Let’s Have an Interesting Holiday Read

In the new year, we look forward to working together to tackle and prepare for societal challenges in our fields of expertise. We are confident that we can strengthen, learn from, and inspire each other. Like we did in 2024. Let’s have a look at some of the highlights. 

January

• The outgoing Minister of Education was working on the Internationalisation in Balance Act (WIB), but the details were not yet known. In an opinion piece in De Telegraaf (Dutch only), Jorrit Snijder already explained why international students are good for the Dutch economy.
• BUas signed the Joint Mission Statement of KreativEU, a partnership of 11 European educational institutions. The project application for the European University Initiative was submitted at the end of January 2024. From 16 to 19 June, the KreativEU partners met at BUas.
• BUas and HOWEST (Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen) signed a strategic alliance to develop new course programmes and intensify cooperation between current programmes.

February

• In the Studium Generale lecture, Rhonda Brunsting gave an impressive keynote on inclusivity: Are you in or out? Rhonda is Deputy Military Advisor & Police Advisor, and Gender Focal Point at the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations.
• The transition to sustainable mobility in the Netherlands is becoming increasingly urgent, and Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) play a crucial role in this.
• BUas is taking an important step with the establishment of a BUas Industry Board comprising leaders from business and government.

March

• In February, Chantal van der Putten started as academy director of Built Environment & Logistics. She looks back on her first 100 days at BUas.

April

• VP Gathering, the conference on Virtual Production, brought people from all over the world to BUas.
• How cool is it that BUas has its own gaming and esports meeting place on campus? The Hive was officially opened on Friday 21 April by alderman Daan Quaars and Roland Kleve, academy director of Leisure & Events.
• BUas was ranked 28th in the internationally renowned QS Ranking, in the category of Hospitality & Leisure Management.
• The Everything Procedural conference focused on procedural content generation in game development and digital media. It brought together professionals, academics, and students to explore automated techniques for creating game content.
• ‘A good conversation starts with really seeing someone’. This is written on the 113 plaque that Jorrit Snijder attached to one of the benches on our campus grounds together with students on Tuesday 16 April.

May

• Sustainable Mobility in Tourism, a conference with input from all academies, was held at BUas on 27 and 28 May. Have a look at some of the outcomes.
• The BUas Community Garden strengthened its collaboration with restaurant Sibelicious, which started making even better use of the garden’s produce in its kitchen.

June

• The inauguration of Frans Melissen started with the procession-style entry of all BUas professors.
• No less than two conferences this month: the CBTS (Consumer Behaviour in Tourism Symposium) and ATLAS (Association for Tourism and Leisure Education Research) conferences.
• The less planned, the better! A research project on holiday experiences by BUas researchers Marcel Bastiaansen and Ondrej Mitas.

July

• The changeable weather was bad news for the bees of BUas. Due to the cold weather, the flowers bloomed later, produced almost no nectar, and the bees stayed indoors.
• A new academy director for Leisure & Events. After the summer holidays, Ajay Kapur started working at BUas.

August

• BUas introduced its AI usage levels to be included in every course outline. This level indicates the extent to which AI can be used for academic tasks, ensuring tailored and effective application across different educational activities.
• The new academic year took off. The number of international students at the International Kick-Off increased once again! The first-year students got to know each other, BUas and Breda during the Intro week.
• Nico van Os retired and planted two orange climbing roses (in the spot where the graduation photos are taken every year), symbolising BUas’ growth and flourishing. Nico was known for his high degree of involvement with students. He had already resigned as a member of the Executive Board, but from September onwards, we will really have to do without his (governance) advice.

September

• The Academic Year Opening opened spectacularly, with an AI host. Philosopher Maxim February discussed the moral and ethical consequences of AI.
• Carlos Santos was inaugurated as Professor of Applied Data Science & AI.
• After almost 30 years at BUas Sonja Binda retired. She was the familiar face maintaining our coffee machines for many years. ‘Who wants one last round of coffee or tea? I’m about to clean the machine!’
• Student team ‘The Black Panthers’ set the fastest time at the Sport & Play Fest.
• Campus development: after a proposal for student housing on campus had previously been rejected, we signed a contract with Slokker in September for the construction of a new building for student housing and the Game Hub.

October

• Paul Peeters said goodbye, Nina Nesterova took over as the new professor of  Sustainability, Tourism and Transport. Nina Nesterova buried a time capsule that would be opened in more than 140 years.
• After more than seven years, Menno Stokman said goodbye as the director of CELTH (Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality). Jos van der Sterren and Anke Arts take over the baton.
• About 100 colleagues were present at the R&D Day (Research & Development Day). We discussed our core research themes, including Places & Flows, Experiences, Sustainability and AI.

November

• We received three quality labels for BUas programmes in the Higher Professional Education Guide (Keuzegids).
• The Graphics Programming Conference took place.
• During GoodMood, there were countless fun and entertaining activities for students in Breda.
• The government announced cuts to higher education. Of course, research universities, universities of applied sciences and BUas did not agree to this. On 25 November, a BUas delegation went to The Hague for the national demonstration against the cuts to higher education.
• The VVD political party visited BUas to discuss student housing on campus.

December

• We ended the year in a celebratory manner. For employees there was the End-Of-Year-Party, for students there were no less than two events: Best of BUas and BUas Beats.
• Last but not least, and good to know: No delivery shame needed during the holidays

Of course, this overview does not cover everything we did in 2024. You can find more news and inspiring stories on our website all year round.

Let’s Create a Meaningful 2025!