The Art of Managing Lions, Clowns and a Pandemic

Project Week: Munich Students Look at How One Circus Survived COVID-19 while Another Went Bankrupt

When the world's most famous circus, Cirque de Soleil, filed for bankruptcy in June after COVID-19 paralysed the entertainment industry, it was impossible to imagine other circuses would survive without audiences. Yet, German-based Circus Krone defied the odds in  ingenious ways that made international headlines. Students at Wittenborg's partner institute in Munich, New European College, studied the effect of COVID-19 on the circus entertainment industry as part of the first Project Week of the new academic year.

The Show Must Go On!

So how did Circus Krone, which according to its own definition is the world’s largest "classical" circus, survive? Given the fact that like others in the entertainment industry they were subject to  Germany's strict regulations which did not allow audiences to gather. in Germany of no audiences.

After being forced to cancel all their events, they had to come up with creative solutions. And they did. The moment the restrictions were lifted a bit they started a drive-in car wash with clowns and also opened their animal farm for visitors. But the absolute highlight of their strategy was opening a pop-up store selling lion poop at €5 a jar.  For those in the dark, apparently lion droppings are supposed to ward of neighbours' cats from entering your garden. As crazy as it sounds this pro-active public relation stunt made it into the local, national and even the international press.

NEC managing director, Sascha Liebhardt, says in times of crisis it is essential that students gain thorough knowledge of leadership, crisis management and pro-active marketing in order to ensure their future employability. "One of the underlying goals of the Project Weeks at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is to expose students to real-life current business cases during their studies and not after," Liebhardt says.

Bachelor, Master and MBA students participated in the project which required them to analyse the consequences of the corona pandemic on the circus entertainment industry at national and international level. They also looked at how different circuses reacted to the situation and what management recommendations can be developed based on research and the application of academic models and research.

As a start they were introduced to two opposing case studies: the bankruptcy of Cirque du Soleil and the creative solutions of Circus Krone to the Corona restrictions.

WUP 25/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

Nuffic's Foreign Student Offices to Be Phased Out over next 3 Years

All 10 foreign offices of Nuffic, the organisation set up to promote the internationalisation of Dutch education, will get the chop in the next 3 years. The announcement was made this week. The Netherlands Education Support offices, or 'NESOs' as they are known, are located in Brazil, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa, Turkey, Russia, India, Mexico and Korea.

The offices help foreign students and Dutch students abroad, run alumni networks and have an important role in recognising foreign qualifications. Their closure could spell the end of the Orange Tulip Scholarship Programme (OTS) managed and promoted by NESOs. Dutch daily Trouw reported last year that almost 14,000 students came from the NESO countries to the Netherlands in one year.

The announcement comes despite parliament adopting a motion from Groenlinks and the PvDA in December last year requesting an evaluation of the NESOs before they are closed. The minister of Higher Education, Art and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, did not deem this necessary.

Disappointment at the Decision

Elsewhere in the sector there was also disappointment. Pieter Duisenberg, chairman of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), told ScienceGuide: "Unfortunately we could not stop it. The decision was made without an alternative (being proposed). Just 5 years ago, alumni networks and profiling the Netherlands as an attractive country for talent and the knowledge economy was government policy. Now it does not matter."

A statement on Nuffic's website reads: "The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and Nuffic have agreed on a phase-out schedule for the network of the Netherlands Education Support Offices (Nesos). The phase-out is in line with the government's response to the Interdepartmental Policy Survey on the Internationalisation of (higher) Education, and the decision of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to phase out the subsidy and to end it as of 1 January, 2024."

The schedule for the coming years is as follows:

• Closure by 31 December, 2020, at the latest
  • Neso Turkey
• Closure by 31 December, 2021, at the latest
  • Neso Brazil, Neso China, Neso Mexico, Neso Russia
• Closure by 31 December, 2022, at the latest
  • Neso Vietnam, Neso South-Africa, Neso Korea
• Closure by 31 December, 2023, at the latest
  • Neso India, Neso Indonesia

Transition Plan in the Works

Nuffic said the Dutch government will now intensify its diplomatic network in the field of education and science. "With changing geopolitical relations, the central government needs to shape its presence abroad in a different, more strategic way, as announced in the Strategic Agenda for Higher Education and Research. For each Neso office, a transition plan is being developed in collaboration between the relevant ministries, Nuffic and any other stakeholders, including any transfer of tasks to the diplomatic network.

