River Falls Rotary members recently welcomed Dr. Wil Bekkering, Vice Chancellor of Aeres University in the Netherlands. Dr. Bekkering was visiting as part of the UWRF International Summit on Education and Engagement.
Her presentation, "Dare to be Different: Aeres University of Applied Sciences as an Example of Innovative Higher Eduction in the Netherlands," covered higher education in the Netherlands, and its faculty/student visit and exchange experiences in River Falls.
With an original emphasis on teacher training with a profile in agronomy and animal sciences, Aeres University was considered a "second level" university up until a few years ago.
The university has grown, and now offers study programs from Associate's Degrees up to Masters and soon hopes to offer a PhD program. It has three locations: Dronten, Wageningen and the newest, Flevo campus, in the city of Almere. Almere was built in the 1970s on land reclaimed from the sea. Now it has been developed into a well-planned city with residential areas, parks, lakes, modern infrastructure and excellent transport connections.
"We wanted a location where it is apparent what we stand for," said Dr. Bekkering."We are now educating beyond farmers; we want to approach youngsters who live in the cities. Our students want to learn to create a livable environment in an urban area," she said.
In 2017, the Netherlands exported almost $92 billion worth of agricultural produce, second only to the United States. It exports more food than any other European country, but has a much denser population than the U.S., and hence must find ways to utilize its farmland in efficient and environmentally sustainable ways.
With an eye to these environmental challenges, the university is striving to produce both research and workers for a future of sustainability and healthy living. Horticulture, plant sciences, animal management, agribusiness are just a few of the directions students can take as they learn how farming runs throughout the society and other professions tie in, including advisors, bankers and other professionals.
An emphasis on professional development
Aeres seeks to focus on professional development, and wants students to have a strong connection with the world of work throughout their educational years. There is an emphasis on training in personal and professional skills and competencies.
It maintains strong connections with companies in both education and applied research, with a strong encouragement toward entrepreneurship and practical applications of science.
"In our university, students are trained within a company to be in direct connection with the world of work," said Dr. Bekkering. "That is why we are different, and we are proud of that."
The goal is to help students develop a portfolio lifelong learning modules, 
with competencies that will help them find work in a field and function that is meaningful to them.
with competencies that will help them find work in a field and function that is meaningful to them.Research has borne out the success of the programs, with Aeres outpacing the general national factors in students' ability to find jobs in their field, being prepared for the world of work and matching between their study program and current function, to name a few.
And the appeal is not for residents of the Netherlands alone. "More than 10 percent of our students come from abroad: we host more than 25 nationalities every year," said Dr. Bekkering.
World Horticulture Expo 2022
Floriade will host the World Horticulture Exp from April-October 2022.
Investors and other nations will build pavilions to showcase their research efforts for green cities of the future, and visitors from around the world can see the latest in innovations and developments in green urban living.
"It will show what our study programs and our research is about," said Dr. Bekkering. "The world can see what we want our cities to be in the future."
The building at right is a rendition of how Dr. Bekkering's campus building will appear. Stop in and visit her if you attend the Expo!
You can learn more about The Floriade Expo 2022 here. 