For the first time, a student has been elected chairman of the highest representative body at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The Hogeschool Medezeggenschapsraad (employee participation council) will be chaired by Izaäk van Jaarsveld in the coming year. He takes over from Henk Boer, who has been a professor at the Hanzehogeschool for around 30 years.
Van Jaarsveld is a twenty-three-year-old student at the Pedagogical Academy (Education) of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. During the past academic year, he took a seat in the HMR as the chairperson of the Hanze Studentenbelangen Vereniging (HSV) and as the chairperson for Education & Research and Computerisation.
“It is an honorable appointment, with great responsibility. The Medezeggenschapsraad is the voice of about thirty thousand students and over three thousand employees, who must be able to use and develop their talent optimally. With that in mind, the HMR will continue to work in the coming year to further strengthen Hanze University as a knowledge institution and employer,”says Van Jaarsveld.
The eighteen-member Medezeggenschapsraad of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences will, as a discussion partner of the Executive Board, continue to jointly focus on promoting the interests of students and staff in the coming year. The Medezeggenschapsraad sees this development as a good example of how students can participate in the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, even within its leadership roles.
“Students often have the idea of not being heard. That is why it is good that a student is to fulfil this role as chairman. We hope that this will lead to more students making their voices heard at all levels,”says Van Jaarsveld.
