Samenwerking hoger onderwijs Brabant

De voornemens zijn opgesteld door Avans Hogeschool, Fontys Hogescholen, NHTV Internationaal hoger onderwijs Breda, de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven en de Universiteit van Tilburg. Drie kleine Brabantse hogescholen zullen waar mogelijk aanhaken.

Expertisecentra
Samen met het bedrijfsleven willen de instellingen hun expertisecentra verder ontwikkelen. Een ‘Brabant liaison office’ moet alfa- en gamma-onderzoek gaan vertalen in toepassingen op terreinen als het onderwijs en de zorg. De instellingen willen samen meer buitenlandse studenten aantrekken.

De Technische Universiteit Eindhoven en de Universiteit van Tilburg zullen het International University College oprichten met dependances in beide steden. De provincie Brabant is enthousiast over het plan, maar hoeveel ze gaat bijdragen aan de kosten van de plannen – zo’n 250 miljoen euro – is nog onduidelijk.

The members of DSDG Tubantia all come from Twente, a rural region in the east of the country, and they all cherish their rural roots. Tranquility is one charm of Twente life, although not on the third day after Christmas, because that’s when Tubantia’s members traditionally return to Twente to disturb the peace. “This tradition started in 1927”, says Koen Lubbers, a Tubantia member. The visit of TU Delft’s ‘tukkers’ – as people from Twente are nicknamed – starts with a ride on a covered wagon. “We used to ride on an open wagon”, Lubbers explains, “but unfortunately the law now requires a covered wagon, which is less fun but much warmer.” To keep warm during the ride, the group of twenty or so tukkers rely on two things: firstly, they all dress up in traditional farmer clothes, including wooden shoes, farmer hats and red handkerchiefs tied round their necks; and secondly, they drink lots of ‘Foezel’, a local brandy-like drink, which Lubbers says is ‘really disgusting but keeps you warm.’ After a few hours on the wagon, the students stop at a local restaurant, where they eat krentenwegge (currant bread) by the fireplace. “After this the ride continues to a local campsite”, Lubbers says, “where we sit by the fire and eat boerenkool, a traditional Dutch dish.” During dinner, the tukkers loudly sing the songs of Bennie Jolink and Normaal, a band especially popular in rural regions. Eventually the group ends up in a local bar in Enschede or Hengelo, still dressed in their farmer clothes. “Usually our outfits don’t prevent us from being let into these bars”, Lubbers says, “although a discotheque might be more difficult, but we haven’t tried yet.”