Over the next four weeks we shall be taking a closer look at the university’s future plans in this section. In this first issue of the series we shall set out the plans.

Education, research and entrepreneurship
First of all, the foundation of a University College has to bring about more differentiation in the area of education. The Bachelor program Liberal Engineering Sciences has to attract engineers who focus in particular on social and economic challenges and who have an entrepreneurial spirit. The university will place particular emphasis on strategic research areas around the social issues of Energy, Health and Smart Mobility. The active fostering of entrepreneurship among students and staff members will continue to be an important objective: via a minor in the Bachelor programs and a special graduation program in the Master programs, students will be given the opportunity to prepare themselves for the start of an enterprise.

The campus
The campus will be transformed thoroughly, and will have to become a Science Park. In addition to state-of-the-art amenities, such as laboratories, there will also be places where scientist and students will be working together. Seven hundred permanent housing units will be realized, as well as restaurants, a supermarket and hotel facilities.

To achieve all this, the number of female students and (international) scientists will also have to be raised considerably. With a view to the university’s international status, a greater influx is required of foreign students as well as of foreign scientists to fill scientific positions. (HB)

Next week: the objectives in the area of internationalization.