Wittenborg’s Introductory Lunch Marked the Sixth and Last Intake of 2021

To mark its sixth and last entry date in 2021, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences (WUAS) organised an introductory lunch for students and staff today, 25 November. WUAS offers six intakes per year, in February, March, May, August, October and November. This time, 65 new bachelor’s and master’s students were welcomed, out of which 53 will be studying in Apeldoorn and 12 in Amsterdam, starting from Monday, 29 November.

The new Wittenborg family members come from 17 different countries: India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Iran, Russia, Portugal, Singapore, Afghanistan, Germany, Italy, China, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

The introductory lunch was held at the Aventus Building, in Apeldoorn. Besides enjoying the food and drinks, the 20 students who attended the event had the opportunity of getting to know each other as well as WUAS’ staff and lecturers.

In his welcome speech, the president of the board of Wittenborg, Peter Birdsall, pointed out that many of the new students have made a life-changing decision by moving abroad, with the goal of improving their lives. Moreover, Birdsall shared important tips and gave advice on how to successfully enter the job market in the Netherlands.

“It is important that you get your profiles done on LinkedIn, because we have discovered it is the best way to promote yourselves. Make sure to create an organised and detailed profile, highlighting your previous achievements and the subjects of your current studies and research assignments. As a first step, you can use LinkedIn to connect with other Wittenborg students and lecturers, and always feel free to ask for tips on how to upgrade your profile,” he said.

Birdsall also advised students to learn Dutch, mentioning that this will provide them with a significant advantage over other applicants when searching for a job. “If you can follow Dutch lessons, pick that up as soon as you can. When looking for a job, one of the advantages will be if you can show people you can communicate in the local language a little bit.”

Covid

Another topic discussed by Wittenborg’s president during his speech is the current state of the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands. He urged students to get vaccinated, adding that WUAS’ support staff is available to provide information and answer questions that may arise. Birdsall also pointed out that WUAS offers free antigen tests to students, who can request them at the Spoorstraat building’s front desk.

A New Journey

Emma Zanini, an Italian student who will be pursuing an MBM degree in Digital Marketing and Communication, expressed her excitement about starting this new journey. According to Zanini, one of the main reasons why she chose Wittenborg is the fact that WUAS offers different intakes throughout the whole year.  

“It is great that you can choose the best time to start studying, especially during this COVID-19 situation. I am also very happy to join an international business school, with people of different backgrounds and cultures coming from all over the world. It is my first time studying abroad, and one of my goals is to improve my English. Besides, I am excited about Wittenborg’s practical approach to education, which goes beyond just research and theory,” she said.  

Gurdeep Kour, who comes from India and will be studying a pre-master's programme for the MBM in Digital Marketing and Communication, described Apeldoorn as a beautiful, tidy and green city. “It is a very nice place to live. People are friendly and always smile at you, and the weather is also good. I am having a great experience.”

According to Negar Ashnaee, a Sports Business Management student from Iran, the introduction week has been very helpful. “All the teachers are lovely and friendly, and they explain everything so clearly. Whenever you ask them any questions, they are open to answer you,” she pointed out.