Guest Lecture: IBM Associate Partner, Jerry Stam, on How COVID-19 Changed Business for Good

Exactly 18 months after delivering his last guest lecture at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, Jerry Stam –  associate partner of IBM Global Business Services –  was back in front of a classroom this week, finding the teaching experience quite different from how he left it. Where last time he stood in front of a full classroom, this time he had to manage both online students and those who attended his classes in person, fielding questions from both groups.

Fittingly, Stam’s lecture revolved around how the impact of COVID-19 has changed the business sector and accelerated digital opportunities for manufacturers and retailers.

Stam has been working in the sector for 25 years – most of the time as a consultant for retail companies. IBM, a multinational technology corporation, invented the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic strip card, the SQL programming language, the UPC barcode and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), but among the general public is more well-known for its personal computer business although it shed its focus more than 20 years ago already.

Stam said in many ways things are back to “normal”. “I did my last physical lecture on 13 March in 2020 and, the day after, everything was closed down. The corona measures did have a lot of impact but over time the impact of those measures has disappeared. For instance, this morning I read that CO2 emissions are now back to pre-COVID levels in the Netherlands. Basic business has returned to normal. On the other hand, a lot of things have changed.

“I have not been to my office for a year and a half. IBM thinks the corona numbers are still too high in the Netherlands and believes it is not safe for its employees or its clients to return to the office. One of the nice things about working from home is that I don’t have to drive so much. I am not driving 40-50,000 km a year anymore and that saves me a lot of time. I am now much less stressed and have more peace of mind. When I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning, I realised for the past year and a half I have only had to wake up that early for a business appointment less than five times. I read that the government is looking at ways to make hybrid working more permanent and among my friends that is definitely something they want to keep doing.”

Stam said among his fashion clients sales for formal clothes has plummeted and been replaced by a demand for more casual clothing. “We stream more TV than we used to and streaming services like Disney had to adapt the income model. Home deliveries of groceries have also grown. Companies who did well were those who moved quickly, integrated digital technology and who were able to find the right people for their staff.”

Stam also said automation is something that cannot be underestimated. He said he believes that it is not good enough to just give customers a physical experience or just a digital experience. “I truly believe you have to do both. Find a way to link the physical and the digital in getting goods and services to customers.”

He said some of the things that companies should focus on for the future is using data correctly and tailoring goods and services to their clients’ needs, as well as establishing “eco-systems” with other companies that have similar interests. Companies should also focus on sustainability and diversity (inclusion) if they want to survive because, according to Stam, this will become even more important in the future. “If you don’t do it properly, you will be ‘cancelled’ to use a popular modern term.”

WUP 22/9/2021
by Anesca Smith
©WUAS Press

Academic Honesty a Fundamental Value of Academic Integrity

“A member of the U.S. army personnel, who was soon to be deployed overseas as well as enter graduate school, was discovered to be copying another’s work and presenting it as his own. The military office dismissed him citing that his lack of personal integrity would further translate to his other actions in the military regarding how he behaves during deployment when fulfilling his duties and his relationships with fellow troop members as well as civilians. Integrity is one of the military’s most important values along with courage, respect, and loyalty (U.S. Army, 2016).”¹

Stealing another person’s ideas, words, line of thinking, etc., and signing it as one’s own, is called plagiarism and it is a violation of academic honesty. Academic honesty is a fundamental value of academic integrity, and violating it is a damaging act. As formulated by the International Centre for Academic Integrity (1999: 4): “Academic integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.”

Academic dishonesty, which includes using crib sheets², copying assignments off the Internet, plagiarism and ghost-writing or purchased work, have been a major issue in academic settings and, with advancements in technology, there seems to be an accelerated upsurge especially after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and online learning. This is aggravated with the recent emergence of new software and online paraphrasing tools (AI-based) that help students to paraphrase texts taken from other sources.

Reasons why plagiarism and ghost-writing are unethical

Plagiarism and ghost-writing are considered stealing of intellectual property, but many researchers feel that ‘it is not the act of stealing that is reprehensible, but it is the act of deception that is the true crime’, as it morally harms all parties ‘by damaging the reputation of self and others, insulting others’ intelligence, and harming the integrity of all’³. Plagiarism comes from the Latin word ‘plagiarius’, which means ‘kidnapper, seducer, plunderer’ (Online Etymological Dictionary), and these terms by themselves denote the severity of the crime.