"As long as the Neso offices are still open, the service will remain available, but will become more limited as the closing date approaches. Nuffic is doing its utmost to guide employees of the Neso offices in the coming years."

WUP 24/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

Taking Women to the Top

Wittenborg CEO, Maggie Feng, Joins other Female Leaders at Prestigious Board of Believers Event

Last Thursday, Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng joined a select group of female leaders from across the Netherlands for the prestigious Board of Believers quarterly breakfast, hosted by BrandedU. Other guests hailed from companies as diverse as Walt Disney, Nike, L'Oreal, the Rijksmuseum, Heineken, Philips, ABN AMRO, Uber, Transavia and Corendon Hotels and Resorts. BrandedU is headed by Nancy Poleon who used to work as marketing manager for BMG in London to help artists such as Britney Spears, Alicia Keys and Pink. She used her expertise to establish BrandedU in 2014.

The Board of Believers Network prides itself on not just talking, but taking action to make the top of the business world more diverse and future proof. They do this by empowering women, giving them more opportunities and supporting them to make themselves visible in order to realise their ambitions. A McKinsey report from 2018 stated that when it comes to female representation in management positions, the Netherlands only scores 25% compared to the average of 32% in Western Europe.

Feng, who attended her second such breakfast, said there were about 50 women and men at the breakfast, carefully observing COVID-19 protocols. "Through fact and figures guests were confronted with the effect COVID-19 has had on women – including the rise of violence against women. "What I like about Nancy’s programme is that we are not just talking about a problem and sympathising with others, but that it is backed by action. Hence, there is actually action coming along. The Women's Rights Challenge was promoted at the event and everyone encouraged to participate.

Feng said one of the speeches that resonated with her was by Mariksa Nunes, managing director of Corendon. "She told us how she rose from being personal assistant to the owner for 20 years to managing director today, and how she was forced to reflect on her own journey to get to where she is today. She also told us how she fulfilled her target of hiring 90% local staff in Curaçao when Corendon opened its resort there. When she said: 'We do not select staff based on their CVs, but based on their human skills', I thought, yes, this is the most important message I need to bring back to my organisation."

Another discussion topic was why women who rise to the top often don't stay at the top. "If you are there alone, is very cold (at the top). I think this has a lot to do with corporate culture and rooted much deeper. A big topic we need to talk about," Feng said.

Southeast Amsterdam where Wittenborg is Located Eyes More Tourist Arrivals

Amsterdam City Councillor, Dirk de Jager, Guest Lectures Wittenborg Students on City Marketing

Amsterdam city council member, Dirk de Jager, recently gave a guest lecture to students as part of the first real-life project of the new academic year at Wittenborg Amsterdam, which centred on City Marketing. De Jager is responsible for the promotion of financial and economic growth as well as sustainability and the circular economy. In a recent article in Bijlmer & Meer, he is quoted as saying that the COVID-19 crisis presents us with the opportunity to restore balance to the economic activity in the city, especially in the southeast part of Amsterdam – which is also the area where Wittenborg Amsterdam is located, in the Dali Building.

In line with Dirk’s proposition, the Project Week focused on bringing tourists to the area to balance the over tourism in the city centre of Amsterdam. Aside from De Jager, there were also contributions by Wittenborg senior lecturer Amy Abdou, who researches subsidised cultural entrepreneurship in the southeast of Amsterdam (Zuidoost) and Dr Isaac Acheampong, programme manager at the city of Amsterdam for the European Regional Development Funds, also a Wittenborg lecturer.

Abdou said: "As many of our students are eager to learn more about local initiatives to stimulate urban tourism, Dirk’s visit has great added value and strengthens Wittenborg’s ties to the community and local government."

In this project week, students had the opportunity to conduct research on consumer patterns of behaviour in local tourism and create policy suggestions that will be presented to Amsterdam city council.

De Jager told students Amsterdam southeast is a very young part of Amsterdam – about 50 years old – with the urban design concept of modernism. He said the area served from the beginning as a place of "arrival" for people from different parts of the world, like the former Dutch colony Suriname and Africa, thereby creating a rich, mixed culture. "At the moment we have about 140 different nationalities here in the southeast of Amsterdam. What is special is that people from so many different backgrounds are able to live relatively peacefully with each other. At the same time, we do have some social problems, which are being addressed by the city with investments."

