Hoge School Utrecht

STUDENTS LEAVE WITH VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE

Leendert de Bell, Programme Manager
Kofi Annan Business School

What is it?
“The Kofi Annan Business School Foundation offers talented students from developing countries, who lack the necessary financial resources, a full study grant to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the Faculty of Economics and Management (FEM) at Hogeschool Utrecht (HU). The Kofi Annan fellows spend the first three years studying at their own university before coming to complete their final year at Utrecht. Here in the Netherlands, they take a special programme and complete their graduation internships at major companies in the Utrecht region that are active in the students’ home countries.”

When did it start?
“At the end of 2006, Kofi Annan lent his name to the initiative and in September 2007 the first students started a specially-developed programme within the International Business and Management Studies programme at the FEM. In the meantime, there have been slight adaptations to the programme structure, but a total of fifteen students from Africa, Asia and Latin America have received a study grant since 2007. The first of these students graduated in August 2010.”

Which institutions are taking part?
“It is a joint initiative by PA International, Vlerick Management School in Leuven and the HU. PA International is a consultancy based in The Hague that specializes in corporate social responsibility. Vlerick Management School offers Master's programmes and an MBA. This year has also seen the Berlin-based European School of Management and Technology join the initiative.”

What is its aim?
“Students from developing countries come to the Netherlands to increase their knowledge and experience in the field of business and management and also to share knowledge with each other. As a University of Applied Sciences, the HU often has closer links to the business world than the universities from which the students come. They can use the practical knowledge when they start working for a company in their home countries or start up their own companies. As a result, they can contribute to the development of a stable local economy.”

How is it funded?
“Every participating institution has promised to provide at least five students with a study grant each year, but each institution is responsible for the selection and funding of its own fellows. The HU now has cooperative agreements with a significant number of private and public organizations and foundations, all of which make a specific contribution, either in terms of finance or in kind. This ensures that the costs are manageable for all parties.”

How does HU benefit?
“Raising its international profile and exchanging knowledge. Students from developing countries bring with them knowledge that is valuable for the HU: they adopt a different approach to tackling similar problems. The interaction broadens the horizons of everyone involved and can contribute to the development of innovative business solutions for development issues.”

Are there any plans for the future?
“We plan to expand the network with new European partner universities that also wish to support and provide education to at least five students per year. And also, to sign up more new partners for the HU from the private and public sector in the Utrecht region that are willing to contribute to the initiative in order to enable even more fellows to gain knowledge and experience here in the Netherlands.”

More information via www.hu.nl