There are various reasons why committing plagiarism and ghost-writing is unethical. Firstly, it is an intentional attempt to deceive the reader that the paper submitted is authored by the student when, in fact, somebody else had written it. Secondly, it is unethical due to the fact that the offenders get benefit from this theft, either attaining a pass or a high grade, or obtaining the university degree that they do not deserve. Thirdly, a university degree is proof of the student’s competency in a particular specialisation. If a graduate secures employment based on a qualification obtained dishonestly, he/she is putting the employer or others at risk. Imagine employing a doctor who has obtained his degree dishonestly. Would you trust that person to be your personal medical practitioner or to conduct surgery on you?

Academic dishonesty affects the individual, the institution and society

But when does plagiarism occur exactly? Is there a rule of thumb that we can follow in order to determine when plagiarism has occurred? Or is “plagiarism simply plagiarism” no matter how insignificant it is? Many academics believe that plagiarism is plagiarism no matter how small. The important thing is that if it is taken from somewhere, citation is pertinent. Give credit where credit is due. "If you do not want your ideas to be stolen, do not steal others' ideas," is the common advice given by academics.

At a microlevel, it always seems that plagiarism or ghost-writing impacts the student committing the act, but at the macrolevel, the ethical implications can result in serious consequences for the academic institution, its stakeholders and the general society⁴. At Wittenborg, we strive to ensure that each student's graduation is honestly earned and that their degree preserves credibility and value. Today, with all the available interwoven sources and webpages, avoiding plagiarism seems a rather complex task, and preserving the principles of honesty and responsibility may be daunting, but absolutely necessary⁵. Wittenborg has put in place many multi-tiered strategies to combat these dishonest acts. As mentioned by the Chairperson of Wittenborg’s Graduation & Examination Board, Annemarieke Lente, “Plagiarism and ghost-writing are plain theft of somebody else’s intellectual property and are definitely unacceptable. Wittenborg wants to maintain the highest standards of academic conduct. If Wittenborg fails to address these problems, the institution will not be taken seriously in the academic world, which would affect the value of Wittenborg’s diploma, and ultimately its reputation.”

Be original, even if it is not good

Students who are sincere in learning and developing themselves will strive and learn the art and science of academic writing and work to obtain their most deserved degree. Their hard work and perseverance will definitely benefit them in their career and life. Students who lack the motivation to develop themselves, tend to take the easy way out and cross the ethical and legal boundaries. They should realise that committing such offences tarnishes their character and reputation, which can ultimately affect their success.

The simple advice to students is that it is better to submit an original assignment, even if it is not good, rather than a plagiarised or ghost-written one. A lesson can perhaps be learned from the famous quote by the English writer and great critic of English Literature  Samuel Johnson about a manuscript he was reviewing: “My congratulations to you, sir. Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”

¹Kiel, 2006
²Notes to help someone remember something during a written examination
³Stern et al., 2014 as found in Fusch, et al., 2017, p.55
⁴Fusch et al., 2017
⁵Part 5b, EEG, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences

WUP 20/9/2021
by Hanna Abdelwahab
©WUAS Press

Royal Crown Estate in Apeldoorn Set to Open Year-Round from Next Year

Renovations on Het Loo Palace to Be Completed in 2022 and Royals Under Pressure to Open Entire Estate from Next Autumn

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Apeldoorn - the Dutch city where Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has been located the past 21 years - is its direct connection to the Dutch Royal family. The Royals' summer residence, Het Loo Palace, is located in the area and although the actual palace is currently closed for renovations and the extensive grounds around it will only open again on 26 December, 2021, all of this is set to change next year.

Renovations on the palace are due to be finished in 2022 although a date has not been released. In the meantime, the beautiful palace gardens have remained open to the public. The Het Loo Crown Estate, though, is a different story.

Consisting of 10,500 hectares, it is the largest crown estate in the Netherlands and is situated on the Veluwe heathlands to the west of Apeldoorn. The estate consists of the Palace Park and the Royal Forest, which features several hiking routes. Its centuries-old connection to the Dutch Royal House of Oranje-Nassau has resulted in a rich cultural history and unique natural beauty.