The area where Wittenborg is located is currently seeing a proliferation of companies setting up, like banks and other financial institutions, which are being based there. "It is interesting that the square kilometre where the banks are located, is the square kilometre where the most money in the Netherlands is being earned. At the moment, we are putting together a city marketing plan for the southeast, because a lot of tourists come here to Amsterdam, stay in the centre, but they don't know this part also exists."

De Jager listed some of the attractions being developed in the area, including different routes for tourists as he posed his question to the participants. "If you are interested in the food route, it's there, the architectural route, the green route, etc. What we would like you to answer, is whether tourists are interested in what we are developing. Since you are from different countries, we would like you to find out what visitors are interested in."

WUP 20/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

Experts from Government and Industry Brought in to Give Students a Helping Hands for Projects

Wittenborg's First Real-Life Project of Year off to Great Start

The first real-life project of the new academic year officially started and is in full swing! With cities working towards being more diverse, bachelor's students have been tasked to compile an advisory for the city of Apeldoorn on how to attract international businesses and investors amid fierce competition from other cities in the Netherlands and abroad. They also put together an 8-page brochure on what makes the city such an attractive option for companies.

To give them a helping hand, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences invited a selection of guest speakers from government and businesses located in Apeldoorn. These guest speakers were interviewed online by Wittenborg's CEO, Maggie Feng, and the students given access to the videos. This was followed by a live Q & A session on Monday where students were able to ask questions directly to each of the guest speakers. Thereafter, it was back to the drawing board before students present their advisories on Friday.

The experts include Jack Hommel, managing director of Centraal Beheer - a division of Achmea which is the biggest insurance company in the Netherlands that employs around 5,000 people in Apeldoorn alone. Also Jeroen Joon, Alderman in the City of Apeldoorn, Benno Oderker, CEO of Avantes, Hans Kornmann, Founder and CEO of Divitel, Mirjam Barendregt from Opheus and Marloes de Goeijen, advisor New Business and Foreign Direct Investment at OostNL.

Wittenborg Lecturers Lucy Omwoha and Emmah Muchoki said students had some interesting questions for these experts, including what strategies the City of Apeldoorn has put into place to ensure it retains the international students within Apeldoorn, how the city of Apeldoorn intends to accommodate the employees of businesses it wants to attract, and what other facilities will be put in place as many internationals don’t speak Dutch. The impact of Artificial Intelligence in today’s business was also discussed.

“The brief to students was to advise Apeldoorn on its City Marketing towards attracting international companies and business to set up and locate in Apeldoorn. How can Apeldoorn make itself more attractive to international companies looking to locate in the Netherlands? What sort of companies should Apeldoorn focus on, from which areas of business and from which countries? What can Apeldoorn do to enhance its image and its reputation abroad?”

The aim of Wittenborg's real-life projects, also known as Project Weeks, is to foster team-working skills in students, carry out research activities to the relevant project themes, develop analytical skills and, in this case, the application of knowledge of city branding and marketing.

WUP 18/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

Apeldoorn Alderman says City Appreciates International Talent Wittenborg Brings in

Apeldoorn, the city where Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has been located for the past 10 years, believes it has all the necessary ingredients and ambition to attract international investors and businesses without compromising its spot as "the green heart of the Netherlands". Alderman Jeroen Joon of the Apeldoorn City Council spoke to Wittenborg undergraduates about these ambitions as part of the first Project Week of the new academic year, which requires students to draw up an advisory for the city on how to lure international businesses to its location. Joon was interviewed by Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng in an online video made accessible to students. 

Wittenborg established strong relations with the city from the start, and most of its graduation ceremonies take place in the city hall buildings with either the mayor or other dignitaries acting as keynote speakers. Joon in his interview recognised these ties and said the city appreciates the fact that Wittenborg brings many international students to the area, studying and living.  

According to Joon, who is in charge of the economy portfolio, the city is already looking towards 2040 in terms of planning and is preparing for a population of between 100,000 – 200,000. "Currently we have about 12,000 companies in the region with a bit more than 100,000 employees or jobs. Our companies are very diverse and I believe that is also the strength of the city – both before and during the corona crisis. Businesses range from logistics to technology to healthcare and insurance."

At the same time, Joon said the city wants to maintain its green, open spaces and safety, as well as lots of sport facilities and educational institutions of which Wittenborg is a part of. "It's in our DNA and we want to keep it that way." To succeed, he added, there needs to be good cooperation between government, business and education.

He also had a word of encouragement for Wittenborg students: "We want to wish you all the best. We know it is a difficult time and it might be hard to understand everything, but try to get the best out of your studies. One day we will be able to meet each other live and get to talk."  

