FGGA 's Follow-up Strategy Plan 2026–2030: How are things going? (Part 5)
As you know, the faculty is working on a new follow-up strategy with six themes. Each theme now has its own writing team. Every week we speak with one of these teams about their work, and share the highlights. On this page you can find the current article and an overview of all articles on the follow-up strategy. This week's theme: Recognition and appreciation / Academia in Motion led by Sanne Kuipers.
Which colleagues are in your group?
I am writing a draft together with Bram Klievink (WD Public Administration), but we will of course also submit it to the members of the Academia in Motion working group, to HR and to the other members of the Strategy writing team.
Can you tell us something about the theme you are working on?
Academia in Motion is perhaps the theme that concerns many people within our faculty – and throughout the university! AiM is a new perspective on working within the university, including career development. The AiM approach focuses much more holistically on valuable contributions and achievements beyond research alone and seeks a broader way of working in which managers and colleagues actively create space for different talents, contributions and roles of both academic and support staff. In doing so, it consciously focuses on things that are difficult to measure, such as team spirit, collaboration, social impact, broad employability, open science, and personal development and leadership.
How does your theme fit within the broader strategic development of the faculty?
Because AiM takes a broad view of utilising talent and creating opportunities and possibilities for people, it touches on many other strategic themes such as the campus as a workplace, profiling themes and interfaculty collaboration, artificial intelligence, strategic growth and consolidation.
Do you expect much will change compared to the current situation?
I believe that AiM requires our constant attention. How do we recognise and appreciate people in their current work and get the best out of ourselves and others? I don't think this is a radical change from what we already do, but rather a trend that is continuing, and rightly so.
How do you envisage the realisation of these changes?
I think we are already seeing within institutions that colleagues are not only taking positive career steps within their position, but also sometimes moving between positions (such as study advisor, tutor, study coordinator, office manager) or to other departments within the university or faculty (FLO, LINCC, Communication). An academic can focus on an educational profile and grow in educational leadership and as a “programme builder” and innovator, or grow within a teaching position if they have a PhD and are more passionate about education. In this way, they shape their further professional development within the organisation because they enjoy working at the university but want to remain professionally challenged.
In what ways can colleagues be involved?
It is important that we recognise and appreciate employees for what they do and what they can do, and that colleagues themselves see that there are opportunities for development so that we can continue to discuss this among ourselves.
Would you like to share anything else on this topic?
Recognition and appreciation are topics that concern us all. It is not only about your manager's appreciation of you, but also about your attitude towards your colleagues and vice versa. This also provides an opportunity to engage in conversation with colleagues about what we do and who we are as a team and academic community, and what we contribute to it.
Previously published articles
Strategic Growth, led by Koen Caminada
Click hereAI led by Niels Laurens
Click hereConsolidation Strategy 2020–2025 led by Maarja Beerkens
Click hereProfiling areas led by Kutsal Yesilkagit
Click hereMore information about the follow-up strategy can be found here.
In the coming period, interviews with all the writing teams will be added and published on this site. Each will also be briefly highlighted in the newsletter.