Why a campus formula? 

In the Netherlands, there's a wide range of options when it comes to education. This certainly applies to universities of applied sciences.

Currently, nearly half a million students are enrolled at the 36 government-funded universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Two out of three students in higher education are enrolled in higher professional education (HBO). More than 55,000 students are covered by the collective labor agreement for higher professional education (CBA) concluded by the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences. The universities of applied sciences are geographically dispersed throughout the Netherlands. With the more general programs they offer, they aim to provide a foundation for a well-trained labor market in their own region. In addition, they offer programs of a more specialized nature. These specialized programs, in turn, have a (inter)national appeal to students. It goes without saying that high-quality education has a minimum student intake. And this minimum, in turn, creates competition among universities of applied sciences.

Universities of applied sciences therefore ensure that, in addition to the quality of education, the quality of the campuses is also as high as possible. This has led to the increasingly uniformity of campuses, based on best practice principles. Quality has increased while distinctiveness has diminished. The challenge now is to make the campus distinctive and thus even more attractive.

And an attractive campus, in turn, attracts other parties who feel at home in the higher education environment (both service providers and companies that collaborate with educational institutions). Other educational institutions (both university and vocational colleges) are also increasingly seeking proximity to a university of applied sciences. 

While the university's identity is central to the curriculum, with the gathering of various stakeholders on a campus, that identity is no longer the guiding principle but rather the appropriate one. Campuses increasingly have their own identity based on the unique qualities of the location and its associated stakeholders.

With the development of its Nordic Campus formula, NHL Stenden has a strong, unique approach to developing a recognizable campus that aligns with NHL Stenden at various locations, with diverse stakeholders. This website describes the Nordic Campus formula and the results of this approach at the various locations where it has been implemented since 2021.