The Province of Drenthe, the Municipality of Emmen, NHL Stenden, Drenthe College and the UG are coming together to further develop Campus Emmen

Together, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Drenthe College, the University of Groningen (UG), the Province of Drenthe and the Municipality of Emmen are working further on the development of Campus Emmen. To this end, the governors of these institutions have signed a declaration of intention. The campus will connect with the strengths of the region: strong manufacturing and chemical (including green chemical) industries. By combining these strengths with the knowledge available, Campus Emmen should grow to become a dynamic environment where professionals, students, start-ups, existing businesses, government and institutions work together. Namely, on the development and application of existing and new knowledge, innovation, industry, jobs, and on improved profits of existing businesses in the region. Additionally, Campus Emmen should increase the attraction of studying in the region, including among international audiences. This development connects seamlessly to the knowledge agenda of the University of the North.

In line with the manufacturing and chemical (including green chemical) businesses in the region, Campus Emmen will focus on various fields of application within the themes Smart Industry, Energy (including hydrogen energy) and Healthcare & Technology. One of the first concrete results of Campus Emmen is the hybrid Chemistry/Polymers department. This is a wonderful and logical consequence of the existing collaboration between NHL Stenden and the UG in the field of chemistry, including green chemistry.

Campus Emmen ties in well with the plans and ambitions of Drenthe College, NHL Stenden and the UG. With the UG’s presence in Emmen, the chains of vocational education and research will be optimally linked. Among other aspects, this collaboration will stimulate smooth, continuous learning pathways (from vocational (MBO) to university of applied sciences (HBO) to university (WO) education), the efficient use of facilities and close cooperation with businesses and institutions. The fact that the new Drenthe College building, which is currently in the works, will be directly next to the NHL Stenden location in Emmen will contribute effectively to this end.

From intentions to plans and implementation

First, the masterplan for Campus Emmen will be worked on, including a joint vision and approach. Various stakeholders are and will become involved in this process. A range of issues will be addressed, such as modern shared facilities, continuous learning pathways and hybrid teaching and research. In this context, ‘hybrid’ means that the teaching and research will be established by both knowledge institutions and the business world together.