WUP 16/09/2020
by Anesca Smith
©Wittenborg University Press

Wittenborg Apeldoorn Campus Honours 100-Year-Old Building

Open Monuments Day Apeldoorn themed: 'Learning Monument' was held on 12 and 13 September, 2020. Each year, thousands of monuments open their doors to the public on Heritage Day. With approximately one million visitors in attendance, the BankGiro Loterij Open Monuments Day, a component of the European Heritage Days, is one of the biggest cultural events in the Netherlands and a platform to connect the populace with the country’s cultural heritage. On Open Monuments Day, local monuments are open to the public free of charge, generating public interest and increasing awareness and support for preservation. Many activities ranging from exhibitions to treasure hunts are organised to appeal to people of all ages.

Spoorstraat Building - 100 Years

A total of 31 educational institutions in Apeldoorn were open to the public over the weekend, including Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences’ campus on Spoorstraat. The building has a rich history from its conception back in 1920, designed by architect Janssen Schrakamp from Hengelo. In 1965, it was occupied by the Roman Catholic boys' school Saint Gerardus Majella. 50 years later, Wittenborg took over the building for its second campus location after being in Apeldoorn for 5 years.

78 Visitors as Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng Gives Tours

Small groups of visitors were greeted by Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng and 2 volunteers from the organising committee. A short video played at the entrance summarising the building history, renovations, and current state, followed by an in-depth tour. Feng led each group through the hallways explaining in detail reasons behind the lighting selection, pointing out changes made to the staircase down to the unique, sustainable carpeting.

Visitors include former pupils

One of the visitors, Frans Hessels, attended Saint Gerardus Majella from the age of six until he was twelve years old. Being able to visit the building during Open Monuments Day was “most important”, Hessels stated, reminiscing about the school bell ringing to signal the start of lessons and how he witnessed the devastating fire sparked in the adjacent factory building in 1958. After the tour, Hessels commented on the vast changes made to the school since leaving and expressed how pleased he is that the building still stands. A total of 78 visitors walked through the campus on Saturday to participate in Open Monuments Day Apeldoorn.

WUP 14/9/2020
by Nadia Zaman
©Wittenborg University Press

First Project Week of New Academic Year Features Interview with One of Apeldoorn's Biggest Employers

Project Week: "Stimulating Employment should Be Priority in Apeldoorn"

As part of the first Project Week assignment for bachelor's degree students in the new academic year, Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng spoke to the managing director of one of the biggest employers in the Apeldoorn region, Centraal Beheer, about the importance of good cooperation between local government, business and educational institutions like Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences.

Jack Hommel is the managing director of Centraal Beheer, a division of Achmea, which in turn is the largest insurance company in the Netherlands with an annual turnover of €23 billion. In Apeldoorn, Achmea employs 5,000 people, so a good understanding with the local government is crucial, Hommel told Feng.

"Centraal Beheer has a big impact in Apeldoorn – thousands of people coming by car, using public transport; we are talking energy and the environment. Secondly, as a big company it is important to contribute to improving life here by supporting local businesses, developing the social environment and supporting activities, like sports development."

Asked about what direction Centraal Beheer would like the city of Apeldoorn to focus on in the coming years, Hommel did not hesitate to say: "Employment should be stimulated. The government must invest more to attract entrepreneurs  to come and stay and develop their organisation. The city also benefits when it creates a good environment for entrepreneurs. That is the most important thing for me. Also, don't forget, Apeldoorn is a 'royal city'. It hosts the summer palace of the royal family, has lots of leisure facilities and a beautiful natural environment. Living in Apeldoorn is great."

Hommel also believes the city should strengthen its relationships with institutions of higher education. "Not just Wittenborg, but also the other institutions.  If you look at other cities like Eindhoven, it has a strong connection with big companies like Philips, the Eindhoven University of Technology and SMEs. In Apeldoorn the power of the city, education institutions and companies like Achmea can be combined with SMEs."

Hommel also had praise for the Apeldoorn Business Awards, of which Feng is a judge, saying it is an excellent example of good cooperation between the different stakeholders in the city.

