share your talent move the world Engaged and Versatile Strategic Plan 2021-2026 Introduction With the anticipated decline in and ageing of the population, A new reality maintaining the vibrancy of our region will become even more important. Here in the northern Netherlands, as in Europe as a This Strategic Plan was produced whole, the gap between the rich and poor in society is becoming during a period in which we wider and more evident. At the same time, our region is dynamic find ourselves confronted with and enterprising, and Groningen is the healthiest city in the a new reality as a result of a Netherlands. The region leads the way in the energy transition, is a highly contagious and dangerous European role model in the field of ‘active and healthy ageing’ and, virus. This is an unusual time to as an agricultural region, provides a wealth of opportunities for the be considering our institution’s development of the circular economy. future. Clearly, our core task, the delivery of online and real- As a university of applied sciences, we are strongly involved with life education and research on these developments. Through education, applied research and the a daily basis requires significant stimulation of innovation, we help boost the region’s resilience. additional focus and commitment The world around us is changing, and if we are to continue doing the from us at this time. Nonetheless, right things in the face of a decline of young citizens in the northern defining our direction for the part of the Netherlands, we as an organisation want to be versatile. years to come remains crucial. However unpredictable the future The Plan has been written in the form of a framework. It is up to us may be, the experience and all to flesh out the details of the Plan. We trust that we all will show insights gained from this period creativity, openness and a willingness to engage in an ongoing will change education forever. dialogue with each other over the best way to do this. If it turns Over the course of the recent out that things could be done better or in a different way, then that decades, we have made a name is what we will do. ‘Engaged and Versatile’. With these qualities, for ourselves as a high-quality we can face the future of our region and our university of applied university of applied sciences sciences with confidence. with a distinctive profile. This Plan builds on this foundation and This Plan has been compiled with significant input from staff, on the themes on which we are students, representative bodies, strategic partners and our already working. Supervisory Board. We are extremely grateful to all who have helped in the production of this Strategic Plan. Dick Pouwels Petra Smeets Annemarie Hannink 1. Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen Table of 2. Societal challenges contents 3. Our ambitions 4. Working on our ambitions together 5. Our way forward 6. Our stories 2 Wij zijn een engaged university We want to be of value to the world. Together with and practise lifelong learning in varying learning partners, all over the world, who share our ideals, we communities. We call this engaged learning. work on innovation and a sustainable and liveable future. We are engaged. We are nearby and in connection, We help build a thriving region through up-to-date we know what is at stake and are approachable. education and applied research. Our students, staff and partners share our ideal of contributing to the resolution of societal challenges. We work together share your talent move the world Engaged and Versatile – Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen Strategic Plan 2021–2026 3 Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, is located in the vibrant student city of Groningen. Read more: 1 bit.ly/hanze-uas Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen More than two centuries of higher Rooted in the northern Netherlands, professional education in Groningen connected to the world In 1798, six leading citizens of Groningen founded Over the years, we have evolved into a broad, the Academy for Draughtsmanship, Architecture and comprehensive knowledge institution in which education Seamanship, which evolved, in an unbroken line, into and applied research are mutually reinforcing. We offer what is known today as Hanze University of Applied applied research and high-quality full-time and part-time Sciences, Groningen. Two centuries ago, the aim of the degree programmes as well as stand-alone courses Academy’s founders was to ‘give those of both limited across four subject areas: Business and Economics, and more substantial means an opportunity to receive People and Society, Technology and the Arts. easily available and more regular Education’. This passage from the founding charter emphasises the Our portfolio of degree programmes covers every social and emancipatory role of the Academy at that time. profession, from teacher to architect, from physiotherapist These words, which were written more than two centuries to biochemist and from accountant to musician. It is ago, stress the Academy’s desire to be of value to the relevant to businesses, large and small, and organisations world. The charter also speaks of entrepreneurship, at the regional, national and international level. While at personal development, application, purpose, expertise the end of the 18th century only a handful of students and skill. enrolled in their first draughtsmanship class, with their drawing boards under their arm, the international Hanze community now numbers more than 31,000 students and course participants. 4 Our strategic themes in 2021: The power of cohesion Energy, Healthy Ageing and In the previous Strategic Plan, Innovating Together Entrepreneurship (2016–2020), we focused on our social mandate of translating knowledge into innovation in the field. Hanze UAS leads the way in the application of We fulfilled this mandate by bringing education, knowledge and innovation in our three strategic research and professional practice together in the themes: Energy, Healthy Ageing and Entrepreneurship. learning community. These strategic themes add value to the region and are recognised both nationally and internationally. Over this period, we worked with partners in the Our Centres of Expertise and Centres of Applied region to develop living labs where students, lecturer- Research translate their own specific expertise into researchers and civil-society organisations, businesses teaching, applied research and multidisciplinary and members of the community work together to find cooperation. We do this with partners and in living labs. solutions to today’s issues. We expanded our portfolio to include socially relevant degree programmes, such as, for example, our Associate degree Expert by Experience in Health & Welfare and our Master’s in Energy for Society. Energy Healthy Ageing Through our many links with public bodies, institutions and businesses, we are an Engaged University that enhances sustainability, liveability and widespread prosperity in our region. We do this from an international perspective. As an example, we share the outcomes of innovation and research Entrepreneurship in an international league of Engaged Universities. We strongly believe in enabling Dutch students to gain international experience and in the importance of attracting international students to study with us. Living lab In a living lab, businesses, organisations, students, lecturer- researchers and professors work together to find answers and solutions to complex societal challenges – always in a multidisciplinary way, always focused on the impact on society. We are involved in more than 100 living labs located throughout the North of the Netherlands. Health Hub Roden is a health tech innovation playground. Meet Health Hub Roden: bit.ly/health-hub-roden-EN Engaged and Versatile – Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen Strategic Plan 2021–2026 5 EnTranCe, the Centre of Expertise Energy, speeds up the transition to clean, renewable and affordable energy. Read more: 2 bit.ly/entrance-EN Societal challenges For the purposes of this Strategic Plan, Our role in this: to educate the we at Hanze UAS are engaged in an professionals of tomorrow and intensive dialogue with one another over to translate new knowledge into the developments in our society and what they mean for us. Some developments have applicable, sustainable alternatives. an impact at the global, European, national and local level. These include challenges At the same time, we recognise the dynamism and involving the climate, energy supplies and the potential of our region: opportunities in the field of digitalisation of society. digital transformation, the circular economy and the energy transition. The northern Netherlands Other challenges, such as the population decline and also functions as a role model for health and the related challenge of maintaining the economic, social entrepreneurship. We will exploit these opportunities and cultural liveability of the northern Netherlands, are in conjunction with businesses, civil-society more regional in nature. The anticipated ageing of the organisations, public bodies and educational partners. population and the ever greater inequalities in society call for a focus on health and health care. Four societal challenges are key Over the period of the Plan, we will focus on four societal challenges that relate directly to our three strategic themes. We will design our education and research in such a way that we contribute optimally to these four challenges. 6 Transition to a healthy and active society Despite all efforts, health inequalities in the Netherlands have increased. Opportunities for children who grow up in families in poor areas or regions have not improved. The coronavirus pandemic quickly highlighted the limits of health care capacity. Given an ageing population and a decrease in the working population, this issue will not resolve itself in the coming decades. Never before have the need to transition from health care to health and the importance of prevention and participation been greater.