Conference programme

City as text is a reading the city: observe, smell, feel, look and hear. Experiencing a piece of city with all your senses, the most beautiful thing there is. And then discover that someone standing next to you experienced something completely different. How beautiful is that? Experience it together with others in this afternoon session! City as Text is close-reading in order to get a multitude of perspectives ('readings') of the city. Often we look at the city only simplistically: streets, houses, squares, beautiful/ugly buildings. But there is much more: people, workplaces, living, people move and do things in the environment, or, on the contrary, leave something behind, don't do something that might make sense. Why? By observing a small piece very closely, questioning it, using all our five senses, we can make a rich picture of that piece of city. Possibly we will understand it better then. And if we are with a large group, we divide ourselves into small groups across the city, retrieving a rich image of Enschede!

So: join in, immerse yourself in a small piece, see, smell, taste, hear and feel that piece and then share it with others!

Planning:
12:00-12:45 - Start up (location to be announced).
12:45 - On the move in Enschede.
16:00 - Back at starting location.
17:00-18:00 - Joint reporting, thus creating a new image of Enschede.

Signing up: to sign up for the City as Text event, please send an email to toptalent@saxion.nl with Ron Weerheijm (c.e.weerheijm@hr.nl) in CC.

Location: ConnectU A-Square

- Does it take a community to raise resilient students? (Marita Coppes, M. Verhagen)

- Is the current approach of strengthening student well-being effective?
- To what extent are universities responsible for the well-being of students?
- How can we enhance resilience within universities?

- Diversity & Inclusion (William Sanchez)

Introduction
In today's globalized world, the importance of diversity and inclusion competences in education cannot be overstated. As educators and coaches of our future leaders, it's our responsibility to cultivate environments that celebrate differences and empower all students to thrive in cultural diverse environments. Our fishbowl proposal aims to explore how far can we stretch our beliefs and understanding of what diversity and inclusion within international (honours) education brings as added value.

Workshop Objectives
We aspire to ignite a spark of inspiration and drive transformative discussions in the realm of international (honours) education. By coming together in dialogue and action, we can stretch the boundaries of what's possible and create more inclusive learning environments that celebrate the rich tapestry of identities which every individual has.

- To deepen understanding of the significance of diversity and inclusion in international (honours) education.
- To brainstorm actionable strategies for promoting diversity and fostering inclusivity within educational settings.
- To inspire participants to become advocates for change and champions of diversity in their respective spheres of influence.

Workshop format: Open Fishbowl 
To improve the creative process we make use of music and art to provide a conducive environment which brings a flow of ideas for the fishbowl.

A small group has a conversation in an inner circle while a larger outer group silently observes the conversation. Participants rotate through the inner and outer circles until everyone has had a chance to experience both roles. Later, the group debriefs on what they observed in both roles on both the content of the discussion and the group process.

In this Open Fishbowl format, a number of chairs are placed in the inner circle, but one is always left empty: Any member of the audience can, at any time, occupy the empty chair and join the fishbowl. When this happens, an existing member of the inner circle must voluntarily leave the fishbowl and free a chair.

Workshop Outline
1. Opening Remarks by the facilitator (Saxion Diversity Officer)
- Setting the tone for the workshop and introducing the Fishbowl discussion format.
- Emphasising the importance of embracing diversity and fostering inclusion in education.
2. Fishbowl Discussion: "How much diversity and inclusion can international (honours) education have? Stretch the Bubble”. Two idea’s which can be explored:
- The Role of Diversity \& Inclusion Competences in International (Honours) Educational Settings:
--- Strategies for promoting cross-cultural understanding and empathy among students and educators.
--- Addressing biases and stereotypes to create a more inclusive learning environment.
--- Building partnerships with local communities and organisations to foster a culture of inclusivity.
- Who gets the gain, the blame and the pain of inclusion in international education
- What happens when we address existing dominant (diversity) concepts in education?
- What are the tools and strategies we have to uncover commonplace forms of unintended bias, in order to cultivate a greater sense of belonging.
3. Reflection and Action Planning
- Facilitated reflection on key insights and takeaways from the Fishbowl discussion.
- Collaborative action planning to identify concrete steps for advancing diversity and inclusion efforts within participants' spheres of influence.
4. Closing Remarks
- Expressing gratitude to participants for their contributions and commitment to the cause of diversity and inclusion.

Location: Parallel room OK1

In this inspiration lecture the Our Future Leaders (OFL) pilot program as held at the University of Twente – Honours program will be treated. This is a leadership program based on an experiential learning setting; the organisation contracted by the Honours program to deliver this program was the Recess College*. The program comprised of a 2.5-day event in May 2023 and a 2.5-day review in June 2023 plus 3 online follow-on sessions. The background, learning goals and program structure will be explained. Furthermore, the impact it had on students, both in terms of (self)leadership and well-being, will be highlighted. (Anonymised) Experiences from students will be shared. The evaluation of the program shows how well this program ties into (deeper) learning needs of students and how it can contribute both in terms of:

- Professional skills (e.g. roles in teams such as leading and following, effective teamwork, (self)leadership) and
- Personal skills (e.g. getting aware of own feelings, emotions, thoughts and those of others; learn to communicate effectively from Self to others; giving and receiving feedback).

Furthermore, the program connects well to the increased emphasis institutes in higher education put on community building and civility. A large playground therein is project- and teamwork and the increased need to understand “how people tick”, i.e. learning to be able to work with people from different cultures and with different perspectives.

Finally, an outlook to the (near) future will be made on the offering of leadership courses like OFL and the relevance of it for students in higher education and especially in the setting of Honours programs.

A few details of the OFL program as mentioned by the Recess College are:
"The Recess College offered the Twente University Honours programme an integrated programme of two weekend modules for 24 students. This programme accesses and creates real motivation and commitment for learning social skills as well clarifying values that people at the beginning of their careers, such as our students, need to make choices in their everyday behaviour, current life and future career path. The programme is serious work but also fun."

"The Aim of the OFL program is to develop a practical understanding of the importance of the different leadership roles people play, what makes for healthy organisations in the social environment in which we live and how as future leaders they can survive, influence and add value in their professions and organisations. We will reflect on the ways people bond, cooperate, and work well together - or fail to do so. This includes exploring the nature of civility, how people respect each other, value, and maintain the organisation of which they are part – or else critique it to make it healthier."

"The Recess College brings in the skills for the development in young people of collaboration, civility, and commitment to working with groups, in a communal responsible way. We have found that these practical experiences inform the way young people operate for the rest of their lives by accelerating their sense of both authority and responsibility which distinguishes them in the work and public environment."

Location: Parallel room OK2

This workshop will discuss about leading and teaching authentically, based on our unique sets of values and vision of what we deem to be impactful teaching. There will be a short exercise to look into ourselves and assess our values.

Location: Parallel room OK3

Purpose Driven Learning (PDL) is an educational process that aims for matching the students potential and longing with the urgent needs of the world. PDL leads to flourishing individuals and contributes to a just and healthy planet.

Location: Parallel room OK4

De wereld polariseert, hoe blijven we als docenten en studenten verbindend?

Ook binnen de muren van hogescholen lopen gemoederen soms hoog op. Wanneer een docent op weerstand stuit wanneer er gevoelige kwesties worden besproken of wanneer studenten spontaan in een verhit twistgesprek terecht komen. Ook zijn er subtielere vormen, bijvoorbeeld wanneer men zwijgzaam ‘uit Session leader(s) gaat’, men zich niet langer wenst te verbinden, of een ander in stilte veroordeelt.

De sleutel tot verbinden en verdraagzaamheid is het scheppen van een veilig klimaat. Hoe doe je dit? En hoe maak je diverse gevoelige thema's bespreekbaar? Hier hebben honours studenten Hicham en Achraf Chatouani een succesvol trainingsprogramma voor ontwikkeld, waar zij in deze workshop (met begeleiding van docenten Toinette Loeffen en Vanessa Scholtens) u een stukje van willen laten ervaren en deze gevoelige kwesties te bespreken.

Location: Parallel room Residence

In de binnenstad van Enschede waren veiligheidsproblemen en deze zijn d.m.v. future search afgestemd met alle relevante partijen. Hierover heb ik een PPT in het Engels/Nederlands.

Drie dagen met plusminus 80 deelnemers uit allerhande organisaties in opdracht van de Burgermeester. Deze manier van afstemmen is ideaal voor het draagvlak bij de uitvoering.

