Greetings from Staff Exchange

At the moment I find myself in Enschede in the Netherlands. I'm visiting the Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and I really enjoy my stay here – the discussions, the milieu. Saxion has an amazing building, which pleases the adventurous eye both outdoors and indoors, and really welcomes you in. And, if you were to look at it from a bird perspective, you would see the new wings forming a bunch of tulips. We really are in the Netherlands!

I like the way people here say that they are proud of the building. It's planned in a way that the rooms are quite flexible for group work, lectures and such - and even for gymnastics if wanted. And, moreover, it's planned in a way that should motivate the students to stay their whole working day there even when they don't have lectures. There are student groups everywhere, at the computers, around the tables. Door is open to the teachers' room, and the students can go and get guidance from their teachers when they want to. (Of course nobody can be present all the time, that's reality - but I think you know what I mean.)

The building is fine. Fine. Is it enough? As the dean said, the most important thing is the people and their way of working. There was one person he highlighted. The lady behind the information desk knows “everything”, or if not, she knows whom to ask, and that helps the students' (and the staff's) life a lot.

That’s all for now, but it is just my first day here…

Yours,
Anne

PS. The weather here today: windy and rainy at the moment, windy and sunny in the morning. Quite cosy – you really don’t feel too homesick.