JOIN US! Sustainable Education for a Humane Economy

Three universities of applied sciences are developing education that prepares HEO students for a sustainable economy in which people, society, and the environment carry at least as much weight as financial results.

Centre of Expertise Digital Operations & Finance

doe mee

With JOIN US!, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences join forces to jointly develop ‘integrated thinking & acting’ education for third- and fourth-year HEO students. This education focuses on three interrelated themes: (i) Long-Term Value Investing, (ii) Multiple Value Creation in Supply Chains and (iii) Integrated Reporting & Control.

Background

Enterprises are looking for HBO-professionals who are capable of acting sustainably, socially, and with a future-oriented approach. Three-quarters of medium-sized enterprises expect major changes due to sustainability challenges, but find that educational programmes do not yet adequately prepare students for this. 

Approach

We are developing a cross-disciplinary ‘integrated thinking & acting’ HEO-curriculum with educational materials for the three themes: (i) Long-Term Value Investing, (ii) Multiple Value Creation in Supply Chains and (iii) Integrated Reporting & Control. The objective is to embed these materials in the HEO-degree programmes of the three collaborating universities of applied sciences, thereby providing lecturers with the tools to teach ‘integrated thinking & acting’. In addition to this substantive aspect, the affiliated PROF MEE! project  will work on further lecturer professionalisation regarding these themes. This will help better prepare future professionals for a sustainable economy in which people, society, and the environment carry at least as much weight as financial results.

Target group

HEO-degree programmes, lecturers and students

Intended (intermediate) results

The project consists of three phases:

  1. Baseline measurement: We identify which materials are currently being used for the three themes within our HEO-degree programmes and where the gaps are, based on, among other things, a literature review and feedback from the field.
  2. Developing educational materials: Development of a curriculum with educational modules on the three themes (i) Long-Term Value Investing, (ii) Multiple Value Creation in Chains and (iii) Integrated Reporting & Control
  3. Dissemination & communication: We share and present our findings and materials to reach stakeholders outside our universities of applied sciences and to gather feedback to further refine our output.

Duration

March 2026 – December 2027

Team

New Finance Research Group:

  • Dr Ir Sebastiaan Morssinkhof, project lead, lecturer-researcher
  • Dr Martijn van der Linden, professor New Finance
  • Karl de Vries, lecturer-researcher
  • Daphne Kuilenburg, lecturer-researcher

Partners

  • The Hague University of Applied Sciences (lead author)
  • Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
  • Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Zuid-Holland

Funded and commissioned by

the Goldschmeding Foundation

Degree programmes involved

Degree programmes within the faculties of Business, Finance and Marketing; Governance, Law and Security; and Management & Organisation

Contact

Would you like to find out more about this research? Then please contact Sebastiaan Morssinkhof: [email protected]

Continue reading