Ik ben initiatiefnemer van één actie groep en dat is actie gericht leren. We hebben nu twee keer drie S&S groepen 20 weken een veiligheidsvraagstuk ter plaatse laten uitvoeren. Leerlingen zouden samen met mij kunnen vertellen wat het verschil is tussen de schoolse manier en de actie gerichte manier. Heb tevens een interactieve en digitale lesbrief ontworpen en laten maken. Deze zou ik kunnen laten zien.

Location: Parallel room A-square 1

Kristy McGovern (opening speaker) first set foot in Enschede, The Netherlands in August 2014. She was nervous about University as school life had always been challenging for her. She was hoping she would scrape through the following four years. Surprisingly, Saxion was the exact thing she needed. Studying proved fun: it was energy giving and allowed Kristy to develop in a way she hadn’t expected.

Kristy was born and raised in Kenya. Daughter of a Dutch mother and an Irish Kenyan father meant she was exposed to a blend of cultures from the very beginning. Growing up with lots of different activities keeping her busy, she started to form the habit of wanting to learn a lot, trying new things and seeing places. A girl who that doesn’t like pink but will wear white while working on cars, she chooses adventure when given the choice. So, from Kenya she travelled to Enschede, to start at Saxion. A long way from home, with no other intention other than to get a degree and move on. But once at Saxion, Kristy got stuck into more. She made wonderful friends and was led by great mentors. She quickly found herself flowing smoothly through her study and started following an Honours programme. Soon she was talking about breaking knowledge boundaries and building a brand-new Honours programme. Kristy found her groove and has been adapting and growing ever since. Not without troubles, highs, lows and difficult times leading to resilience and determination becoming fundamental in her journey. Her heart however has always pulled her back home to Kenya, and Africa. Now a Personal Trainer and Automotive Marketing Manager, she is happily married and doesn’t exactly know what the future holds, but she is excited for it!

In her opening speech, Kristy is going to talk about passion, purpose, and potential. She pins a lot of it down to working together, making good connections, and going with the flow. Pointing out that at the end of the day, you just need to be you and have faith.

Kris Holkenborg (host) is engaged as a Policy Officer for Student Policy and Educational Portfolio Development at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. He graduated Cum Laude from his Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management with Honours and received for his meaningful contribution to educational innovation the Saxion Top Talent Award in 2020. Currently, he is finishing his Master’s in Educational Science \& Technology with a thesis about the promotion of students’ meaning in life in education.

Mitchelle Muchuchuti (host) is currently a Student Wellbeing Officer at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. Graduated with a Top Talent Honours and Bachelors of Business Administration, she is currently pursuing her Masters in Management. Throughout her experience both as a student and worker, wellbeing continues to showcase as a pivotal factor both personally and professionally. To her, wellbeing is the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy in all aspects of life.

Location: ConnectU A-Square

Location: ConnectU A-Square

Location: to be announced

Combination:
– Discussion - New Horizons for Honours Education (Yannick Servais)

What are the core values of Honours Education? Do these values stand the test of time, and new educational trends at the university? What’s is the added value of Honours education, now and in the future?

– Discussion - Presentation of how we work on Honours at the HU (Agnes Delvaux, Annelies Riteco, Carien Touwen)

Discussion Topic:
HU Honours has been developed 15 years ago on the assumption that a solid and at the same time flexible programme would help us to meet with a variety of students as well as to cope with new developments in education and a changing society. Thus, the HU developed an Honours programme throughout faculties and institutes not bases on European Credits but on extracurricular Stars. Our aim and intention: challenge students to explore their talents, creativity and drive. And work on an Honours community of ambitious students. This challenging ambition, how did it work out? We would like to share examples of Honours programmes, projects and individual courses.

Setup/Question:
Our way of working has shown to be robust and flexible over the years, what do we need the coming 15 years? We would like to share our thoughts and ideas on how to work with Honours as a lab-setting for education programs and the connecting Associate Degrees. And we would like to share questions we ask ourselves looking to the future of Honours Stars and the connection with lifelong learning.

– Discussion - Futures of Talent Education (Annegien Langeloo, Yvonne Zijlstra, Carline de Boer, Maarten Michielse, Elanor Kamans)

Fifteen years ago, Hanzehogeschool started an honours program for students who wanted and could do more next to their regular studies. Three years ago, we have remodeled the program making it focus even more on interdisciplinarity and broadening of knowledge. This summer the first cohort of students will graduate from the renewed program. Therefore, this year, we are conducting an evaluation study focusing on the role of personal development and societal engagement in honours education. Moreover, we are organizing several think tank sessions focusing on the future of honours education.

During the fishbowl discussion several experts both from the research group Talent Development in Higher Education and Society and the Hanze Honours College will share their view on where honours education should move next at our institution and beyond. Questions that could be discussed include:
What is the role of honours education in the personal development of students when this is becoming a more and more prominent topic in regular education?
What is the position of societal engagement in honours education in a polarizing world?
What is the unique contribution of honours education to students’ study programs and how do we engage students with this?

– Discussion - Enhancing Creativity in Honours Education (Sangar Paykhar)

Honours programmes stand apart as extracurricular endeavours that transcend conventional educational frameworks. This discussion explores the methodologies employed by Honours institutions across the Netherlands to distinguish their offerings from standard university curricula. We delve into how these institutions foster an environment conducive to creativity and innovation, thereby enriching the educational landscape.

Location: DesignLab INFORM

- Making an impact (Julia Wijnmaalen)

Making an impact on society and students is our duty as scholars. And rightly so! So how can we as teachers increase the impact we are trying to make?

- Students' road to leadership (Janneke de Ruiter)

Utrecht University hopes to develop honours students' leadership competencies and enhance the soft skills crucial for effective collaboration, communication and social impact. The interdisciplinary honours Leadership Programme at Master level aims to be that fertile ground for students from all different master programmes of the UU.

In this pitch, a student or multiple students from the honours Leadership Programme with assistance of their program leader will demonstrate their journey towards leadership. Specific focus will be provided to how different leadership theory themes and/or personal reflections relate to actual real-life leadership issues. In the Leadership Program, students have organized and moderated College Tours, in which they could critically question leaders in formal leadership positions about their leadership. In addition, students will implement all the knowledge and experience gained during the year while working with a leader on implementing leadership interventions within that leader's organization.

Since the students are still in the middle of this learning trajectory, the exact content of the pitch will be determined later in consultation with the student.

- Leiden-Delft-Erasmus joint BSc Honours Programme Sustainability – Challenges of organising cross-university education (Esther van der Ent, Dr. Eline Bergijk, Sanne Goudriaan, Marie van der Gaag)

The LDE BSc Honours Programme Sustainability (15 EC) is a unique joint initiative between the Honours Academies of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, Erasmus University Rotterdam (LDE Alliance) and the LDE Centre for Sustainability.

In this program, students gain fundamental knowledge on sustainability and develop practical skills by addressing real-world sustainability challenges, commissioned by external organisations. In the first part – Fundamentals (5 EC) – expert lecturers from all three universities, as well as invited guest speakers, provide students with new insights on key topics in today’s sustainability research. In the second part – the Sustainability Challenge (10 EC) – students from all three universities collaborate in mixed teams to take on a real-life societal sustainability challenge provided by regional stakeholders. These can be civic organisations, municipalities as well as non-profit and for-profit companies. In interdisciplinary teams they design and present solutions that help the organisation accelerate sustainable change.

The programme is open to all motivated second- and third-year bachelor’s students from Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam and we strive for a balanced representation from each university. The program was initially launched in the academic year 2022-2023 with a group of 36 students and is currently in its second year running. In the academic year 2024-2025 we are striving to scale up the programme to include 45 students.

During this pitch, we will share our experience in organising this educational Honours program between 3 universities. The teaching is done by lecturers from the 3 universities, who did not know each other beforehand. Coordination is also done in collaboration with Honours coordinators from all three universities. We will discuss the challenges and obstacles in organising cross-university teaching.

Location: Parallel room OK2

How a long-term international student research traineeship program between 2 higher educations: Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Program at Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute and University College Copenhagen (KP) progressed over the years producing so skilled professionals that it ignited the build-up of the recently launched non-funded prestigious Copenhagen Honours College – DIABETES.

Four elite partners: Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen and KP united in the creation of this talent programme by sharing mutual interests in promoting STEM and supporting early career scientists – the vast majority being females – by enriching the curriculum of the health profession education in Biomedical Laboratory Science.

