Hendrik Jan left the business world to join Saxion: ‘Students enjoy hearing stories from the field.’

Born and raised in Groningen, Hendrik Jan already had a master’s degree in Geography before coming to live in Deventer in 2006. A charming city, centrally located in the Netherlands, enabling him to do his job better for printer manufacturer Océ, later known as Canon. “I worked a lot in Den Bosch but I also had to travel throughout the country for my work.” After working on several projects in Europe, he took on the job of expanding Canon’s business interests in Asia. He kept his house in Deventer while he and his family went to live in China for two years and then for another two years in Malaysia. “A wonderful experience, but when the project was over we wanted to come home to our house in Deventer. To live closer to our family and friends.”

A new challenge

After his return to the Netherlands in 2018, Hendrik Jan thought it was time to look for a new challenge. “I was ready for a new challenge and I thought ‘Maybe I can do something else with my knowledge and experience.’ I had seen how life was in Asia. Many things we take for granted in the Netherlands work differently there. For example, our education. In our country, this is accessible to everyone. The contrasts are much greater in China and Malaysia. This got me thinking.” That was the moment when Hendrik Jan first came into contact with Saxion’s International Business School: “I soon became a member of the Professional Field Committee which bridges the gap between education and practice. In 2019, I heard about a vacancy for a lecturing post and I thought it might be something for me. I could put my experience to good use. It was a totally new challenge, but that’s something I enjoy. I decided to take the plunge and started teaching courses on management and Technology & Innovation in September 2019. I also became a graduation assignment supervisor.

From the business world to education

Was it a big change, moving from the business world to education? “Yes, but it actually felt instantly familiar too. I trained as a Geography teacher when I was at university many years ago. I have always had a passion for teaching. Even though I did not pursue it directly. When I was in Asia, I gave many client presentations and training sessions, so I was accustomed to presenting information to groups. The underlying thread had been in place for quite some time.” Hendrik Jan had only been teaching at Saxion for a few months when everything changed. The corona crisis also made him an online lecturer for a while. “Of course, that was quite a challenge but everything is back to normal again. I enjoyed class teaching very much. And working with our students. I have very pleasant colleagues who welcomed me wholeheartedly to their team and made me feel that they valued my experience.”

Telling stories from the field

That appealed to the students, he says. “They enjoy hearing your stories from the field. Of course there’s the theory, but if you can illustrate this with an experience, a story or photo you see that students instantly become interested. This is an international degree programme so your stories from the business world are relevant. I noticed that it also helps you establish a relationship with the students. Of course, you always have to see how it works with first-year students but, after a while, you see the twinkle in their eyes, the penny drops. That feels fantastic. It always gave me a real buzz of excitement.” After two years, Hendrik Jan became squad leader of Saxion’s lecturer team in Deventer. He fulfilled this role for a year. “In this sort of squad, consisting of 10 - 12 lecturers from various subject areas and disciplines, we actually stand by a group of students. We see what goes well but we also see where students need support. The idea is that we fully supervise these students, from their first day at Saxion until the day they sign their degree certificates. This fosters study success, fewer students drop out and there is better student throughput.

Looking beyond boundaries

Currently, in both education and in the professional field, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to look beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines. Is that his own experience? In June of last year, the International Business School merged with the School of Finance & Accounting. Together we are now the School of Finance and International Business. Our Finance colleagues train students more for fulfilling a position, at the international business branch we train students a bit more towards a role. There is a difference, but these aspects mainly complement each other. We are presently involved in setting up strong links and building a sound basis for cooperation, both inside and outside the School. We bring teams of lecturers together and, in doing so, we also look beyond boundaries.” He explains how this forms a parallel with the interests of students: “We expect that our International Business students look beyond boundaries. Literally and figuratively. The world doesn’t end at the German border. That has become even more evident this past year. A ship going aground in the Suez Canal or a war breaking out in Eastern Europe can also affect us in the Netherlands. And the rest of the world.”

Verbal and non-verbal communication

Hendrik Jan also believes that it is important to look figuratively across borders. “When you work in an international setting, you need to be able to see things from different perspectives. We see things from our own point of view, but if you talk to someone from Southeast Asia your idea of truth may no longer be the only truth. This can be expressed in so many ways. In verbal, but also in non-verbal communication Therefore, you need to acquire a broad range of skills and learn how to see things from another person’s perspective. We teach our students how to do this. Our international classroom is very important. At first, many Dutch students from our region find it quite intimidating to work with international classmates on a practical issue relating to the region or beyond, but they soon learn to relish the experience. I see them grow.”

Job satisfaction

Does this give you a degree of job satisfaction? “Yes it does, a great deal actually. We don’t only help our students to broaden their horizons, we also help prepare them for tomorrow’s world. The International Business School already had a strong profile in the area of conscious business: it is not all about making profit, but it is also about what we refer to as ‘people and planet.’ We as a school, have therefore set ourselves the goal of guiding a large proportion of businesses in the Salland, Twente and Achterhoek regions in their transition to meaningful business by 2030. Working with students and businesses on moving from the old economy to a new one is both enjoyable and worthwhile. We want to educate them to become game changers: professionals who can make a difference, who can bring about and implement change. Professionals who can stand up in their organisation and say: ‘I see what is happening, but is this right?’

Putting people and planet first

How does he stand on the transition his field is going through? “I see this as self-evident. This is also due to what I have seen in Asia. If you have first-hand experience of the immense problem of pollution in Southeast Asia, it gives you food for thought. In China, air pollution is a major problem and Vietnam is struggling with an enormous plastic problem. When I used to travel through Beijing Airport, planes often had to go through a thick layer of yellow smog when landing. The first thing I did every morning was check the air quality in my app. To find out whether I would need to put on a face mask before going outside.” But that isn’t everything, he says. There is much more to consider if we are to put people and planet first. Certainly in education. “We also guide students in developing their own identity. This is known as ‘Identity Development’ in this programme. As and from the first year, they consider questions such as: Who am I? What’s my place in the world? How do I collaborate with others? At the end of their degree programme, they reflect on how they became that conscious-business professional and on what they want to do next. Of course, getting your degree certificate doesn’t mean to say you’ve stopped growing.

Seeking contact in the professional field

He finds Saxion an excellent employer. “I really like it here. What unites us as colleagues is passion. Not just for our area of expertise, but also for the support we give our students. After all, we do it for them and for the region. And beyond. For example: our international students take knowledge and expertise back to their home country. But they can also continue making a very valuable contribution to the region after they graduate."

Added value

He finds his work at Saxion interesting: “Because my colleagues and I provide added value, we contribute to society. It feels like something we share. At Saxion you can look for challenges on all fronts, seize opportunities. I started here as lecturer, became squad leader and for the past year I have been Manager of the School of Finance with responsibility for the International Business section. I can put my skills and experience to good use in this position. I also enjoy seeing how my colleagues develop in so many different ways. In breadth, depth, or by teaching temporarily at other schools. Those experiences are also valuable. Nothing else to add? “Yes, I do actually: I think it’s important that people from the professional field continue to contact Saxion. To share their knowledge and experience with us, to come and work for us, but also keep in touch with the work field. Everything is possible.”

Photography: Thomas Busschers