Wittenborg Spruces up Its Online Classrooms with Virtual Guest Lectures

22.05.2020

Virtual Guest Lectures Replacing Physical Presence

Inviting guest speakers into a classroom is a classic teaching strategy at WUAS. Wittenborg believes that bringing guest lectures into the classroom offers students access to other perspectives, adds variety to the normal routine, and establishes that learning is a collaborative initiative.

That is why, instead of cancelling its pre-arranged guest lectures, Wittenborg has switched its mode from the physical to virtual presence of guest lecturers. In the months of April and May, four committed and professional guest speakers contributed their expertise by submitting their digital personalised presentations, in alignment with Wittenborg's Guest Lecturing Guidance, with the assistance of the guest lectures coordinator Fjorentina Muco.

Our four industry experts come from various backgrounds and specialisations. Mirella Eickhof is an assessment psychologist, a “jobtimist”, mental coach, performance improver, wave accreditation trainer and career counsellor at Way2Talent. An entrepreneur herself, she is also the author of 3 books and a teacher at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She gave a presentation about “Jobtimism” to our MBA students.

Col. H.A.B.C. Meeuwsen, MSc, is the Director of NATO Command & Control Centre of Excellence. Leveraging on his personal experiences within national and international theatres of operation, he spoke about Organisation Management to students from all specialisations.

Lisa Bakir is a PhD candidate at the University of Twente and has a strong affinity for (B2B) marketing and strategy. Her seminar entitled “Servitization”, addresses the importance of services and service strategies for the manufacturing industry.

Last but not least is Udo Neufeglise. Mr Neufeglise is the Global Account Director at DSV Panalpina and he conducted a Sales Pitch Webinar for Wittenborg’s HBA students. Holding a Master in Strategic Account Development and having 30 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry, plus two decades of vast experience in the sales arena, he took his young audience through the good, the bad and how to reach the perfect sales pitch.

The expansion of learning experiences for students is the impetus for Wittenborg’s integration of guest lectures as it provides students with an opportunity to experience vicariously real knowledge at the level of an expert. These encounters not only bring invaluable knowledge to students but make them realise that the knowledge they are learning is not just book stuff but can be manifested in the real world.

Wittenborg would like to extend its deepest appreciation and a great ‘thank you’ to these lecturers for their invaluable contribution towards educating students despite their other commitments during these trying times. Wittenborg hopes that the cultivation of such partnerships with the four lecturers and other industry experts will come to fruition in many years to come.