References: 
Bekendtgørelse om talentinitiativer på de videregående uddannelser på Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriets område (talentbekendtgørelsen) (retsinformation.dk) 
Copenhagen Honours College - Diabetes - Københavns Professionshøjskole (kp.dk) 
Lladó & Lorenzen; Ottawa 2024, AMEE (The International Association for Health Professions Education): Assessment Near and far: “Formative assessment practice in international internships enhance development of employability skills”.

Location: Parallel room OK3

Het Manifest, een van de opbrengsten van het Sirius Programma dat in 2014 werd afgesloten, kent zeven richtingwijzers die sterk bepalend zijn (geweest) voor inhoud en vorm van de honours programma’s in het hoger onderwijs. We willen een aantal van deze richtingwijzers handhaven, van een deel afscheid nemen en een aantal nieuwe richtingwijzers toevoegen. Met de deelnemers van de workshop bespreken we de concept set van nieuwe richtingwijzers, om feedback te krijgen en mede op basis daarvan een Manifest 2.0 op te stellen.

Location: Parallel room OK4

This lecture delves into the transformative impact of intercultural exchanges and research aligned with global initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within Hillsborough Community College's Dr. Lydia R. Daniel Honors Program. Through various research topics and international experiences, students develop leadership skills and cultivate global awareness. Our approach emphasizes trust and responsibility, empowering students to navigate diverse environments and contribute effectively to cross-cultural dialogues.

Utilizing initiatives like the UN SDGs as a framework, our program fosters discussions on pressing global challenges beyond just the SDGs. Participants explore the interconnectedness of social, environmental, and economic issues, gaining insights into their roles as future leaders. A noteworthy partnership with Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) serves as a model, showcasing successful collaboration initiatives. Our goal is to inspire and empower students to make meaningful contributions to the world, regardless of the specific research topic.

During the session, we will outline strategies for stimulating student development, including examples of our collaboration with AUAS. By fostering meaningful interactions and leveraging global initiatives, we aim to cultivate a community of engaged global citizens committed to addressing urgent global issues.

Location: Parallel room Residence

In today’s world, tackling emerging societal challenges as summarized in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals require new, disruptive ways of thinking, acting, and cooperation. It is up to Saxion, other educational institutions, and the workfield to enable future professionals to contribute to solving these societal challenges. A new educational paradigm is developing; it centers on purpose, not on profession. Hereby, Purpose refers to “values in action”, future-oriented goals that provide a sense of direction to one’s actions in life and as such purpose promotes meaning in life. This provides education with the challenge to render justice to the individual's purpose in relation to the world. By providing education in which the personal development of the student is central for learning.

In the workshop we present the findings of two of our studies related to this topic and share our experiences as lecturers in helping finding students’ purpose.

Location: Parallel room A-Square 1

Embodied learning workshop about Connection (Anthropology meat Art)

Shoes speak louder than words.

Our innate human desire is to connect with other humans. Therefore, we aim to make space to foster human connection. As well as making connection with our whole body by using all our senses.

This, creative, workshop is not for the fainthearted, because we’re sharing stories that are usually kept in the shadows...

Location: Parallel room A-Square 2

Excellence (or honours) education has been on the rise in the Netherlands for two decades. Secondary vocational education students, University of Applied Sciences students and university students generally participate because they would like to learn and do more than their regular programme has to offer. The assumption is that their participation has added value for their further career, but this has not been confirmed by research into their perspectives. Moreover, more insight into employers’ perspectives on the added value of excellence education is needed. This study, funded by NRO, was focused on gaining more insight into the perceived effects of participation in excellence and honours programmes on career choices and functioning at work, according to alumni from different secondary vocational education and university (of applied sciences) institutions, and employers. The findings show that participating in excellence education is of added value according to the participants in all three sectors, in terms of their further career choices (e.g., confidence and motivation) and their current functioning at work (e.g., self-efficacy). The findings of this study provide insights to students, educational institutions and employers.

Location: Parallel room OK1

– What makes honours programmes attractive in the eyes of teaching and nursing students? (Niels Sandholm)

The aim of this pitch is to present and discuss findings from a study on the motivation of students applying for nursing and teaching honors programs.

– Factchecking EU Elections 2024 (Carien Touwen, Elvira van Noort)

HU Hogeschool Utrecht started with an honours project for factchecking in 2016. A group of journalism students designed WTFact, a factchecking newsroom in which they factchecked all kinds of statements by politicians in the national elections. It was a co-creation project: students and staff together developed a methodology and set up a website for publication. In the years that followed new groups of honours students factchecked many local, regional and national elections.

The project was also shared in a pan-European network of journalism schools (ETJA), in which many other schools also designed factchecking modules in their education. Together they formed EUfactcheck and took on the EU elections in 2019.

This year again the honours students from HU will participate in factchecking the EU elections of 2024. In a bootcamp week in May they have checked political statements in intercultural teams with students from other universities in Europe.

We (honours teachers and student) would like to show and share this long-lasting project and how it has created value for students, our school and society.

You can find more information about this project on the project-website: eufactcheck.eu

– It takes a community to raise resilient students (Marita Coppes)

During the Covid lockdown periods, we observed increasing mental health problems amongst our students. We did not have the capacity or resources to support all of the students individually. In 2021, Marita Coppes started an Action Research project focused on the question "How can we embed Resilience in our programme?" The Resiliency Labs were an outcome of this research project. In the interviews, students expressed they wanted to be a part of co-creating education on this topic. The current form of the Resiliency Labs is the outcome of a close collaboration of students, educators, and student counsellors. Another insight we gained is that Resilience is not something to cultivate just in the individual, but that a sense of belonging in a learning community is key.

The Resilience Labs are experiential workshops centered around non-cognitive ways of learning and focused on expanding our personal and collective resilience, e.g., through arts or embodiment. Workshops may for example be involving the use of fine arts to learn to let go of perfectionism and persevere in mastering a new craft or kickboxing to gain more focus and set better boundaries. The workshop facilitators and topics are drawn largely from community resources – a good numbers of Resiliency Labs are facilitated by our own alumni.

Moreover, the Resiliency Labs are connected to the Inner Development Goals and one of the concepts we explore is the South African “Ubuntu”: 'I am because we are'. When I am resilient, I contribute to the resilience of my community. In a resilient community, I can develop my individual resilience.

Location: Parallel room OK2

In this workshop we will make an inventory of what the possible effects, side effects and resulting societal benefits might be of honors programs.

Location: Parallel room OK3

The aim of COIL Case Model assignment is to identify and navigate the way culture influences people who work together. The cases are created by applying the guided discovery method. Using a backward design model students can better understand their own cultural position and understand their social and professional environment.

What? 
Intercultural Communication (ICC) Honours Model to Practice Dialogue™, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) was designed so that students, using a backward design model, can better understand their own cultural position while enabling them to navigate and understand their social and professional environment while leveraging their classroom theory to their own contextual experiences.

Why Use Case Models? (Adopted from Fowler \& Blohm, 2004, p. 59)
- Students explore cultural incidents that shape their personal and professional outlook.
- The models are interdisciplinary, trans-disciplinary, transferable in any business sector. 
- The case models are clear, concise, and solution oriented.
- The students transfer theoretical knowledge into practical, published cases that are evidence based, illustrate their capacity for professional writing, linked in, and reference.

How are the Case Models Created? 
The case models are created as a part of the Honours’ student portfolio applying the guided discovery method. The students participate in a COIL (cross-border collaboration with students from different backgrounds \& cultures, engage in asynchronous or synchronous online interaction, internationalised learning outcomes aimed at developing intercultural competences \& lastly, delivers a reflective component that helps students think critically about such interactions).

The aim of COIL Case Model assignment is to identify and navigate the way culture influences people who work together, develop an awareness of the students own cultural background while understanding the contexts (historical, cultural and social), and the impact this has on their role in society. Lastly, promotes cross cultural sensitivity while successfully navigating the many issues experienced in a multi-cultural business.

We apply collaborative COIL Case Models and established partnerships with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Auckland New Zealand, Kozminski University, Warsaw Poland, University of Nevada in Las Vegas USA (and more), and The International Criminal Court, The Hague, The Netherlands.

During the session, we will allow the participants to experience some elements of the course.

We are open to collaborating with new partners in the future and for training of lecturers.

