OpenWeek - the start of a new academic year

While the rest of us were getting our tan on, the admissions team at Wittenborg University has been hard at work all summer. 

Under the leadership of registrar, Santosh Aryal, Wittenborg is this September admitting a record number of new students - about 54 and counting, with another 50 waiting for admission in the Master programme and October and December Bachelor starts! 

Between them, the new starters represent more than 20 nationalities of which at least four is a first for Wittenborg - Egypt, Georgia, Macedonia and the island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Enchanté.

Most of the new students arrived earlier this week - bright-eyed and on time - to attended the Open Week activities organized by the university for new students.

Aryal attributes the good performance to “hard work” by the admissions team as well as

Wittenborg’s good reputation. “I think the fact that we introduced four new programmes, including the Euro BA, also played a role in boosting the number of admissions.” He is confident that by next September the intake will grow by a further 50%. China still leads the way in contributing the highest number of students.

One of the new Chinese students, Ang Li (aka Isabella), says she chose Wittenborg because it allows you to study at your own pace. “I want to finish as quickly as possible.”

Ang Li will follow the IBA in Economics and Management programme. She stays in Deventer where she first studied for two years at Saxion and wants to follow a career in business management.

She says the Open Week activities - where students were given a tour of the building, guided through the academic program and online course areas, introduced to their tutors as well as each other - were “impressive”.

Keisha Charles is another new student who was born in Atlanta in the US but virtually lived all her life on the island of St. Maarten. She will specialize in Finance and Management.

She received a scholarship to study in The Netherlands and chose Wittenborg “because it was the first university who accepted my application”.

Keisha has been in Apeldoorn for a few week now and says the Dutch she encountered up untill now have been very nice. “I suppose Apeldoorn is a bit boring, but on the other hand its green and very safe. Most people I met were very welcoming, there were a couple of rude ones - one refused to speak English to me and demanded to see my passport - but they were few and far between.”

Lennart Dubel is one of a few new Dutch students. Of all the universities in all the land, why did he choose Wittenborg?

“A representative from Wittenborg made a presentation at my previous school and I loved the fact that it was so international - I wish to work abroad one day. Probably in the banking sector.”

Dubel will also specialize in Economics and Management, and start off in the second phase of the IBA-programme.

So, there you have it: Squeeze the last out of the lazy-hazy summer days and see you next week.

On time, right?

WUP 29/8/2013

by Anesca Smith

©Wittenborg University Press

Anesca Smith is a Final Year IBA Hospitality Management student and has been employed as a writer for Wittenborg since May this year. Anesca is a journalist, writing for newspapers in her native South Africa, however is looking forward to working in the hospitality industry. Find out more at http://anescasmith.com/