7 September: Opening of the Academic Year at the University of Twente

Festive opening focusing on the future of the higher education system

3 September 2012

The focus of this festive kick-off to the new academic year at UT will be on recent developments in higher education. The world of education is in turmoil. The current generation of young people coming into higher education is more diverse than ever before. The way they learn and deal with information is completely different from previous generations. Their careers will encompass a multitude of different positions, many of which do not yet even exist. Universities are facing financial cutbacks and students are under increased pressure to complete their studies within a specified time, and so the question of how UT can ensure that these students are given a valuable education has become even more pressing. Against this backdrop, UT is introducing a broad programme of educational reforms designed to create a solid basis for the future.

The latest addition to UT is University College ATLAS, which will welcome its first students in 2013. ATLAS is the Netherland’s first University College for technical sciences, aimed at ambitious top students looking for a broad education. A new teaching model currently being devised will introduce modular project education: UT’s answer to providing challenging education tailored to the future. Modular education is an efficient teaching method, whereby students choose their specialization at a later stage, giving them more space to develop their interests. Effective tutoring will be a priority, as this reduces the dropout rate caused by wrong choices.

Preparing for the future

The opening of the academic year will revolve around preparing higher education for the future. Professor Cees Veerman, professor at Tilburg University and Wageningen University and former Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, is the guest speaker. Veerman and the committee on ‘the Future Higher Education System’ were at the forefront of recent developments in education.

A word of welcome by Dr Anne Flierman, Chair of the Executive Board of UT, will be followed by a lecture by Veerman entitled ‘Investeren in onderwijs: rendeert dat?’ [‘Investing in education: does it pay off?’]. Rector Magnificus Professor Ed Brinksma will then present prizes for the best graduates in every faculty, and the best teacher at UT will be put in the spotlight.

This year’s Opening of the Academic Year will take place on Friday 7 September, starting at 14.30 hrs. (guests are welcome from 13.45 hrs. onwards.) It will be held in the Music Centre (Noorderhagen 27) in Enschede city centre. Click here for the programme.

Note for the press

You are warmly invited to attend the Opening of the Academic Year. Please register with Joost Bruysters (+31 (0)53 489 2773 / +31 (0)6 1048 8228).