Location: Parallel room OK4

Transdisciplinary education has a focus on societal or environmental challenges. We know from research and experience that honours students have a strong global engagement. Transdisciplinary education can only be done with a community with different perspectives. Inclusive power-balance is a key element for success. It is understandable that many honours programmes include transdisciplinary modules. Likewise, we see that transdisciplinary courses may use talent pedagogies.

February 29, 2024, I gave my inaugural speech on the topic of Transdisciplinairy Collaboration in Education. I will use this speech as a stepping stone for an interactive inspiration lecture about research into transdisciplinary education and the connection with honours education. I will explain the key components of transdisciplinary education – using art. I share a transdisciplinary timeline starting just after the first man on the moon. This historic overview gives insight in the development of the field of transdisciplinary education in relation to transdisciplinary research, honours and major world events. Together we will explore the power of different perspectives and the need of community building.

With the research group ‘Transdisciplinary Collaboration in Education’ we created an evidence-informed interactive web tool for educators, students, researchers, and all other partners to design and participate in transdisciplinary education. I will share the co-creation process and showcase the latest version of the Trail-tool so you can use it in your own context.

The given examples may help to enrich honours courses with grand challenges and in co-creation with all partners included, because: Life – you are beautiful; Let’s keep it that way and make it even more beautiful for all included.

After this session you know more about the power of transdisciplinary education in relation to honours, which may help you to enrich your honours education. Also, you know where to find and how to use the interactive Trail-Tool that may enhance your own transdisciplinary experiences. Besides this you have examples how to create a community that you can use in your own setting.

Location: Parallel room Residence

Honours programmes have often been offered as an extracurricular option in many universities of applied sciences. However, in a context with increasing financial pressures, it has become challenging to justify the uniqueness and value of honours, particularly for smaller student populations.

In this inspiration lecture, we aim to share how the Rotterdam Business School has integrated the Honours Programme into the interdisciplinary semesters 6.

Throughout the session, we will share our insights and delve into the challenges encountered and the strategies employed for both the parts of the Honours Programme that can and cannot be integrated in the regular curriculum.

Most importantly, we would like attendees to join the discussion and explore together the possibilities and potential pitfalls of integrating the honours into the curriculum.

Location: Parallel room A-Square 1

This engaging workshop offers a profound exploration of the identity of (honours) students through the examination of different perspectives: those of a human, a business professional, and a business philosopher. Inspired by the famous tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, we embark on an introspective journey to understand how humans can evolve and adapt to various situations and challenges when they are unleashing their potentials.

Location: Parallel room A-Square 2

Location: ConnectU A-Square

Experiences with honors education are frequently mentioned by honors teachers as motivating them to work on the innovation of their regular education. In this workshop we briefly present the main conclusions of our research about this transfer:
- Strikingly, these innovations contain to some degree all 14 structural characteristics of honors education distinguished in this study.
- These innovations are at the level of a single module but also at the level of an entire undergraduate program.
- These teachers rated the positive effect of honors education for their innovations in regular education as (very) stimulating.
- In these innovations, the teachers see themselves as "linking-pin", intrinsic motivated to actively transferring experiences from honors programs to innovations in regular programs.
- The findings indicate the great innovative potential of honors education for regular education.

The participants of the workshop are then invited to brainstorm in pairs about honors innovations into a regular program/module of their own choice. We conclude this workshop with a plenary presentation and discussion about the results of the brainstorm.

Location: Parallel room OK1

- Honours Education in a BANI world (Maria Garcia Alvarez)

In this lecture we will explore the context of a post-covid world as defined by American Anthropologist Jasmais Cascio and its implications for honours education. The BANI (Brittle/Anxious/Non-linear/Incomprehensible) world is the contextualisation of an era of chaos and climate and biodiversity collapse. More than ever, sense making, critical thinking, resilience and other qualities and skills are needed to shape educational spaces where students learn how to navigate the uncertainty and non-linearity of a BANI world. The BANI world invites us to explore different illusions: the illusion of strength, the illusion of control, the illusion of a predictable world and the illusion of knowledge. Together we will explore these dimensions and go into an interactive discussion of how these illusions affect our educational practices. The aim of this lecture is to create more self-awareness about the context we operate in and also the systems we operate from.

- The wellbeing factory (Marco Farfan Galindo, Cailin Desmet, Dimitar Tarakchiev, Marco Farfan)

Recent research has indicated that the mental well-being of students is a significant challenge that needs to be addressed. As a result of these findings, students from the Saxion Excellence Track Brain \& Technology and our partner, the University of the Aegean in Lesbos, Greece, were assigned the task of developing practical solutions to promote and enhance student well-being.

To accomplish this task, the students used the Human-Centered Design methodology, which is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes the needs and expectations of the target audience in finding the solution.

In this workshop, the students will present and apply the solutions they came up with to empower and enhance the well-being of fellow students. These practical solutions are intended to be shared from peer to peer, rather than the traditional approach of teacher to student. The students received six online lessons, and professors were present during these lessons, which they organized themselves in their own time.

It is worth noting that these students are pursuing various degrees, such as physiotherapy, computer engineering, geography, nursing, human resource management, and applied psychology.

Location: Parallel room OK2

A story of five years of collaboration with Saxion honours students.

On the impact of using a four-day personal development journey in nature as a kick off.

Topics during the lecture are:
- Sense of belonging
- Self-acceptance and appreciation
- The willingness to have a positive impact on the world.

And why these three aspects should be part of all education.

Location: Parallel room OK3

This workshop will explore the relevance of the Ubuntu philosophy from Southern Africa in educational settings in the Netherlands and in general. I am from South Africa so have experienced how wonderful it is to bring worlds together in my life and work.

The term "I am because you are" encompasses many parts to a philosophy that could provide inspiring and useful ways to enhance our teaching and leadership. This is especially relevant in the current socio-political climate where it seems that polarisation in society is seeping its way into our classroom and learning communities.

Themes explored will be the interconnectedness of the human experience, finding our way between the 'I' and the 'We', how movement plays a role in our teaching and how reconciliation can help us connect to ourselves and those around this.

This will an active workshop where we explore the philosophy in a hands-on way using "methods" I have implemented and practiced in the last five years. I will also share feedback on how students have experienced this.

Location: Parallel room OK4

Personal development is about getting to know yourself. Why is this important? Knowing yourself is the basis for being able to respond adequately and meaningfully to the world around you and to contribute in a positive way. It is always about yourself in relation to others and your environment, the world. The WUR honors program offers three tracks to leadership and self-knowledge in which we meander between freedom (ownership) and structure for the students. In this workshop we will briefly explain our program and we will work together on a design for a leadership lab.

Location: Parallel room Residence

We live in a swiftly evolving world characterized by dynamics, complexity and uncertainty. Honours education recognizes the pivotal role that honours students will play in shaping this future society.

At Hogeschool Utrecht, we have developed a new profile for these forward-thinking honours students which we refer to as the “whY-professional”. This concept builds upon the T-shaped professional model by not only emphasizing broad and deep knowledge and skills but also highlighting the importance of connection. This connection spans inwardly towards self-discovery—understanding who you are, what you desire, and what you stand for—and outwardly towards societal impact, aiming to make a meaningful difference in the world driven by personal purpose.

In this lecture, we will discuss the distinctive skills, attitudes, and mindset characteristic of the whY-professional. Our insights are based on literature research and interviews with role models. Additionally, some honours students from Hogeschool Utrecht will share their experiences with the Pioneers honours program. Through this program, they explored their personal why and undertook impactful projects aligned with that why.

