PROGRAMS FOR PROFESSIONALS
Master's in Risk Management Student
Once a month you can find post-graduate student Erik van 't Hof at the UT where he is studying for his Master's in Risk Management (MRM) degree. In this two and a half year part-time programme, MRM students learn how to think about all the facets of surveying, assessing and managing risks within an organisation. "The Risk Management programme and the people involved in it have changed my professional vision," says Erik, who works as an Engineering Services Advisor at the Ministry of Defence. Erik is especially interested in risk management within an organisation; a daily activity for him."Through my studies at the UT I approach the solving of complex issues in a different way than I used to." What is really important is the discussions that we have during the seminars. There is scope to bring problems from your own practice; and you learn from the views of your student peers." It requires a lot of time and discipline to combine his work and his studies, especially with regard to group projects or a study trip to London. And Erik's study plan shows that his Master's thesis has yet to be written...
Education Director of Programs for Professionals
Programs for Professionals at the University of Twente
(04:49 minutes, double-click to enlarge video)
Master of Public Management Alumna
Erik-Jan van Genderen is 38 years old, married and is the father of three boys. In his professional life, he was originally a business economist and registered accountant (he earned both degrees at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam). But in 2004, he moved from accountancy to a position as controller for an inter-municipality collaboration. "I studied for my Master's of Public Management ( 17th Year) because as a practitioner I had outgrown my roots and was looking for more breadth and generalisation." In 2009 van Genderen worked at the South Holland Region (South) and received a new posting, moving from Controller to Director of Staff. "That year, I was chiefly occupied with a few large reorganisations, in which I enlarged the staff of South Holland Region (South) to include two other inter-municipal collaborative groupings: the South Holland Security Region and the Drecht Cities. This required negotiating with three directors, three business councils and three administrations." It was the breadth and inter-disciplinary nature of the Master's of Public Management as well as the analytical character of the UT that helped van Genderen to stay on top of his complex activities. "In the future I would like to contribute to the further expansion of inter-municipal collaborations in our area, and to develop to the next level."
"Housing Corporations Must Improve People's Chances"
"In fact, my primary involvement with the Management of Housing Corporations programme is as a director," says Fons Catau, member of the Advisory Board of Practitioners and Director (in Enschede) of the Woonplaats; a real estate company with a social charter. This dual role is something that Catau considers the biggest challenge for housing corporations. "Our mission is no longer just to build houses, but to improve people's chances. And that is only possible if you can think from within the real estate perspective. You simply have to generate enough income." Catau personally sent three 'high-potentials' to the programme. "All three of them were wildly enthusiastic. Their knowledge and management skills have been strengthened, but most of all, they are more adept at thinking out-of-the-box. And that is important in a time when it's all about the ability to innovate. People organise themselves in 2010 differently than they did a couple of years ago: there are digital networks, the composition of neighbourhoods has changed, there are environmental goals... . Education is essential preparation for the future."