Achieving and solving something together

Guus Schreiber discusses the collaboration between VU Amsterdam and the UT at the start of Mechanical Engineering in Amsterdam.

Achieving and solving something together

At VU Amsterdam, there had long been a desire to establish a beta collaboration. Initially, the idea was to pursue this with UvA, but in 2017, that plan fell through at the last minute. Although disappointing, new plans for collaboration quickly emerged, this time with the UT. These plans led, within an improbably short period of just eighteen months, to the launch of Mechanical Engineering (ME) in Amsterdam in 2019. This marked the first technical degree at VU Amsterdam and the first joint bachelor’s program with the UT. Beta Dean Guus Schreiber was involved from the very beginning. 'ME was already well-established in Twente. We didn’t have to start from scratch.'

'There were various reasons to start a technical program at VU Amsterdam. In 2017, several tech companies made an urgent call in the NRC, pleading for the creation of a technical degree at the university level in Amsterdam due to the severe shortage of highly trained technical personnel. This need was also reflected in our own research, which we conducted among VWO students from the Amsterdam and North Holland regions. And there was also our own wish, as a technical program would complete our range of degrees.

Not starting from scratch

During a 2017 visit to the UT by the VU’s then Rector Vinod Subramaniam, who had previously been a professor at the UT, the tech companies' article was discussed, and it was quickly decided to collaborate. This led to ME in Amsterdam, a pragmatic choice driven by demand from the market and the VWO students in North Holland, and the fact that the program already existed in Twente. This meant we didn’t have to start from scratch. ME launched in Amsterdam with 60 students after just eighteen months, the shortest time frame I’ve ever seen for such a project.

Excitement for collaboration

The speed with which we launched ME in Amsterdam was also due to the strong personal and administrative relationships between all parties involved at both universities. People enjoyed the process and were excited about the collaboration. There was a sense of we’re going to achieve and solve something together, and without much stress. If something did come up, it was quickly addressed and solved. There was very little hassle, which made working on the project very pleasant.

Pragmatic solutions

Interestingly, the lack of hassle wasn’t entirely inevitable. There were potential challenges, such as the physical and psychological distance between the two universities, or the fact that students had to stay overnight in Enschede every other week. However, the biggest potential hurdle was the educational model, which differed considerably in both content and scheduling. We pragmatically solved that as well. In terms of content, we made no changes. Why would we? ME was already established in Twente. As for the scheduling, we aligned with Twente’s system, which makes us the only program at VU Amsterdam with a different schedule, but as long as it works, there’s no issue.

Pride on behalf of others

On 1 July, when the first cohort of students graduated, I felt mainly happy and satisfied. And proud? I don’t particularly like that word. And if I am, it’s vicarious pride. My role in all of this has been limited. It was mainly about getting things started at the beginning and troubleshooting along the way. Others did the real work. The credit goes to them. Looking to the future, we’re working to establish a permanent place for ME staff within VU Amsterdam, including a physical space. We’re also going to focus on developing the research component of ME, because education and research truly go hand in hand.

Together, the broadest university in the Netherlands

I’m really pleased that Creative Technology will start at VU Amsterdam next year. It will be our second joint bachelor’s degree, and it has already proven itself in Twente. I’ve said from the start that a solitary technical degree at VU Amsterdam wouldn’t be viable. To develop a true technical profile, we need at least two, ideally three. We’re also working hard behind the scenes on that. What’s great about this collaboration is that the VU can offer technical degrees without having to become a full-fledged technical university. We can leverage the knowledge and infrastructure that the UT already has. Together, we are the broadest university in the Netherlands.