Inspired by American online universities that offer education programs online, Alexander Klöpping and Marten Blankesteijn have founded the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’ – an online portal providing people with the opportunity to watch lectures given by some of the best professors in the Netherlands online.
“There are several professors in the Netherlands that have the ability to capture their students’ attention and interest. It is a shame that only a few students have access to the passion and knowledge of these professors”, state Klöpping and Blankesteijn on the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’ website, which will officially be launched in 2013.
The best EUR professors
EM asked Erasmus University students which of their professors they consider to be one of the best, and should thus be featured by the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’. “Stijn van Osselaer is a marketing professor at the RSM and one of the best professors I have had in the past few years”, says Joyce van Elven, a third-year Bachelor student. “He is funny and his classes are engaging with a lot of current examples”, she adds.
Not only a teacher
Another professor frequently mentioned by students was Payal Arora. She is an Assistant Professor at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). “I like Payal Arora because she is not only a teacher, but also a human being during class”, says Daisy Chan, a third-year International Communication and Media (IBCoM) student. Kacper Lasota, also a third-year IBCoM student, agrees. “She has great expertise in the field and is really passionate about what she does”, he says. It is not surprising then that Arora won the IBCoM Award for Best Female Teacher in 2011.
In support of online education
Arora strongly supports open access and sharing of educational content. “I would be happy to contribute and be part of the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’ initiative. Besides the principle of the matter of open access of learning, I do believe that when lectures go online, it compels lecturers to be mindful of being engaging and thoughtful in their construction of their content”, she says.
Search process
Klöpping and Blankesteijn have started the process of searching for the most inspiring professors in the Netherlands. Universities can now subscribe their best professors to speak at Paradiso in Amsterdam and be part of the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’. NL