Location: Parallel room A-Square 1

Location: ConnectU A-Square

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

As part of an evaluation study of the honours programme at Hanzehogeschool, the research group Talent Development in Higher Education and Society is currently conducting a focus group study on personal development and societal engagement in honours education. We have asked honours students to draw their honours journey and the levels of personal development and societal engagement they experienced at different points in their journey. Furthermore, students and teachers shared powerful learning moments in their honours program related to these two topics. This research will expose factors that accelerate the personal development and societal engagement of students in honours education. In this poster session we will present these factors with engaging examples of how to achieve this.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

As part of honors education, there are two dominant ways in which talented students in Dutch secondary vocational education get extracurricular opportunities: (1) participation in honors programs in which a community with peers is central and (2) participation in professional competitions. There is evidence to suggest that both community building within honors education (Kingma et al., 2017; Wabike, 2021; Wawrzynski et al., 2012), and competition in education (Burguillo, 2010) contribute to enhancing students' learning capacity. As building a community with others and wanting to win over others seem to contradict each other, it might be counter-productive to combine these two aspects of teaching talented students into one overarching program. Consequently, the question arises: how do these concepts interact, and could combining both concepts contribute to more optimal learning outcomes? We are conducting a scoping review to address these questions as part of a PhD project within the research group Talent Development in Higher Education and Society at Hanzehogeschool. The poster will present preliminary results of the scoping review and focus on the central question: is combining the concepts of community and competition a battle or a boost? We look forward to engaging in a lively conversation about this topic.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

The poster will cover the result of an assignment that focused on disciplinary grounding and perspective taking. The assignment was designed in 2023 in context of Graduate Honours Interdisciplinary Seminars (GHIS), which is one of the 4 faculty wide honours master programs of the Utrecht University. For this assignment a group of 67 students started with exploring the defining elements of the disciplines within their own faculties (e.g. phenomena, epistemology, assumptions, concepts or vocabulary, theories, methods). The group of students represented 44 different master programs ranging over 7 Faculties of the Utrecht University (Geosciences; Humanities; Law, Economics & Governance; Medicine; Sciences; Social & Behavioral Sciences; and Veterinary Medicine). Next the students were asked to apply some of the defining elements of their disciplines to a central object, a seventeenth century silk dress that was found in a shipwreck on the bottom of the Wadden Sea along the coastline of the island Texel. The dress is a unique well preserved object surrounded with many scientific questions. As a starting point to learn about the dress all faculty representatives received the same starting link.

Some students also ended up visiting the dress being displayed at Museum Kaap Skil at the island Texel. Students from the 7 faculties all asked themselves the same questions: “What does the Dress look like through the lens of the disciplines within my faculty?”, “What can my discipline add to this unique story of the Dress E.g. Which phenomena do I filter out”, “What kind of research methods could my faculty apply to answer questions related to this Dress?” Next all faculty representatives shared their story, resulting in 7 unique perspectives, jointly weaving into not only a more holistic understanding of the precious garment, but also into appreciation for the interconnected potential of the different disciplines. The poster will describe the different steps of the assignment and highlight student experiences and lessons learned.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

A collaboration of ECIU universities in organising student-driven education for intercultural communication development.

Within the context of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU), the University of Twente co-created a micro-module following the Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) pedagogy within a partnership of European universities. Our micro-module is centred around the development of intercultural competences through the framework of Citizen Science. The micro-module is a blended course consisting of a 2-ECTS online part (12 weeks) and an optional 1-ECTS addition (1 week) on-site at one of the collaborating institutions. The design of the course is embedded within the experiential and cooperative learning frameworks utilised by the Honours programmes of the University of Twente, from which this spin-off was formed. With our poster we aim to give an example on how Honours-inspired education methodologies and insights can be further embedded into other forms of innovative education and possible benefits and drawbacks of using this flow between Honours and regular (extracurricular) education.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Documentary and discussion about integrated application of key concepts in honours approach for regular students: authentic issues, learning community, critical reflection and personal-professional development.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

(Board) members of the Dutch Honours Community (DHC) are available to talk about activism and communities within Honours programmes and the umbrella organisation of Honours associations in the Netherlands: the Dutch Honours Association.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Glocality is an open access academic journal which offers a platform to undergraduate students to share their work with the scholar community and practitioners worldwide. We stand for our values of decolonising knowledge and we partner and publish research with universities worldwide. We admit articles that explore the relationship between local and global on any of the dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. Come and talk to us about your opportunities to publish your undergraduate work!

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Herek is the current Dean of the Faculty Science and Technology at the University of Twente. She received her PhD from the California Institute of Technology in chemical physics. After previously working at Lund University and AMOLF Institute Amsterdam, Jennifer has worked as a full professor of optical sciences at the University of Twente.

Between 2012-2018, Jennifer became the Dean of the Bachelor's programme in Technology and Liberal Arts & Sciences and in 2016-2018 she became the dean of the University of Twente Honours programmes. After her Deanships at these excellence programmes, Jennifer became the Dean of the faculty of Science and Technology. With her numerous positions and her Deanships at the University of Twente, her passion for Honours education and talent development, and the continuing of her own learning and personal development, Jennifer embodies mentality of Honours, which she share with everyone during the keynote event.

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

Location: Gallery Grand Café

Location: Gallery restaurant

Location: Gallery Vijzel

- Poster - Personal development and societal engagement in honours education (Yvonne Zijlstra, Annegien Langeloo, Elanor Kamans)
- Poster - Community & Competition in honors education: Battle or Boost? (Leontien Kragten, Annegien Langeloo)
- Poster - The Dress (Gillina Bezemer)
- Poster - The ICCS micro-module (Marie-Laure Snijders, Nelleke van Adrichem, Luuk Buunk, Nina Bode, Atis Kazaferi, Soham Nanwani Vaswani)
- Film - 'The honours approach - everybody learns' film and discussion (Nitie Mardjan, Marike Lammers)
- Stand - Dutch Honours Community (Mihai Tene)
- Stand - Glocality - an open-access undergraduate journal (Stefanna Baneva)

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Many students struggle with career indecision. The Designing Your Life courses, which started at the Honours Academy in 2021, help students approach their future with confidence.

They discover their strengths, learn that ‘perfect careers’ don’t exist, hold network conversations to explore jobs and envision different possible futures. Our research show students feel less anxious, more optimistic, and better equipped to face their future.

Participants in this session will learn what the method entails, how they can apply it in their own curriculum (open access teaching materials available), and take part in some of the key exercises.

Location: Gallery IDEATE

Combination:
– Discussion - New Horizons for Honours Education (Yannick Servais)

What are the core values of Honours Education? Do these values stand the test of time, and new educational trends at the university? What’s is the added value of Honours education, now and in the future?

– Discussion - Presentation of how we work on Honours at the HU (Agnes Delvaux, Annelies Riteco, Carien Touwen)

Discussion Topic:
HU Honours has been developed 15 years ago on the assumption that a solid and at the same time flexible programme would help us to meet with a variety of students as well as to cope with new developments in education and a changing society. Thus, the HU developed an Honours programme throughout faculties and institutes not bases on European Credits but on extracurricular Stars. Our aim and intention: challenge students to explore their talents, creativity and drive. And work on an Honours community of ambitious students. This challenging ambition, how did it work out? We would like to share examples of Honours programmes, projects and individual courses.

Setup/Question:
Our way of working has shown to be robust and flexible over the years, what do we need the coming 15 years? We would like to share our thoughts and ideas on how to work with Honours as a lab-setting for education programs and the connecting Associate Degrees. And we would like to share questions we ask ourselves looking to the future of Honours Stars and the connection with lifelong learning.

– Discussion - Futures of Talent Education (Annegien Langeloo, Yvonne Zijlstra, Carline de Boer, Maarten Michielse, Elanor Kamans)

Fifteen years ago, Hanzehogeschool started an honours program for students who wanted and could do more next to their regular studies. Three years ago, we have remodeled the program making it focus even more on interdisciplinarity and broadening of knowledge. This summer the first cohort of students will graduate from the renewed program. Therefore, this year, we are conducting an evaluation study focusing on the role of personal development and societal engagement in honours education. Moreover, we are organizing several think tank sessions focusing on the future of honours education.

During the fishbowl discussion several experts both from the research group Talent Development in Higher Education and Society and the Hanze Honours College will share their view on where honours education should move next at our institution and beyond. Questions that could be discussed include:
What is the role of honours education in the personal development of students when this is becoming a more and more prominent topic in regular education?
What is the position of societal engagement in honours education in a polarizing world?
What is the unique contribution of honours education to students’ study programs and how do we engage students with this?

– Discussion - Enhancing Creativity in Honours Education (Sangar Paykhar)

Honours programmes stand apart as extracurricular endeavours that transcend conventional educational frameworks. This discussion explores the methodologies employed by Honours institutions across the Netherlands to distinguish their offerings from standard university curricula. We delve into how these institutions foster an environment conducive to creativity and innovation, thereby enriching the educational landscape.

Location: DesignLab INFORM

‘How would you redesign your own education if you could?’ The goal of Rebuilding Education is to empower students to redesign their education in close collaboration with stakeholders and experts, while simultaneously learning about education from different scientific perspectives. On top of creating their initiatives, students organize their own assessment by setting goals, reflecting on their progress and even grading their own project.

Students can participate in Rebuilding Education through different interdisciplinary honours courses hosted at several universities in the Netherlands. The students can take on prepared case-studies provided by stakeholders from schools and universities, or start their own initiative. On rebuildingeducation.com you will find projects students set up during the course and learn more about their experiences.

