And all of sudden... a number of things accelerated. Approval of the business case by the Faculty Council and approval of our application by the Committee for the Efficiency of Higher Education, so it can be a funded study programme. We have also started recruiting colleagues and we’re making progress with the positioning of CreaTe. And last but not least, we had two fantastic days with our colleagues from VU Amsterdam in Twente.
So what am I going to write about? About different kinds of things. Like recruitment: that's going pretty well. At the moment, I’m happy how far we have got, because I know how everybody did their utmost and was super flexible. And then there is travelling. It’s interesting to see how many colleagues from abroad find a 2.5 hour train journey very normal. That is good news, of course. Because it’s a subject that requires care. How do we organise the work and the associated travel for and with our future colleagues so that it is fun and also doable?
We learn a great deal from the information provided by Markteffect about how future students view VU Amsterdam, the UT and CreaTe. They think that if you study at a technical university, it looks good on your CV. They also think that, when it comes to collaboration between the two universities, at the UT you will do more of the 'do-stuff' and at VU Amsterdam you will work more on the 'think-stuff'. They also expect more diversity in Amsterdam and I can imagine that being true. The relevant and hands-on character of CreaTe appeals to future students. And of course, these are just images and impressions, but we have to use them to our advantage. I think that starting from the same positioning of CreaTe for both universities, we have to show how it is embedded in the two different universities and cities. Because one can appeal more to you than the other. Let the Tech Campus stay in Twente and let Amsterdam be Amsterdam
And then there was the productive visit of our colleagues from VU Amsterdam. Two days of gaining impressions of CreaTe students at work and two days of intensive physical and mental roaming on the campus and within CreaTe. Schedules, recruitment, images, specialisations, academic skills and professional development. It was Humane by Design in every sense. A great way to build the study programme in Amsterdam and at the same time enrich the study programme as a whole with interesting new notions. That is pure profit. By being open to each other's strengths, we make CreaTe even more relevant, interesting and attractive to future students. And if there is anything that feels good, this is it.
And now... it is almost summer. There is still a lot of work to be done in the coming year. But not now. Have a great holiday!