“One thing that stood out regarding the content at the summer school was the methodology they used in teaching and delivering. The Hanze had a unique method that definitely had a practical approach to what they are teaching. This method was blended with field excursions, giving us a chance to go out. If they couldn't take you on an excursion, they would use the technology to bring the field to the class. Most of the teachers have practiced what they are teaching, so they have that practical approach to what they are teaching. You get to understand it more because you are being told from that particular angle of someone who has either practiced it, who has experienced it, or who has taken you to feel it, so it makes learning an experience rather than a story.
After returning from the summer school a lot of what we teach has already been changed and is bringing a lot of relevancy and practical vision to people. And most importantly, I also hope the people will learn to answer the problems we have in the industry or provide solutions that are going to be relevant, because they are involved in what they are learning – not just learning from the book but they can see through the book, society and be also able to provide relevant answers to the challenges our business industry is facing.
The busyness of Groningen brings about an exciting experience as it is quite different than what we have around here in Kampala, since the institutes here are out of the city, so the place is quiet and there is basically only students there. In Groningen you find that academic life is mixed with the workers life, given that the university is scattered all over the city.
I saw a lot of determination in the Dutch culture. If you look at the whole energy lake system with the windmills, it takes a lot of creativity, you can see a far-sightedness in the people who had these visions. And they started many, many years ago. That is something that will hit you when you go there, because you see that kind of far-sightedness and strategic vision is very important. And like with the bikes, you see a certain orderliness to support something that the people have set out to live in. Because you set a system like that for transport with traffic lights and lanes and you also have people believing that it can work. And I think that is one thing we have to borrow to believe in the system that can be designed and supported to work”
Godfrey Sempungu is a lecturer at the Ugandan Christian University and participated in the summer school 'Doing Business in Europe' in Groningen in 2017