Usually a large part of the estate is closed from 15 September to 25 December but recently the royal family has come under pressure to open it almost year round.  The official version is that the long closure is done to give rest to some of the animals around the estate during breeding season, but also to control their numbers. Several Dutch media outlets have, however, reported that the royals, big hunting fans, use this period to do some hunting in the area.

Every year, the estate, like other nature reserves in the Netherlands, gets a state subsidy of € 4.7 million for the upkeep and management of the area. One of the conditions of the subsidy, however, is that the estate be open to the public for 358 days of the year - something the Royals have not adhered to for many years.

Only if King Willem-Alexander waives the subsidy can he decide when the estate is open to the public and when not. If he decides to continue taking the subsidy, it will have to open for 358 days a year. In any case, he has until 1 January 2022 to make that decision.

WUP 18/9/2021
by Anesca Smith
©WUAS Press

WUAS Advisory Board Member Johan Kruithof is a Pillar of the Community

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences (WUAS) advisory board member Johan Kruithof (1952) has a long history of serving Apeldoorn, both as a politician for the Dutch social democratic party and as a private citizen.

As a member of the PvdA, the social democratic party of the Netherlands, he served as a member of the city council from 2002 to 2012 and as an alderman1 from 2012 to 2018. Having been a student during his time as an alderman, I witnessed first-hand the role he played in making sure that the city of Apeldoorn recognises the value that WUAS and its students add to the community. It made me proud to vote for him during the 2019 elections for the regional water authorities (waterschappen).

After retiring from politics, Kruithof did not retire from serving his community. He joined the advisory board of WUAS to play a continuing role in establishing Apeldoorn as an education hub. The WUAS Advisory Board plays an important part in the development and reflection process of the institution. Its role is to maintain an overview of the activities of WUAS within the realms of the strategic plan and to advise the Executive Board on its decisions, plans, proposals and operations.

A life after politics - making societal impact (SDG#1 - No Poverty)

In December of 2020, he became the new chairperson of the Food Bank Apeldoorn (Voedselbank Apeldoorn), in what must surely have been one of its most challenging times since its inception, once again displaying his lifelong commitment to fighting poverty. Apeldoorn Food Bank supports residents of Apeldoorn who cannot afford basic necessities such as food. Today, around 700 people a week depend on the food bank, which in turn depends on volunteers to keep its doors open. Kruithof points out that while it is shameful that food banks have to exist in a country as rich as the Netherlands, he is nevertheless proud of the work they do.  

An uncertain future for Food Bank Apeldoorn

Sadly, the food bank's future is currently in question. Not because it is not needed anymore, but because it will have to leave its current location to make room for real estate development by the end of next year. Whether or not it will find a new location that is both suitable and affordable is up in the air. However, if anyone will not give up on it and the people of Apeldoorn that depend on it, it is Johan Kruithof.  

If you would like to find out more about the food bank, you can go to this website: https://voedselbank-apeldoorn.nl/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7rGZ1rnx8gIVSwGLCh0xNAaTEAAYASAAEgK2fPD_BwE

In the Netherlands, the municipal politics are made up of the mayor, the municipal council and the aldermen. Together they share legislative power and they exercise the executive power of the municipal government.

WUP 10/9/2021
by Marius Zürcher
©WUAS Press

Ex-Wittenborg Professor Pioneered Pastoral Care Programme

Professor of Applied Sciences Dr Teun Wolters will no longer be teaching at Wittenborg from September 2021, but his presence at Wittenborg will not end there. He is now busy promoting HOST Apeldoorn, a Pastoral Care programme for international students, whether from Wittenborg or any other universities/universities of applied sciences.

Studying abroad may be the zeitgeist of today, but it is not without its problems. Whether it is difficulties adapting to the cultural norms in the new country, keeping up with the rules and regulations, missing family or simply making new friends, many international students experience challenges in coping with their new lives.

The best way to mitigate these away-from-home effects and other potential problems is to get support from current students or to get in touch with an organisation that can help them with their challenges and to facilitate them to assimilate better into their new environment.

