Like every year, the HAN succeeded to get a celebrity introducing the new school year. Bernard Wientjes, leader of the national employers’ organization, visited the HAN to talk about education and management.
While the city centre was full of new first-year students hanging and playing around, Wientjes provided his audience in the auditory of the FEM-building with his view on education. Wientjes emphasized his view that the Netherlands should keep on thinking internationally. In a globalised world, the Netherlands should distinct itself. And in that, education has an important role according to Wientjes.
‘We cannot be best in everything’. Therefore, the Netherlands should invest in 9 different top sectors. Colleges and Universities should consequently focus on 2 or 3 of these sectors. Moreover, Wientjes advised schools to provide students with courses that are relevant according to the labour market, and get employers more involved in this process.
