Who are you? And what is your Ikigai? How do you get international business to commit to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals? How does the art of happiness relate to doing business? What determines the ‘identity’ of an organisation? Can an organisation be both profitable and ‘conscious’ about people and planet at the same time? If you are intrigued by these questions, please read on since it appears that you have what it takes to fully benefit from our conscious approach to business.

Course content

This minor is built on the fundamental idea that business should look beyond ‘just’ maximising profit. Businesses should employ their enormous potential for a better world by taking full responsibility for the impact they have on people and the environment. This minor explores how conscious business can truly awaken the potential within the economy by working towards a regenerative and inclusive world.
Some of the classes that will be offered are:

• The art of happiness
• Identity marketing
• Economy of meaning
• Communicating with purpose

In today’s world most businesses still operate in an economic system (capitalism) in which the means of production of goods and services are privately owned and operated for a profit. Capitalism has been a key driver of the spectacular growth in GDP that most countries experienced and all the wonderful products that made our lives more comfortable and enjoyable. However, this focus on profit has also triggered some of the biggest social and planetary challenges of today.  The capitalist system with profit as its primary indicator for success is not sustainable and needs to be reviewed.

As believers in an ‘economy of meaning’ we feel that the impact on people and planet should be an integral part of what we call ‘success’.

Target group

The minor is open to all students in possession of their propaedeutic certificate, have a pro-active, open and positive attitude and show an intrinsic motivation to learn about themselves, their purpose in life and how this is connected to doing business in an economy of meaning.

Experiences

"Since I had been working on developing my own consciousness I was immediately drawn by the title, consciousness in business, HOW COOL! And it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.
Max van Alphen, 4th year student Industrial Engineering at Avans Hogeschool Tilburg".

"If you are interested in getting to know yourself better and learning about a circular economy, this minor suits you well!
Ezra Dirks, 3rd year Industrial Product Design Student at Windesheim Flevoland". 

"In my opinion, students should choose the minor Conscious Business, because it widens your view on the world. It challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and see things in another perspective. It teaches you that there is more than making money or making a glamorous career in life.
Maurice Zwolle, 4th year student Bedrijfskunde MER at Saxion Hogeschool Enschede".

"The minor has provided me with a completely new way of looking at the world. It sheds a new light on the operations of a business and an economy while emphasizing on certain aspects that were never taken into account before such as, the true identity of a company, and acknowledging that infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible.
Moesje Berry, 4th year IBMS student at Saxion University of Applied Sciences".

Please also watch the trailer for the minor https://vimeo.com/255750657

Course structure

The minor focusses on 4 core competences. As a conscious business professional you will learn to be (more):

• Self-directing and self-conscious
• Critical, analytical and curious
• Expressive, argumentative and convincing
• Culturally and environmentally aware, responsible and unifying

Students that choose this minor will:

• learn how to make use of tools and models available to a ‘marketer of meaning’ in order to gain an in-depth understanding of an organisation’s ‘raison d’ être’;
• experience how to use their strong points to create more meaningful organisations;
• improve their communication skills;
• learn how to translate an identity into a realistic brand promise and plan of action;
• learn that true value can only be created inside-out and based on inclusion;
• research and learn about ways to ‘measure’ consciousness;
• learn how to apply their knowledge and insights to real companies;
• have a lot of freedom to be creative and express their own personal viewpoints and ideas.

Assessment

Deliverables: Your personal identity, for example, will manifest itself in your own ‘Book of Life’ and Brand Passport and your take on the economy of meaning will be reflected in a portfolio with discussions and reviews.

Exams: Knowledge on theories and models related to Identity Marketing and Conscious Business will be tested in written and/or oral exams.

Project – report and presentation: The presentation of your conscious business plan will be your chance to demonstrate what you learned and convince your principal to actually realize your advice on how to become a conscious business.

Application for non-Saxion students

• Before registration through Kies op Maat, please contact the minor contact person Peter de Heus (p.deheus@saxion.nl) and ask if there are any remaining open spots.

How do I apply?
The application process regarding the Kies op Maat minor at Saxion is a bit different than described at www.kiesopmaat.nl

How does it work?
Step 1: Download the learning agreement from the Kies op Maat website and let it sign by a member of the exam commission at your own educational institution ánd sign the document yourself.
Step 2: go to https://sis.saxion.nl/account# and fill in your personal data
Step 3: you will receive an automatic generated email from IAM including your username and password
Step 4: go the https://sis.saxion.nl, log on with your username and password which you have received from IAM and apply!
Step 5: After this we can process your application for a Kies op Maat minor at Saxion

Please note : in 'Upload documents' you are requested to upload some documents. The following documents we need:

• A copy of your valid passport or ID-card. No driving license!
• A copy of your propaedeutic diploma or a printout from the DUO diploma register. In case you do not have the propaedeutic diploma yet, we would like to receive an official statement from your educational institution in which they state that you will receive the propaedeutic diploma before the start of the minor
• Learning agreement, page 1, 2 and 3 (signed by a member of the exam commission of your own education institution and student)
• Original Proof of Payment for the study year 2024-2025 (available from June). You can request this proof from your educational institution, also if you pay in instalments. Your educational institution will email the Proof of Payment to Saxion.
  Deadline for handing in the original Proof of Payment is 2 weeks before the start of the minor.

If you have further questions, please let us know. You can contact Saxion Student Registration, 088 – 019 3000.