On Monday 7th of March 2016 it started: the grand study tour of our project in the Netherlands. We were a group of 28 experts from six cities and four countries in the Central Baltic area – researchers, campus developers, city officials, regional authorities, architects, designers and a student. And all eager to learn during three days as much as possible from the visits to different types of campuses as well as from experiences from city-university collaborations and from facilitations of the connections with business.
With this blog post begins the series of articles about our study tour. Stay tuned!
In Delft some of us visited the Faculty of Architecture at the Delft University of Technology. Beside the tour through the faculty building and on the campus the group met Professor Alexandra den Heijer, campus development guru in the Netherlands. The group was very impressed about Alexandra and her thoughts on campus development as well as the faculty building of architecture – amazing! Alexandra’s blog is worth following!
The current campus complex of Erasmus University Rotterdam is a legacy of the 1960’s and subsequent years of short term planning. Landscape Architect, Urban Planner Huub Juurlink and Architect Jaakko van’t Spijker from award-winning CULD, Complex Urban Landscape Design agency, have made a master plan for the campus, with which the campus will realize a qualitative jump, by incorporating global success factors onto the campus. Huub and Jaakko showed the group around the campus and told about their thoughts and background information of the campus development.
From the Rotterdam city center there is a water bus ferry trip of 23 minutes to the RDM Campus of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. RDM, Rotterdam Dry-dock Company, was one of the largest shipyards in Europe. Nowadays RDM accommodates business, education and research. After the trip with interesting sights we met Communication Advisor Frank van der Zwan who guided us through the Innovation Dock of RDM Campus. The Innovation Dock, the former machinery hall, is the center of RDM Rotterdam, where innovative technology companies are situated and students attend technical education classes. Have a virtual tour!
Some of us toured Amstelcampus, the new main location of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) guided by Communications Adviser Angelica Baltus. Amstelcampus is an “open” city campus, within and for the city of Amsterdam: the campus facilities for AUAS as well as the neighbourhood (fitness and sports facilities, restaurants and libraries). Amstelcampus is sustainable and environmentally friendly, designed for flexible working, meeting and learning.
The campus tour was followed by a meeting with Professor Willem van Winden, who is an expert in the field of urban and regional economic development and strategies. He talked to the group about the theme Campus as an Innovation Catalyst.
Photos: Päivi Keränen and Katariina Saarela