During this interactive workshop we share our experiences and methods as Rebuilding Education teachers and brainstorm about how you could use co-creation to improve your education.

Location: DesignLab INSPIRE

Research on teaching behavior in the honours classroom is scarce. In this interactive presentation, we will share findings from our observational study based on video recordings of 12 lessons from four different honours teachers. We developed an observational tool and identified the types of behaviors that make up the different dimensions of need-supportive and need-thwarting teaching behaviours. After presenting the findings, we would like to share which teaching behaviours the teachers combined into different instructional patterns and discuss what might be an appropriate and possible balance for you to support honours students in their learning.

Location: DesignLab LEARN-X

Saxion University of Applied Sciences has been researching Honours education since the start of the implementation. During this workshop we will briefly share some of the highlights of recent research results, regarding assessment and teachers' and students' satisfaction. By means of a guided brainstorm session (world cafe), participants will explore how these insights could inspire the continuous development of education in which they are involved.

Location: DesignLab CONNECT

- Is the current approach of strengthening student well-being effective?
- To what extent are universities responsible for the well-being of students?
- How can we enhance resilience within universities?

Location: DesignLab INVITE

Panel discussion with the Board of the Journal of the European Honors on the criteria for acceptance of papers. Future authors can ask their questions. The Journal of the European Honors Council (JEHC) started in 2017. This journal is meant for all involved in talent development in higher education. The journal was designed as a platform for teachers, students and researchers to exchange experiences and research on talent development in higher education. It is a full open access, online journal about research results and good practices. Articles and edited notes are published from authors around the world and are blind peer-reviewed.

Names of members of the Board: 
Tineke Kingma
David Rott 
Beata Jones 
Niels Sandholm 
Tina Turiceanu 
Nik Waldram 
Marca Wolfensberger 
Pierre van Eijl 
Ron Weerheijm 
Albert Pilot 

Location: DesignLab PLAY

- Poster - Personal development and societal engagement in honours education (Yvonne Zijlstra, Annegien Langeloo, Elanor Kamans)
- Poster - Community & Competition in honors education: Battle or Boost? (Leontien Kragten, Annegien Langeloo)
- Poster - The Dress (Gillina Bezemer)
- Poster - The ICCS micro-module (Marie-Laure Snijders, Nelleke van Adrichem, Luuk Buunk, Nina Bode, Atis Kazaferi, Soham Nanwani Vaswani)
- Film - 'The honours approach - everybody learns' film and discussion (Nitie Mardjan, Marike Lammers)
- Stand - Dutch Honours Community (Mihai Tene)
- Stand - Glocality - an open-access undergraduate journal (Stefanna Baneva)

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Friluftsliv (literally: 'Living in the open air') is a Norwegian way of life. Spending time in nature increases physical as well as mental well-being. It is a way to connect and empathize with nature as well as to find out more about your Inner Development Goals. Join us to explore the power of being outdoors!

Please note: this workshop will be outdoors, so make sure to bring / wear appropriate clothing (walking / sports shoes, rain wear). Only when the weather becomes really bad, the workshop will be held at location Carré 2N.

Workshop starting point: DesignLab IDEATE
(Backup location in case of bad weather: Carré 2N)

With the unique organisational and legal status that Honors Programs often have, particularly interdepartmental ones, it can be a challenge to organise Quality Assurance.

In this Fishbowl discussion session, we will explore best practices and experiences regarding quality assurance tasks that in regular programs are carried out by an admissions committee and/or examination committee, such as:

- Assessing whether a student meets the requirements laid down in the Regulations:
-- For receiving admission to an interdisciplinary Honors program.
-- For continuing with an interdisciplinary Honors program
-- For receiving an “honors” predicate on the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate
- Monitoring the quality of examinations in an interdisciplinary Honors program.

During the session we will explore where different institutes plot their own quality assurance organisation on a spectrum from “highly regulated, strongly adhering to Whw principles” to “minimal regulation, maximal freedom”. We start by plotting our own TU/e Honors Academy on the spectrum and shortly explain our current position, reasons for addressing this topic, questions and considerations. Then we invite participants to shortly explain their position on the spectrum, and discuss the benefits and downsides of their current situation. Based on the discussion we will try to derive guidelines and principles for organising quality assurance for institutes that have or are planning to start an interdisciplinary honors program.

Location: DesignLab INFORM

- Unleashing Potential: A Journey through Honours - From Comfort Zones to In- formed Choices (Kevin Tuinte)

I am thrilled to share with you my journey through the Honors program and how it has profoundly influenced my future trajectory.

Reflecting on my childhood aspirations (picture of me), I always envisioned myself as a carpenter. However, as I grew older, I realized that my passion extended beyond the workshop. This realization led me to pursue Mechanical Engineering, a field where I could channel my creativity and problem-solving skills into designing innovative solutions.

Throughout my studies, I delved into the intricacies of machine design, processes, and other essential technical aspects. However, I sensed a gap in my understanding – the holistic view of design encompassing the broader context. This realization fuelled my interest in the Honors program, where I sought to broaden my perspectives and deepen my knowledge.

In the Honors program, I embarked on a transformative journey, exploring various disciplines and methodologies. From engaging in critical discussions on Science and Technology studies (STS) to crafting my individual learning path, every aspect of the program challenged and shaped me as a person.

As I stand here today, I look back at that ambitious kid and feel a sense of fulfilment. While the path to this moment was filled with twists and turns, I am confident that my future is intricately woven with my passions and interests.

Thank you for allowing me to share a glimpse of my Honors adventure with you.

- Own your project, own your track (Ema Šujster)

In the realm of high-tech systems, the honors program should not only be about conducting technical projects but also giving the next generation of engineers the freedom and opportunity to reshape the world: do the impossible. As an honors student in the High Tech Systems Honors track at TU Eindhoven, I have adopted this perspective, taking on the role of a student leader to inspire fellow students to challenge themselves, think out of the box and facilitate synergy between personal and professional development.

The motto of our track is: "Own your project, own your track". The educational philosophy it follows is based on the flip-classroom method that empowers students to take ownership of their projects, fostering a culture of autonomy and innovation. I helped introduce essential systems such as Scrum for efficient project management, and led the creation of our track's website, logo, and merchandise, enhancing students’ identity and visibility within the university and across the Netherlands. My presence at the honors conference is also another testament to such efforts.

Personally, as a part of this track, I get to work both on my personal skill development and research. Starting with working on my technical skills by organising a workshop on ROS programming and robotics, I expanded my horizons to improve my presenting skills and other personal goals. While daring to dream big, we are also coached to be scientifically rigorous and encouraged to dive deeper into the fundamental cruxes of high-tech systems. For me, this culminated in writing a research paper for a RoboCup symposium and showcasing the track's contributions to the field.

Another special feature of our track is utilising the reputation of TU Eindhoven in industrial innovation and its location in the Brainport region, helping the students from the track to stay up to date with the current innovations. Furthermore, the university and the track actively encourage entrepreneurship and foster close collaboration with companies. Some first-year honors student groups have already secured sponsorships from companies such as Canon, and Sorama, further strengthening our ties and emphasizing our relevance in the Brainport region.

- Entrepeneurship and honours (Jarno Meul)

In this pitch I want to elaborate about how an honour program can benefit entrepeneurs.

For the last 4 years I've been running an event company besides following a honoursprogram.

And I want to share with the students and teachers how you can use the honours program in your advantage for your company.

The goal of the pitch is to inspire student to start there business and give them handles on how the can start and how a honours program can help them to do so.

Location: DesignLab INSPIRE

- Being a first-generation student in an honours program (Elanor Kamans, Annegien Langeloo)

In the Netherlands education is perceived as a great equalizer and meritocratic values are omnipresent. Yet non-traditional students (i.e., low parental education background, low SES, migration background) remain underrepresented in higher education. Selective honours education also carries the risk of unintentionally promoting inequality. In this interactive lecture we will discuss the non-formal obstacles first generation students (i.e., students that are the first generation in the family to attend higher education) might perceive before, during, and after entering honours education and that are likely to threaten inclusivity and accessibility of honours education. We will base ourselves on the research that we have conducted with first generation (honours) students at Hanze UAS and talk about social psychological processes that potentially affect the decision to participate in honours and the experience of studying in honours. During the lecture, participants will actively discuss how the findings might apply to their programs as well as how to circumvent potential inequality at various phases of the honors journey.

