‘Lifelong development is the perfect way to connect science with society’
As well as offering students a first-rate education, Leiden University provides a wide range of training for professionals, so they can be lifelong learners. And that is not just of value to participants. ‘As a university, you start a dialogue with society to achieve better knowledge together.’
What Associate Professor Mark Dechesne himself likes best about lifelong development? ‘It really is about building bridges’, he answers. ‘With lifelong development we deepen the connection between the field and the science, which means you don’t just learn from but ultimately enrich each other.’
As Leiden’s lifelong development ‘figurehead’ Dechesne also does a lot of bridge building. His job includes spreading the word about how the university champions lifelong development and why that is important – and bringing together interested colleagues and organisations. He sees lifelong development as the perfect fit for our society with the increasing flexibilisation of work. ‘You used to do the same job all your life and slowly get better at your profession. Now society is changing so fast that as a professional you are constantly expected to learn so you can keep up with the latest developments. You actually have to develop continuously to remain relevant on the job market.’
‘You actually have to develop continuously to remain relevant on the job market.’
Powerful tool
Leiden University now offers courses, training and programmes at multiple training centres that challenge professionals academically in their field (or beyond). The offering is brought together in the Leiden University Academy and spans countless themes and disciplines: from a basic module on coaching skills for teachers to a specialised course in civil appeals and procedural law. And from an executive master’s programme in cybersecurity to a practical course in shoulder and knee injection techniques.
And for faculties and programmes that are not yet that involved with lifelong development, there could be no better time to join. Lifelong development is all about what our university has to offer society, says Dechesne – a question that is more relevant than ever given the new government’s planned cuts.
‘You don’t want the perception to arise that the university is separate from society and a world in itself. Then lifelong development is the perfect way to build a bridge between what happens in society and how academia could contribute. It is a very powerful connection tool because you start a dialogue with society and ultimately hope to come up with better solutions and knowledge together. I cannot imagine a single faculty that this would not be relevant to.’
Lasting collaboration
Developing and offering lifelong development modules gives you a really clear picture of the challenges faced by society. Dechesne gives the example of a professional course on terrorism and counterterrorism that he was involved in. ‘The value was not just in us acquiring knowledge but also that we could talk to all sorts of different parties within the field of security.’
Lifelong development initiatives can therefore lead to lasting collaboration – also in research. And the university can help tackle major societal issues that many professionals are working on, such as climate change and security. ‘Our work at the university is sometimes seen as a kind of one-way process in which scientific knowledge gradually descends on society. But it really is a two-way street, and the contact with professionals makes it even clearer what the relevance of our work actually is.’
‘Contact with professionals makes it even clearer what the relevance of our work actually is.’
Recognition and rewards
And this summer there was good news for the Leiden lifelong development community: the university will receive over 1.7 million euros in the next two years from the National Growth Fund’s LLO Katalysator lifelong development scheme. The grant, says Dechesne, will come in handy for the further professionalisation of the Leiden University Academy.
He also hopes it will result in greater recognition and appreciation for staff who are committed to lifelong development. ‘Education for professionals has long been the kind of extra work done by teaching staff that goes unrewarded. One of our goals is to change that.’
Because lifelong development is not something you do on the side, Dechesne stresses. ‘I really do see lifelong development as an opportunity for our whole university. Both to raise our profile and to actually give shape to our strategic ambitions of innovating and connecting.’
Text: Evelien Flink
Banner: Igor Roelofsen / Twycer