Eyes on the Future: A Recap of Wittenborg’s Academic Advisory Panel Meeting

Event Welcomes New Panel Members and Sparks Strategic Discussions

On 8 February, Wittenborg’s International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) held its annual meeting in Apeldoorn at the Bilderberg Hotel De Keizerskroon. Organised as a hybrid event by the school’s Education Development and Quality Management (EDQM) Department, it brought together all 12 IAAP members. Also present were Wittenborg President Peter Birdsall, Rector Ronald Tuninga, Head of the School of Business Rauf Abdul, Head of EDQM Kriszta Kaspers-Rostás and Research Centre Manager Aydan Holtrigter.  

The purpose of the meeting was to provide strategic guidance, accreditation oversight and expert insights to enhance Wittenborg’s global positioning, academic quality, research impact and industry engagement. The aim was also to ensure alignment with AACSB standards and the school’s long-term institutional goals.  

During the event, four new members were welcomed to the IAAP: Jasmina Selimovic, Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Erik DeVos, Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Finance at the University of Texas – El Paso; Ajay Manrai, Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the University of Delaware; and Ben Honyenuga, Vice Chancellor of Ghana’s Ho Technical University.

Among other topics, the panel explored ways to enhance alumni engagement and expand international partnerships, with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, applied research and sustainable innovation as part of Wittenborg's future developments. Moreover, the Head of Education Development and Quality Management Department, Kriszta Kaspers-Rostás, presented the institution’s Assurance of Learning (AoL) system as well as key highlights and outcomes of its first five-year cycle. “This demonstrated how Wittenborg is committed to quality education and continuous improvement, which is crucial for our progress,” she underlined.  

The meeting also featured a presentation by the Research Centre Manager Aydan Holtrigter, who detailed the sector’s work in 2024. “We discussed how our research projects support Wittenborg's values of internationalisation, diversity and ethics through student and staff mobility, international research initiatives, academic collaboration among faculty members and the organising of academic events such as workshops, seminars and conferences,” says Holtrigter.

According to her, the meeting was highly productive, with IAAP members offering valuable input on Wittenborg’s strategies and contributing to outlining the school’s future. “The environment strongly encouraged the sharing of insights, the support of Wittenborg’s developments and discussions on potential academic collaborations with the many institutions represented by IAAP members.” 

Current members of Wittenborg’s IAAP: 

Timothy Mescon, Peter van der Sijde, Beatrice van der Heijden, Leo Paul Dana, Ed G.J. Vosselman, Petra de Weerd-Nederhof, Nuran Acur, Marina Dabic, Ed Peelen, Erik DeVos, Ajay Manrai, Jasmina Selimovic and Ben Honyenuga.

WUP 21/02/2025 
by Ulisses Sawczuk 
©WUAS Press