- Who is the honours student? (Stephanie Rosenkranz, Janneke A. de Ruiter, Yannick Servais)

In December 2023 the Honours College initiated a survey among 1579 Utrecht University students and 492 students from other Dutch Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences. The objective of this research was to better understand the main needs, objectives and motivation of Dutch university students currently enrolled. Questions specifically focused on the learning needs, relevance, and motivations of students belonging to the age group of 18-26 that could be addressed by honours education in the future. Another aim was to understand the image and perception of honours education among university students with a focus on the perceived value (benefits, challenges), reputation, and awareness of the current content of honours education.

Utrecht University participants were recruited using mailings and the University's media screens in several buildings. The sample of Dutch students was recruited using a commercial platform providing a high-quality subject pool for market research.

In this survey a total of 1669 regular students (1273 from Utrecht University, 396 from other Dutch universities) and 402 honours students (306 from Utrecht University, 96 from other Dutch universities) participated. Additional demographic data was collected to understand how well the outcome of the study can be expected to apply to the general student population. Results indicate interesting discrepancies between the image regular students have of honours education and the experiences of students participating in honours education.

Location: DesignLab LEARN-X

Even though Honours education in universities of applied sciences has a relatively short tradition, it is undeniable that it has managed to differentiate itself from the more rigid and uniform Honours education in the United States. Honours in Dutch universities of applied sciences is characterized by its diversity. So far, it has focused more on professional, academic, and personal development by stimulating self-awareness, self-directed learning, and by empowering students to believe in their own abilities. This somewhat shared understanding of the purpose of Honours education among universities of applied sciences has served well until now. However, considering global developments and the emerging realization that our perception of the world might have been mistaken, should we also question the aim of Honours education? We invite you to delve deeper into defining what Honours currently is, finding the structures that allow its existence, distilling the mental models that made Honours possible, and from there, exploring what needs to be changed. In other words, we will use a systems thinking approach to explore what changes might be necessary and desirable to remain purposeful and relevant.

Location: DesignLab CONNECT

The goal of this workshop is to present the new vision of the Honours Programme at the University of Twente, focusing on how the Honours Educational Committee (HEC) developed such a new vision (i.e., the thought processes, the challenges and the rationale behind it). Besides sharing this journey, through this workshop we sincerely welcome feedback, insights and ideas from peers and colleagues to boost even further our Honours vision.

Location: DesignLab INVITE

Loop je rond met vragen over honours? Ben je bezig honours in je instelling te krijgen? Ben je actief met honours maar wil je er meer van weten? Dan is deze workshop typisch iets voor jou: het honours netwerk NL deelt hun ervaringen met jou. We denken dat we alle onderwerpen aan kunnen en anders gaan we daarover in gesprek of zoeken alsnog een Session leader(s)persoon als deskundige. Sluit aan en praat mee!

Are you running around with questions about honors? Are you in the process of getting honors into your institution? Are you active with honors but want to know more about it? Then this workshop is typically something for you: the honors network NL shares their experiences with you. We think we can handle all topics and otherwise we will discuss them or find a Session leader(s) as an expert. Join us and let’s have a talk!

Location: DesignLab PLAY

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

- Poster - Personal development and societal engagement in honours education (Yvonne Zijlstra, Annegien Langeloo, Elanor Kamans)
- Poster - Community & Competition in honors education: Battle or Boost? (Leontien Kragten, Annegien Langeloo)
- Poster - The Dress (Gillina Bezemer)
- Poster - The ICCS micro-module (Marie-Laure Snijders, Nelleke van Adrichem, Luuk Buunk, Nina Bode, Atis Kazaferi, Soham Nanwani Vaswani)
- Film - 'The honours approach - everybody learns' film and discussion (Nitie Mardjan, Marike Lammers)
- Stand - Dutch Honours Community (Mihai Tene)
- Stand - Glocality - an open-access undergraduate journal (Stefanna Baneva)

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Location: DeseignLab IDEATE

We warmly invite educators, particularly those working with Honours students, to a groundbreaking workshop, "Fantastic Failures: Cultivating Resilience and Growth in Education." This session is designed to inspire and empower teachers to transform their pedagogical approaches, fostering an environment where failure is not feared but embraced as a vital component of learning and growth.

As educators, we understand the high expectations and pressures that Honours students face, often perceiving failure as a detrimental setback. However, this workshop aims to shift this perception, demonstrating how failure is an integral part of the educational journey, essential for developing resilience, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

During this interactive session, educators will:
- Gain insights into the positive aspects of failure and how it can be a powerful teaching tool to enhance student learning and self-discovery.
- Develop strategies to create a supportive classroom environment that encourages students to take risks, embrace challenges, and learn from their setbacks.
- Learn how to guide students in reflecting on their failures, extracting valuable lessons, and applying them to future endeavors.
- Explore interdisciplinary exercises and techniques to integrate the concept of productive failure into your teaching methods, fostering creativity, innovation, and perseverance among students.
- This workshop is an invaluable opportunity for educators to enrich their didactic approaches, enabling them to support their students in developing a healthier relationship with failure. By attending, you will not only enhance your ability to teach resilience and adaptability but also inspire your students to view failure as a stepping stone to success, thereby nurturing their growth into well-rounded, resilient individuals.

Join us for this transformative experience and be part of a movement to redefine failure in education, cultivating an atmosphere of continuous improvement and lifelong learning. Empower yourself and your students to embrace setbacks, learn from them, and emerge stronger and more prepared to tackle future challenges. Your commitment to this journey will pave the way for a more resilient, innovative, and successful generation of learners.

Location: DesignLab INFORM

- Saxion Smart Solutions Learning Community ’Unsolicited Advice’ (Ruben Sinkeldam)

As part of the Saxion Smart Solutions Semester in 2021 we developed a Learning Community with a different approach than the others. There are no clients. Therefor we start with the focus on the student. In two intense kick-of weeks students transfer from their personal goals, via the SDG's, group formation to a subject they will work on. Guidance seems crucial in this process to create a safe environment. It appears we are doing a good job since students are very satisfied and the outcomes of the groups are beyond our expectations every semester. We prefer a mixed presentation with students and staff.

- Collaborative exploring across boundaries - experiencing the UU GHIS Programme (Gillina Bezemer)

Graduate Honours Interdisciplinary Seminars (GHIS) is one of the 4 faculty wide honours master programs of the Utrecht University. It is designed to unleash curiosity, open-mindedness and team spirit. GHIS facilitates that students immerse themselves across different research topics. By this they equip themselves to help combat complicated timely challenges and foster positive change. The Programme embodies an interdisciplinary research focus and also flows along other ongoing academic transitions such as open science and transdisciplinary.

The pitch will cover lessons learned of different Programme activities such as an excursion to the island Texel, seminar series, playful workshops, personal development sessions and a group-project.

- Community & Competition in honors education: Battle or Boost? (Leontien Kragten, Annegien Langeloo)

As part of honors education, there are two dominant ways in which talented students in Dutch secondary vocational education get extracurricular opportunities: (1) participation in honors programs in which a community with peers is central and (2) participation in professional competitions. There is evidence to suggest that both community building within honors education (Kingma et al., 2017; Wabike, 2021; Wawrzynski et al., 2012), and competition in education (Burguillo, 2010) contribute to enhancing students' learning capacity. As building a community with others and wanting to win over others seem to contradict each other, it might be counter-productive to combine these two aspects of teaching talented students into one overarching program. Consequently, the question arises: how do these concepts interact, and could combining both concepts contribute to more optimal learning outcomes? We are conducting a scoping review to address these questions as part of a PhD project within the research group Talent Development in Higher Education and Society at Hanzehogeschool. The pitch will start with a brief overview of honors education in vocational education (mbo), and will present the preliminary results of the scoping review with a focus on the central question: is combining the concepts of community and competition a battle or a boost? We look forward to engaging in a lively conversation about this topic.

Location: DesignLab INSPIRE

- Waddenlab: boundaries to cross (Ron Weerheijm, Erik Stuttaford)

Waddenlab is an (extracurricular) educational event in which students from mbo-hbo-wo prepare for a week of sailing on the Wadden Sea over a number of Saturdays. Wide water, islands, coast and yes: seals and birds. How complex can it be? But appearances can be deceptive: the Wadden Sea is extremely complex. The central question at the Wadden Lab is therefore: "How do we keep the Wadden Sea healthy?" This broad question offers every opportunity to look at and work on the Wadden Sea from many different perspectives.

