Oct 10, 2022

Practical Approach: A fun way of learning

At HZ University of Applied Sciences studying can be fun, engaging and can grant you long-term skills thanks to the numerous opportunity to immediately put into practice from what learn in class. We do not just read, memorise and repeat: we live our study programmes. Here are few examples…

Tourism Management - Giusy

Practical Approach on Cultural Awareness: "We do not study the culture; we are the culture, and we dive in it. Working in an international environment such as the one of tourism management, getting an understanding and experience of cultural differences is fundamental. For our project we had to get in contact with a Tanzanian manager to get insight on how the professional environment in a Hospitality business in Tanzania is. We had a lovely chat where we got to ask all the things we needed to know and had to analyse all the differences and similarities we could find between our own culture, Tanzanian and Dutch and how to make them work together. It really hit me how intercultural contact gave us so many insights on a professional and human level. In the future, I hopefully will keep them in mind when it comes to establishing a healthy environment on an international workplace."

Logistics Engineering - Darja

"As part of a project, logistics engineering students visited a Combinant multimodal road-rail terminal in Belgium. During that visit they got to collect necessary information to carry out their project assignment. Also, it was a great opportunity to gain understanding about the terminal, ask questions and immediately put knowledge gained during lectures into practice."

Civil Engineering - Costanza

"So many practical courses in my study programme! HZ is really the one for me, I joined the Civil Engineering programme as I had the opportunity to start in February. One for the many cool activities I had the pleasure to do is a workshop where we learned how to create cement: this is just something you can’t 100% learn by reading a book, action is what really mattered."

International Business - Josje

"In year 1 I worked in a very nice project for the course 'Customer Centered Innovation'. For that project we came up with sustainable alternative to plastic: seaweed plastic. We had the chance to collaborate with a local research organisation called “Rusthoeve” and a local seaweed farm."

Industrial Engineering and Management - Dounia

"Each semester of our 1st year, our lecturers organised visits to companies related to the programme! One of the activities would be the visit of firms in The Netherlands or Belgium (Arcelor Mital / Borsch). Each visit lasted one day, transport was organised by the study programme, and we just had to bring our safety shoes. Once we arrive, we usually have a presentation of the company, we get PPEs (personal protective equipment) and then go on a tour through the production lines to follow the manufacturing of a product. Therefore, we have to work on a graded assignment related to the visit (report/presentation…)."

Chemistry - Lola

"In the first year, we had the obvious beer brewing project in which we first visit a brewery and then get to brew the actual beer by following a recipe from that brewery, from the actual cooking of the ingredients to the fermentation and bottling process. We also had a whole block in which we analysed the water of a nearby pool for microbes and levels of various chemicals In the second year, we got to analyse wastewater from the wastewater treatment plan company that is in Vlissingen, following methods that are actually used in the company. In the third year, we (in the life sciences specialisation) just recently finished a whole research project that aimed at identifying unknown fish species."

Water Management - Mathurin

"Sitting in a classroom the whole day for months was not really my thing! HZ University of Applied Sciences solved this problem as we spend a lot of time in the field or working on applied projects.

One of my favourite was the development of a climate adapted neighbourhood in Middelburg. Drought and water nuisance were the most important challenges that I had to focus on. We visited the area and talked with professionals to adapt the area as good as possible."

Global Project and Change Management - Eva

"In just half a year we have learnt so much! We have applied the theory we gained during classes of Project Management into a Project Plan we have created for Rijkswaterstaat. Learning about water’s physical properties and pollution as part of the class Earth & Environment, we went to Veerse Meer took samples and discussed what they mean. And recently, after watching a great film we looked back at all the dimensions of globalisation we came across last year. Cannot forget to mention Inspiration Fridays, which broaden our horizons, knowledge, and contact base. So many great people we have met and so many memories have been created!"

Information and Communication Technology - Aadya

"It's so fun! The fact that the projects we work on make an actual impact in real world is crazy to me, you don't feel like a student in that moment. For example, in the 1st year we worked on creating a game for kids aged 12-13 and actually went to visit them in their school, presented our ideas to them and asked them what they would change or add in it. We took those ideas as feedback and created a game that they loved! Second year had bigger and more important projects, for example, one where students worked with the ministers and discussed ways in which they can access and keep track of criminal data from organised crimes, and use it predict their next moves."

All the experiences of these students could be yours next year! What are you waiting for? Apply now!

New call-to-action

Image source: Jason Goodman