Pastoral Care basically provides support to others as they grapple with such challenges in life as social issues, values, self-image, lack of confidence, loneliness, relationships, etc. The Pastoral Care programme by HOST Apeldoorn is primarily for students from a different cultural background and English will be the main language for communication. The programme has two wings. The first wing is the provision of pastoral care for individual students. The second wing is establishing a community of students who can support each other and build up bonds of friendship and camaraderie.

HOST Apeldoorn was adopted by Rev. W. Smouter c.s. of the Tabelnakel Church in the south of Apeldoorn. The meeting place is Tabernakel Church, Waalstraat 2, Apeldoorn. If you are interested, or have any queries, you can watch this video

WUP 8/9/2021
by James Wittenborg with contributions from Dr Teun Wolters
©WUAS Press

A Fruitful and Rewarding 'Study and Life Experience Sharing Session'

The 'Study and Life Experience Sharing Session' held online by Wittenborg's Amsterdam campus proved to be a fruitful and rewarding event for new students. The session, hosted by Senior Lecturer Dr Dadi Chen, was to help new students fit in the Wittenborg family sooner and better. The 'speakers' invited were current EBA students Luuk Ornstein and Lilly Seijffert, master's students Milad Goudarzi (MBA) and Kejsi Hoxha (MBM), and MBA graduate Gauhar Kassymbek.

The session opened with a brief introduction by the host, speakers and the new students who were present. The first question posed to the speakers was 'What has been the most interesting part of your experience at Wittenborg?' To that question, Kassymbek replied that the international environment at Wittenborg was the most fun part for her. Having graduated in October 2020, she is presently working as a Salesforce Business Analyst in an energy company in Amsterdam. She finds that Wittenborg has both students and staff from all over the world with different perspectives, mindsets and cultures, all driven to progress further in their education and personal development. Ornstein, who is Dutch, pointed out that Wittenborg is not like other universities where you are one of thousands of students. He added that at Wittenborg, there is better one-to-one attention from the lecturers and staff and there is a lot of room for discussion and consultations.  

Hoxha, who is from Albania, said that she was initially rather sceptical about Wittenborg but soon, after moving in to Wittenborg student accommodation, she found that everybody was so friendly with each other and they mingled well. All speakers agreed that the lecturers and staff are very approachable, friendly and they feel more like family members than strangers. Seijffert reiterated this point and said that there is no power distance between students and lecturers, making it easy to approach and consult them.

When asked what were the main challenges faced, the speakers not only recollected their experiences but also provided valuable advice and recommendations to the newcomers. For Kassymbek, her main issue was that of the English language. Being from Kazakhstan, she found it challenging to understand friends/teachers who have different accents and styles of speaking. She also found the level of English in the textbooks challenging, but she overcame that by not being afraid to make mistakes and resorting to the dictionary for references. Goudarzi, from Iran, agreed with her and said that writing academic assignments was his biggest challenge. He solved his problem by reaching out to 2nd-year students who provided him with guidelines on how to write an academic paper. Apropos of language, the speakers also pointed out the advantage of learning Dutch, as it is basically one of the pre-requisites to finding an internship and a job in the Netherlands. Besides, they will feel more integrated if they learn about the Dutch culture and people.

Tips for Exams & Employment Opportunities

A very useful tip from Ornstein was how to study for exams. He told students not to memorise or study for an exam per se, but to try and absorb information and understand the module or topics as best they can. This is because the modules/topics learnt in the first year will form the basic understanding of the whole course and are often referred to in subsequent modules or years. The speakers also spoke about the importance of taking every opportunity to learn new skills besides their current programmes. With a more competitive and versatile job market nowadays,  these additional value-added skills will differentiate one from other job candidates. Kassymbek recommended taking freelance jobs, participating in voluntary activities, going places, talking to people in supermarkets or cafes and widening connections instead of remaining in one's own bubble.

The session was a great overview for new students and provided a good impression of what Wittenborg looks like in the eyes of our current students and graduates. Indeed, it was seen as a welcome prelude to the Meet and Greet Lunch held at the Amsterdam campus.

WUP 04/09/2021
by Hanna Abdelwahab with contributions from Xiaoli Wu
©WUAS Press