BUas sees working towards a more inclusive leisure sector as an important challenge, which needs to be tackled together with representatives of the sector itself. A key requirement for that to be successful is that when designing for leisure practices and facilities, students (and lecturers!) need to look beyond personal preferences (what you like is not necessarily good for everyone), beyond their own physical, sensory or intellectual abilities (what you are capable of doing - seeing - understanding might be inaccessible to others) and their financial capacity (some people might have less - or no - money to spend on leisure). Doing so means to recognise and acknowledge diverse perspectives, backgrounds, motives and possibilities.

Menig toerist die Nederland bezoekt is verrast over de digitale betalingen terwijl zij met fysieke euro's in de hand staan. In Europa is cash nog steeds populair maar andere vormen van betalen groeien snel.

A Dutch-Belgian delegation specialising in sport and vitality recently visited Copenhagen. Representing Breda University of Applied Sciences, I participated in this delegation to strengthen our international network. Moreover, the programme aligned seamlessly with my professional doctorate studies, which focus on the role urban or street culture can play in the development of future-proof cities. So how do you ensure that leisure activities contribute to a vital, inclusive and attractive city for residents and visitors?

In 2017 I arrived in Breda as an international student from Italy, now I have already been working as a lecturer at BUas for 18 months. When I first moved to the Netherlands, I was all set for a cutting-edge, open-minded environment. I had never been here before, and all I knew was the image of the Netherlands as a progressive and innovative country. However, what I found was a whole new level of culture shock - from different social habits and norms, while also realising that cracking into Dutch social circles was tougher than expected. This mostly had me hanging out with other international students who were also trying to find their way, creating our own little bubble of shared experiences.

With classmates we have often enjoyed drinks in the city or shared a meal tog...

I am originally from Brazil, a country known for its rich culture and warm people, and my international journey began in 2013 when I moved to Ireland to study English. Living in Dublin for almost a year was my first taste of living abroad, and it sparked a desire in me to explore the world.

History illustrates that idea exchange is a catalyst for societal progress. The Pax Romana, Mongolica, and Americana facilitated this exchange, uniting diverse people across the Mediterranean, Eurasia, and the world. This convergence of ideas within a civilisation sparks innovation that benefits all. As people with different thought processes interact, their ideas give birth to new ones. While not all ideas succeed, a few emerge victorious from the multitude of experiments, symbolising progress and innovation. The safety of the Pax Mongolica, for instance, opened up a vast superhighway for people, ideas, and goods to flow from East to West and West to East. As caravans brought horses, porcelain, jewels, silk, paper, and gunpowder along the Silk Route, they also brought new ways of thinking and doing. From the Far East came brilliant ideas like paper-making and printing. From the Islamic world came unheard-of approaches to maths, astronomy, and science. Thanks to today’s caravans and ships - emails, the internet, Zoom, and the planes and trains that connect us in real-life meetings and conferences - we are able to flit around the globe and make the sort of connections that will lead to ever richer innovation. Where will this innovation lead us in the 2020s? That is the magic of innovation; you never really know where exactly it will lead. But since we know that it leads to progress that has been unprecedented and was hard to imagine in the past, it is easy to believe (if not picture!) how it will lead to improvements in the future.

The internationalisation of education has become controversial in the Netherlands, with calls to limit the number of international students and higher education courses in English. These negative attitudes reflect the success of Dutch international education, with 122,287 international students accounting for 15% of the total (Nuffic, 2023). Although programmes offered exclusively in Dutch have declined in recent years, the number of English-only bachelor’s programmes has been relatively stable since 2018. While growth rates have slowed, political debate on limiting international students continues. A proposed Education Bill requires two-thirds of content for standard bachelor’s degree programmes to be in Dutch.

Leisure & Events Management students at BUas can opt for the ‘Urban Life & Placemaking’ (ULP) track. ULP uses events and leisure activities to help students develop and enrich cities, making them liveable and loveable. It encourages student participation in city event design and social interventions. ULP has an international perspective, learning from examples abroad and exposing students to the experiences of people with very different backgrounds. As part of ULP, students spend a semester (30 ECTS credits) in a European city with a small group of peers. This part is known as ‘Living in the City’ (LITC).