WUP 12/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

Dutch Minister for Education Presents Action Plan for Diversity and Inclusion

No Quality in Education Without Diversity, says Dutch Minister of Higher Education

At the beginning of the academic year, the Dutch minister of higher education, Ingrid Van Engelshoven, presented her “National Action Plan Diversity and Inclusion” at Leiden University, saying: “In an inclusive organisation, everyone can fully and equally participate and share in the decision-making process. I find it extremely important to create a safe learning and working environment in which all can feel at home and grow. That is what we want to stimulate with this national action plan. Moreover, it is increasingly clear that diversity is a prerequisite for quality.”

• The National Action Plan aims to improve the performance of Dutch higher education significantly by 2025 by:
• Better integrating diversity in existing policy instruments, as for example in accreditation.
• Better monitoring diversity and inclusion in HE.
• Creating an award system to create a workable policy framework.
• Integrating and supporting existing diversity plans and efforts.
• Setting up a national centre of expertise for diversity and inclusion.

This effort will be guided by an advisory committee initially chaired by Vinod Subramaniam, rector magnificus of the Vrije Universiteit.

Although the private education sector was not invited to participate in drawing up the plan, it goes without saying that Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences wholeheartedly supports the aims of this National Action Plan.

Wittenborg and Diversity

Maggie Feng, CEO of Wittenborg, said: “We are the most international institution of higher education in the Netherlands in terms of students, faculty, and support staff. Our three cornerstones are Internationalisation, Diversity and Ethics. We always have and always will be striving to offer our students a safe and inclusive environment in which to develop. Our programmes are truly geared towards international learners from the widest variety of backgrounds. As Nuffic recently stressed again, internationalisation in higher education is crucial for the Netherlands. But that can only come about if we, as universities in the widest sense, offer international learners and scholars a safe and inclusive environment in which diversity is embraced and celebrated, as it is here at Wittenborg.”

Though Wittenborg embraces the goals set out in the National Action Plan, Feng was surprised to learn that public universities of applied sciences have not. “They feel the plan is geared too much towards the research universities, and say that they are already much more diverse. But even if that were true, the National Action Plan outlines a real need in Dutch HE, and a clear way to tackle that need. At Wittenborg, we applaud all steps towards making higher education in the Netherlands more inclusive, more diverse, safer and more welcoming for all, whatever their background, sexual orientation or (non-)religion. A university should be a place where people can concentrate on their work or study in the full knowledge that they are safe and appreciated. That is what we hope to offer at Wittenborg.”

Leiden’s vice-rector, Hester Bijl, who is to succeed to the top post at Leiden in a few months, enthusiastically supported that position. Especially in these corona times, she said, inclusion, creating equal opportunities for all students, welcoming and supporting students from a non-Dutch background, students who may not have role models as they come to university from elsewhere in the world, is more important than ever.

WUP 10/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press

Foreign Affairs DG Emphasises Importance of Internationalisation in Dutch Higher Education

With the Netherlands earning a third of its gross domestic product (GDP) from foreign trade, internationalisation in its education sector is of paramount importance. This is according to Peter Potman from the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs who was interviewed by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for the promotion of higher education in the Netherlands. "Dutch companies need people with international experience. If the Netherlands wants to be counted in the world, it needs to internationalise its education," said Potman, acting director-general of foreign economic affairs at the ministry.

Potman bemoaned the fact that relatively few Dutch students seek an international education. "It is a baffling paradox: We cross the world for holidays in far-flung countries, but when it comes to studying we prefer to stay in the Netherlands."

To intensify cooperation between the education and the international business sector, many institutions are increasingly taking part in trade missions abroad. "This is a recent phenomenon," says Potman who has spent a big chunk of his career working in embassies and consulates around the world – from Shanghai to Washington DC.  "Knowledge institutions accompany trade missions to network and make sales. In this way they operate in a similar manner to the businesses that come along."

Higher education is also important for the value proposition of the Netherlands, Potman points out. "It's about more than just tulips and windmills. The Netherlands offers its partners a triple helix package: tailor-made business solutions, scientific support and a facilitating government."

He thinks that Nuffic NESOs (Netherlands Education Support Offices) have an important role to play in strengthening the country's value proposition. "Next to that, the Holland Alumni Network is also a valuable asset for Dutch businesses – especially in Asia. Alumni who studied in the Netherlands help in ensuring a 'soft landing' for Dutch companies in their home countries. It would be great if those ties can be kept intact."

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is one of the most international universities in the Netherlands, offering Dutch students an international experience in their own country by giving them the opportunity to study with many foreign students and being taught by an international, diverse faculty.

WUP 8/9/2020
by James Wittenborg
©Wittenborg University Press