental problems.
As chair of Change= how would you describe the current student
accommodation situation in the Netherlands? What can be improved?
Student accommodation is too expensive and scarce. Students would
like to live in the centre of cities, close to where the action is. That
is currently unobtainable. Students actually bring life to city
centres. And even without high income, they usually spend a good deal.
Students add to the 'couleur locale'.
Transformation of unused office buildings and new buildings will
relieve that situation but it will take time. Cooperation between a
number of parties may help. There are more solutions I could think of,
quicker and less expensive.
May I ask you an arbitrary question? Do you think we have the right
to tell our children they are equal or can be anything they want to be,
while the social system is clearly skewed against many of them? Doesn't
it only lead to disillusion? I'm referencing some recent issues like the
child benefit scandal and the spate of riots in the Netherlands.
Mankind may be created equal, but our societal and social system does
not favour equality. My children have a tremendous advantage simply
because I have had a decent education and the financial abundance to
give them the same level of education. Secondly, my way of raising
children forces them to take responsibility and act.
On the other hand, our society tends to reward "entitlement". Our
system is based on having rights, not on contribution and
responsibility. We, as a society as a whole, as well as individuals,
have a responsibility to offer every member the same chances.
Furthermore, we need to make sure that people take responsibility. I
have to admit that it is easier said than done.
The examples you mention indicate something else too. A deep mistrust
and bias (racial and or otherwise). The youth riots are, in my opinion,
not an expression of real discontent. At most, they are a manifestation
of powerlessness. And for many, simply a reason to "have a good riot".
Finally, what kind of year has it been for you personally? How did you motivate yourself?
I never have problems motivating myself. I never seem to have enough
time anyway. Having said that, I started as managing director at Change=
in March. Motivation was never a question.
WUP 14/2/2021
by Anesca Smith
©WUAS Press