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Wittenborg and Brighton's New Doctoral College Set to Raise Apeldoorn Profile

A new Doctoral College in Apeldoorn, to be run jointly by Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences and its British partner, the University of Brighton, is set to raise the small Dutch city's international and research profile. First intakes are expected after the summer. De Stentor newspaper reported on the plans on Wednesday.

It means the city will get its first PhD/Doctorate programmes covering a wide range of subjects related to the economy of Apeldoorn, said Wittenborg’s chair of the executive board, Peter Birdsall. “We are talking of research in areas like Clean Technology, Hospitality, Tourism and much more.”

A high-profile delegation of the University of Brighton visited Apeldoorn this week where they met with city councilor Alderman Nathan Stukker, as well as Wittenborg staff, led by Birdsall and Head of Research, Dr Nicolet Theunissen. The programme approval event will take place next week, on 5 June 2018, at Brighton’s Falmer Campus in the UK.

Wittenborg has been established in Apeldoorn for almost a decade and started its collaboration with Brighton in 2011.

The Brighton delegation on Tuesday comprised of Prof. Tara Dean (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research & Enterprise), Prof. Neil Ravenscroft (Director Doctoral College) and Dr Ross English.

Items discussed included the recruitment of students, the approval proposal document, project planning, annual reviews and expectations about visits to Brighton. During the session Wittenborg’s Head of the School of Education, Bert Meeuwsen described his own research ambitions as an example of staff who will be involved in the doctorate programme.

Stukker introduced the city of Apeldoorn and its commitment to education to the Brighton delegation. Birdsall in turn presented the “triple helix” of academia, industry and government working together, and the importance of the Doctoral College.

Brighton hopes the partnership with Wittenborg will help underpin and sustain an already well-established relationship between the two universities. Meanwhile, this moves Wittenborg forward in developing its research capacity to the scale where it can apply to become a research university.

Also at the various meetings on Tuesday were Wittenborg CEO, Maggie Feng, Dr Rauf Abdul (Head of School of Business), Esther Gitonga (Head of School of Hospitality), Dr Teun Wolters (senior lecturer and researcher), Dr Saskia Harkema (senior lecturer and researcher), as well as Lucy Omwoha (student process tutor, lecturer and potential research student).

WUP 31/5/2018

by Anesca Smith
©WUAS Press