Below you find a number of the projects and assignments which I have executed in the past. It gives some idea of the different fields I have been working in (albeit with a focus on education), the different roles (consultant, management, Board member) and different topics (strategy, business development, organisational development, quality assurance).
Evaluation Code of Conduct International Student in Dutch Higher Education (2021)
For the National Commission Code of Conduct International Student in Dutch Higher Education I facilitated an evaluation-process with a focus on the relations between the key stakeholders and the governance of the Code.
Program innovation and market study Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (2020/2021)
Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI) is a leading knowledge organisation working on processes of innovation and change through facilitating innovation, brokering knowledge and supporting capacity development in Southern countries. For WCDI Jonas van Leeuwen (AEF) and I executed a market study (product innovation, new markets, new clients, new business models) for their international training programs.
Consultant and Director at Energy Talent Company in Nigeria (since 2020)
Energy Talent Company (ETC) is a Nigerian startup that recruits, trains and outhires young talents for the solar energy sector (www.energytalentco.com). I am actively involved in the development of the business as a consultant (with a focus on international partnerships, business development and organisational development) and as a Director. Although still in the startup phase, the business is doing well in Nigeria. Focus for the next years will be on international expansion in AFrica.
Acting Director QANU, quality assurance agency for higher education institutions (2019)
After the very sudden passing away of its former director I helped QANU move into its next phase of development, through exploring new strategic opportunities and strengthening the organizational and HR infrastructure.
Manager Global Development at NUFFIC in The Hague (2017 – 2018)
For a ten month period I worked at NUFFIC on the implementation of a new 5-year program for international knowledge development and cooperation between educational institutions in the Netherlands and in developing countries. This Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) encompasses individual scholarships, tailor made trainings and institutional capacity building. As an interim manager Global Development my role has been be to coordinate the implementation of OKP and the execution of other capacity development programmes, to set up a new organisation for Global Development and to contribute to Nuffic management and strategy.
Executive Director Business at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Accra (2011 – 2016)
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is a European-Chinese institution, based in Shanghai. The school delivers world class programs in business education. I have been Executive Director Business of the Accra branch, introducing new products (world class quality executive education) at new prices to the African market.
President of Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC) in Accra (2012-2016)
GNBCC is a business organisation for Dutch and Ghanaian companies. As President I helped transform GNBCC into a modern service organisation, that offers a wide range of services to companies and public institutions (among which the Dutch embassy in Ghana). I have been President of GHANECC (the predecessor of GNBCC) and GNBCC from 2012 – 2016.
Preparing organisational design for the strategy function at Erasmus University (2013)
I did a consultancy project at Erasmus University about the organisational design and organisational culture of the strategic function at University level. I was a member of a team of consultants of Andersson Elffers Felix. We analysed bottlenecks in the actual functioning of strategy development, and proposed a new organisational design, with a focus on organisational culture
International Expert on Quality Assurance for the Armenian Government (2010/2011)
I executed an assignment in 2010 as an international expert for the Armenian government on quality assurance in Higher Education. My main responsibility was to prepare a three year action plan for the development of ANQA, Armenia’s higher education accreditation agency.
Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, strategy development (2010/2011)
I supported the Board of the ISS in setting up and executing a process to develop a strategic plan ISS 2011-2013.
Preparing a business plan for the Ministry of Education of Curacao (2010)
Curacao became an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in October 2010. I was responsible for preparing a business plan for the Ministry of Education of this new state. This assignment ended April 2010 with the approval of the business plan by the Curacao government.
Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), strategy development for strategic plan EUR 2013
I organised the development of a strategic plan 2013, in close cooperation with the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam. After an initial phase in which the faculty Deans and the Executive Board agreed on a common vision for the University, a wider range of stakeholders was consulted. I was involved throughout the process. The trajectory resulted in a strategic document that was widely supported.
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Language and mathematics education in primary and secondary education (2008/2009)
The proficiency level of young children in the Netherlands with regard to basic language and numerical skills is insufficient. This can have significant impact on the development of these students. Commissioned by the boards of the sector organizations for primary education in the Netherlands, I analysed whether primary and secondary schools could work with new ‘reference standards’, and what would be the best way to introduce these standards to the sector. The conclusions were accepted by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, chair National conferences for the future of Teacher Education (2006)
I chaired a national conferences on the future of teaching education in the Netherlands. This assignment also involved the development of scenarios for Teacher Education in the Netherlands.
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, development of target based approach to attract, develop and retain teachers (2005)
The educational sector in the Netherlands faces significant shortages in the number and quality of teachers working in the educational system. At the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, I carried out a quick scan of the existing policies. This quick scan formed the basis of the formulation of a target-based approach to tackle the major problems.
Netherlands and Flanders Accreditation Organization (NVAO), Project manager Introduction accreditation in the Netherlands and Flanders (2001-2005)
In the initial stages of this project, the project-team compared the two separate systems of quality assurance in Netherlands and Flanders. On the basis of this comparison, a system for accreditation was developed. Through consultation with many stakeholders in both the Netherlands and Flanders, the feasibility of this system was tested and the foundations for acceptance were created. The accreditation system was successfully implemented in both countries.