Dear Students, Faculty, Alumni and Friends of Wittenborg

In the build-up to the festive season of Christmas, with the short, dark days and long nights, it is a time when we can take a moment to unwind, spend time with either family or friends, or both. Some of us will stay at home, and others are lucky enough to travel.

It’s also a time to reflect on the past year, as we prepare for a new one, with new opportunities and possibilities, maybe even a new phase in our own lives. Some of us will be thinking about how we can improve our lives, while some of us will think about how we can improve our contributions, our networks, our friendships.

Looking back on 2023, we have had a productive and stimulating year… re-accrediting our bachelor's programmes for the 4th time since 2006, hosting the European Sales Competition in the summer, the first Job Fair Central, launching a new Annual Globalisation Conference to be held in 2024, to name a few examples. We closed the year 2023 with the biggest ever university-wide SDG1 project week, in which around 300 students and staff participated, in Apeldoorn and both our Amsterdam and Munich locations. We (of course) retained our status as the 'Most International Business School in the Netherlands', and that’s thanks to you!

However, in 2023, outside ‘our world’ within Wittenborg, whilst some of us were relieved to be able to travel again to family in China, as Covid impacts finally ended there too, and many of us enjoyed the ‘eruption’ of ChatGPT and AI, other dark clouds continued to dampen our optimism. We know that many of you are affected by the ongoing global issues or new global challenges, such as the war in Ukraine (directly or indirectly), and more recently, in Israel and Gaza. There are also many events around the world that are (currently) out of the public eye but are perhaps just as important, for instance, climate change. We continue to wish everyone who is affected a special boost of strength and support at this time. Here at ‘home’ in the Netherlands, we also see political changes that make us sit up and take notice, and look at the mechanisms of democracy, from an internationalisation, and globalisation perspective.

Always remember - business schools like ours, and their students, faculty and alumni, can have an enormous impact on providing solutions for the world’s greatest challenges. Let's strive to continue being part of that.

Please stay safe and stay physically and mentally healthy this Christmas. Enjoy each other’s company as far as that is possible, time with friends and perhaps with family. We use the hashtag #wittenborgfamily for a reason - family can always be wider than your immediate direct relatives! Look out for each other, and reach out to others when you see a need, and please reach out if you need help.

'The magic of a successful family organisation that runs a great international business school lies in the delicate balance between tradition and innovation, fostering a deep sense of trust, commitment and shared values among family members - i.e. its students and faculty and all its employees.'

We look forward to travelling through 2024 together and making it a wonderful journey.

Peter, Maggie & Marlon

WUP 22/12/2023
By James Wittenborg
©WUAS Press