In this workshop, we want to explore with participants what principles encourage students to throw themselves into this. Certainly: ‘challenging’ and ‘new’, but what 'cross-domain' principles more so? This can help us design boundary crossing education.

- Publishing about honours; meeting international friends (Marca Wolfensberger)

Please join us in an interesting conversation about research on honours education and the power of publication. We will also talk about other journals and other avenues for sharing research and practices.

Also we want to share with you our experiences with meeting honours directors, researchers, teachers and students from all over Europe. This session will be guided by folks from the board of the European Honors Council and the Journal of the European Honors Council.

Location: DesignLab LEARN-X

The Outreaching honors program features a unique concept for students: We offer a broad palette of student centric possibilities and next to this provide ample room to students to propose their own activities- and have these recognized and rewarded with ECTS. Thus, resulting in a unique and tailored study program on top of the students regular study program.

The Outreaching Honors Program is open to selected Tilburg University students of all study levels, nationalities, and study backgrounds. The program has a duration of one academic year, with the option to apply for a second year of support with a specific project and team. It is conducted entirely in English.

Within the three pillars of Leadership, Social Entrepreneurship and Collaborative Interaction, Outreaching offers a number of challenging, yet rewarding extracurricular modules in different fields. All students can participate in the Impact Labs, projects focused on hands-on, real world experience in collaboration with external and internal partners such as the Municipality of Tilburg and the Dutch Ministry of Defense. In addition, workshops, summer schools, negotiation courses, informal meetings with private and public sector-leaders are organized throughout the year.

In this interactive lecture we will share our insights with regards to the practical and organizational side as well as the mindset shift(s) required by staff and students.

Location: DesignLab CONNECT

Unleashing our potential is natural. It comes easy, with clarity and confidence.

The only obstacle to actually doing so, is that we don't focus on unleashing our potential.

Instead, we tend to focus on what (we think) is required from us, what makes us successful, measured against societal standards, and what people expect from us.

But when we start to tap more and more into our potential, we are creative, innovative and confident. We think independently, are looking for solutions and cooperation and we experience peace of mind, positive energy and curiosity.

When we learn to unleash our potential, step by step, we can do what we do best and enjoy most.

Learning how to do this is the aim of this workshop, which is based on the Personal Leadership Experience course of the Honors Master Programme of the Eindhoven University of Technology. Students call this “the best course they had in university” and the workshops “the anchor point in their weeks”.

Therefore, next to the foundation of personal leadership, we’ll also explore the principles that are at the basis of the success of this program. Giving participants some practical ideas and inspiration to apply these in their own courses and institutions.

Location: DesignLab INVITE

Location: Gallery Grand Café

Costs: 6,75 (can be added in your conference registration)

Location: Waaier MENSA student restaurant

Location: Stanislaus Brewskovitch Stadsbrouwerij Menistenkerk Enschede

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

(Board) members of the Dutch Honours Community (DHC) are available to talk about activism and communities within Honours programmes and the umbrella organisation of Honours associations in the Netherlands: the Dutch Honours Association.

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Glocality is an open access academic journal which offers a platform to undergraduate students to share their work with the scholar community and practitioners worldwide. We stand for our values of decolonising knowledge and we partner and publish research with universities worldwide. We admit articles that explore the relationship between local and global on any of the dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. Come and talk to us about your opportunities to publish your undergraduate work!

Location: DesignLab CONCEPTUALISE

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Herek is the current Dean of the Faculty Science and Technology at the University of Twente. She received her PhD from the California Institute of Technology in chemical physics. After previously working at Lund University and AMOLF Institute Amsterdam, Jennifer has worked as a full professor of optical sciences at the University of Twente.

Between 2012-2018, Jennifer became the Dean of the Bachelor's programme in Technology and Liberal Arts & Sciences and in 2016-2018 she became the dean of the University of Twente Honours programmes. After her Deanships at these excellence programmes, Jennifer became the Dean of the faculty of Science and Technology. With her numerous positions and her Deanships at the University of Twente, her passion for Honours education and talent development, and the continuing of her own learning and personal development, Jennifer embodies mentality of Honours, which she share with everyone during the keynote event.

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

United Netherlands is an internationally oriented and student-led organization that focuses on the world of international relations and diplomacy. The aim of the organization is to create a platform for ambitious students to come together and work on their personal and professional development. For several years, the Outreaching Honors Program of Tilburg University has featured their Public Speaking Program and it is received with consistently high appreciation by our students. Therefore, Outreaching would like to feature this program on this platform and give a short workshop in English.

This one-hour workshop will be an interactive session in which students will have a chance to get out of their comfort zone and get a chance to brush up their public speaking skills. Our trainers will use their experience from Harvard and Oxford conferences to ensure an engaging and comfortable learning environment and ensure high-quality personal feedback for each student. The workshop will give a chance to students to participate in various short exercises that will focus on their body language, voice control, and framing skills. The workshop will be given in English since this is the official language of our organization. However, our trainers will be fluent in Dutch and be able to facilitate an environment in which Dutch-speaking students can ask questions.

Contact:
United Netherlands
Postbus 9103
6500 HD Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Visiting address:
Thomas van Aquinostraat 1
Rooms: 2.01-2.02
6525 GD Nijmegen

Telephone: +31 (0)24 36 11 137
program@unitednetherlands.org
www.unitednetherlands.org

Location: Carré 3H

Unleashing our potential is natural. It comes easy, with clarity and confidence. 

The only obstacle to actually doing so, is that we don't focus on unleashing our potential. Instead, we tend to focus on what (we think) is required from us, what makes us successful, measured against societal standards, and what people expect from us. We focus on others, instead of ourselves.

But when we start to tap into our potential, we are creative, innovative and confident. We think independently, are looking for solutions and cooperation and we experience peace of mind, positive energy and curiosity. When we learn to unleash our potential, step by step, we can do what we do best and enjoy most.

So in this inspiring and personal workshop, you’re going to do this!

You’re going to start to explore what your potential is and how you can put it into practice with confidence and joy. You’re going to take a practical deep dive into your motivations, talents and best knowing.

So you can contribute your qualities, talents and vision to create wellbeing in today’s world, for yourselves and others. Let’s go!

This workshop is based on the Personal Leadership Experience (PLE) course of the Honors Master Programme of the Eindhoven University of Technology. Students call this “the best course they had in university” and the workshops “the anchor point in their weeks”.

Students in the Honors program all start with this course to give them the personal reflection, tools and hands-on experience to become more aware of their own potential and how they can put this into practice. During the PLE course, they design a personal project based on what they would love to explore, based on their reflections and experiences during the PLE. This project gives them a chance and the freedom to applying their potential and getting to know themselves better and better along the way.

Location: Hal B 2A

Today we would like to share and experience with you one of the methods we use in our trajectory of Personal Development with our Honours Students. We will connect body and mind in a playful, experiential and reflective way. Through boxing we will explore our “auto pilot”, our communication style, how to lead and how to follow and the thoughts and feelings we run into doing these exercises. We will reflect on this together and also make the link to what this means in our daily lives.

We are curious to share with you, hear how you experience this workshop and receive your feedback.

Looking forward to working with you…

Location: DesignLab IDEATE

Everyone has meaning and possesses an inner wealth one can use in the service of the world. With this, your wealth becomes of value. Of value to others and to the world. And of course also for yourself. In the workshop "It's an honour", we discover what the richness is in yourself and where you would like to use it. Everyone is needed. to meet the challenges we face. You can't be without significance.

Location: Hal B 2A

Location: DesignLab IDEATE
Location: Carré 3H
Location: Hal B 2A

Many students are eager to make a contribution to a more sustainable world in their career, but often don’t know how they can get a ‘green job’, and therefore might follow a more traditional path. This course combines life design elements (like discovering your talents) with learning about the green job market and understanding how societal transitions work. The goal is that students realise where they can make a difference towards a more sustainable world.

We will explain what the course entails, what we learned in the first iterations, and will let you experience one of the key exercises.

Location: Carré 3H

We need to keep learning because things keep changing. In education, it is often said that we are training students for professions that do not exist today. To what extent is it possible, through certain thought experiments and activities, to be better prepared for these future jobs and changes. That's where Futures Thinking can help.

In this session, learn new techniques that will allow you to better anticipate an ever-changing future.

Location: Hal B 2A

Location: TechnoBar (Technohal).