Real-world projects for sustainable development

Multidisciplinary projects are the vehicles that make change and innovation possible for a sustainable development. In this minor you will work in small collaborative project teams on a real-world complex project assignment with an external client and stakeholders, abroad or in the Netherlands. The assignment will be broadly related to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). Besides the application of knowledge and project management skills, emphasis is placed on developing ‘Twenty-First Century skills’, such as collaboration and leadership, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.

Learning objectives

To support you in your project various workshops and trainings are offered during the first period of the semester:

• Project Management Approaches (complex projects, Cynefin framework, PM toolbox, strategy and methods, multi criteria decision analysis, visual change management)
• Applied Research (complex problems and the necessity of research, situational analysis, literature review, research objective and questions, research design).
• Leadership Development (personal development plan, building trust, working with diversity in teams, deep democracy, conflict & connection, intercultural awareness and collaboration)

Completed at least 120 EC 

Good command of English (oral and writing skills); minimum B2 level, preferred C1.

Motivation statement and a motivation interview with the minor coordinator.

To be announced later. 

HOW DO WE WORK?

During the minor, you work in a multidisciplinary team on a complex project in an organizational context either abroad or in the Netherlands. Project acquisition is done by the Bachelor study programme Global Project and Change Management (GPCM) of Windesheim Honours College (WHC). The first 7-8 weeks, project teams will engage in training and workshops at Windesheim Campus Zwolle, preparing their project plan and research proposal with guidance of project and research coaches. This is followed by a period of 7-8 weeks in the country of destination where students will work on the project deliverables together with their clients and relevant stakeholders. In parallel you will be working on your personal leadership development; receiving personal coaching for this, and working with other students in intervision teams. The semester ends with the final deliverables, joint appraisals and presentation of the project outcomes.

The 30 ECTS credits of the minor are distributed as follows:

Module 1: Advanced Project Management (20 ECTS credits)

Module 2: Applied Research (5 ECTS credits)

Module 3: Leadership and Team Development (5 ECTS credits)

Costs

If you choose to participate in an international project, you need to cover all personal costs such as travel and accommodation yourself. There is a process of projects assignation where you will be asked about your top choices of projects. In other words, you have a say in which project you will be working for and where you go.

Studying in an Honours Learning Environment

This minor is part of the Bachelor Global Project and Change Management (GPCM) of Windesheim Honours College (WHC). The mission of WHC is to educate students to become highly competent project managers and change makers, who are active across public and private domains. The main characteristics of the Honours Learning Environment are multidisciplinary connections, creative productivity, authentic assignments, personal learning journey, social responsibility, concept of giftedness, learning communities, and personal leadership. Furthermore, the education provided by WHC is based on the competence baseline of IPMA (International Project Management Association).

We offer this part of our curriculum to highly motivated students from other programmes who want to put their expertise into practice and develop their own leadership capacity.

How to apply:

1. Download your learning agreement(s) then send a request to your own examination board with your signed learning agreement(s) attached.
2. Pending the decision of your examination board, we reserve the minor place(s);
3. Your own examination board gives approval by signing the learning agreement(s) and affixing a stamp from your college;
4. You mail this signed and stamped learning agreement(s) together with a motivation statement and your current grade list to e.leigh@windesheim.nl
5. After the learning agreement(s) are received, you will receive an email detailing the steps you need to take to finalize your application for the minor(s).