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Who we are

Vision and strategy

We prepare students and professionals to make a positive impact, now and in the years ahead. Our vision and strategy guide everything we do, from talent-oriented education and practice-based research to collaboration with our region. On this page, you can read more about our mission and core values, how we help students and professionals grow, how we shape participation and sustainability, and our strategic direction for the coming years. This gives you a clear picture of what Fontys stands for, and where we are heading.

Our direction

The world is facing major challenges, such as climate change, affordable healthcare, and social tensions. These problems affect us all and require cooperation and innovation.

Fontys has chosen to contribute to a society that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient.

  • We educate people who make a difference.
  • We develop knowledge that advances practice.
  • We work with the region to develop solutions that matter.

    In this way, we are working to create a talent-oriented, research-based, and agile Fontys. And in this way, we are steering toward a future in which people, technology, and society reinforce each other.

    Our purpose

    ‘Development’ is at the heart of our mission.

    • students develop their talents with us
    • we develop relevant, practice-oriented knowledge
    • professionals can develop themselves throughout their working lives at Fontys
    • last but not least: within our close-knit learning community, we develop ourselves and each other by sharing knowledge and skills.

    By working closely with the community – something that characterizes Fontys – we can respond flexibly to social developments. And our students, graduates, and researchers can (continue to) make a meaningful contribution to society. In this way, we contribute to an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient society. At the regional, national, and European levels. A society in which we accept our differences, respect everyone's personal freedoms, and do not lose sight of each other.

    For Society 2030

    In order to carry out our mission optimally, steps need to be taken in three crucial areas. In the coming years, the focus will be on developing as many unique talents as possible (‘focus on the student’), on intensive cooperation with the world around us (‘cooperation as the key’) and on generating knowledge that contributes to solutions for social issues (‘working on progress’).

    We have expressed our ambitions in For Society 2030 in three promises.

    1 Promise to the student

    The development of our students is central. First and foremost, we are talking about education, of course, but also about our organization.

    As a student, you can expect the following three things from us:

    • You will be seen.
    • You are part of a close-knit learning community.
    • We believe in your development.

    2 Promise to our external partners

    With our talent-oriented education and multidisciplinary practice-oriented research, we make important and often immediately useful contributions to solving social issues and thus to progress, or a better world. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals serve as a guideline for what we mean by a ‘better world’. This requires us to:

    • Invest in the relationship with the world around us.
    • Work on our own accessibility.
    • Always work together from different perspectives, which we weigh equally.
    • Work from a personal approach.

    3 Promise to society

    With our talent-oriented education and multidisciplinary practice-oriented research, we make important and often immediately useful contributions to solving social issues and thus to progress, or a better world. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals serve as a guideline for what we mean by a ‘better world’. This requires us to:

    • be responsive – in other words, how do we translate the rapid and often complex developments in the world around us into good education and research?
    • demonstrate our social value
    • adopt a multidisciplinary approach to education and research

    Participation 

    Have your say: think along, speak up, help decide 

    At Fontys, we value the involvement of students and staff in decisions about our education and organisation. This involvement is called participation. 

    Participation councils: 

    • give advice to the Executive Board;
    • have a right of consent on certain topics;
    • promote open dialogue and better decision-making.

    Students and staff participate at three levels: Fontys-wide (central), within services and institutes, and within degree programmes. The Centre for Participation supports participation with advice and training.

    Sustainability 

    Fontys wants to contribute to a sustainable society. That is why we are making our buildings more sustainable, travelling more responsibly and reducing waste. Sustainability is increasingly central in our education and research. 

    • Students work on current, real-world sustainability challenges.
    • We run projects that make a real difference.
    • We have taken the first steps. With courage, persistence and collaboration, we are making progress.

    IDEAS at Fontys

    At Fontys, talent can truly flourish when you feel welcome and safe. That’s why we actively work on creating an environment where barriers are reduced as much as possible.

    We do this through the IDEAS themes: Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, Accessibility and Safety. These themes help us to:

    • Raise awareness
    • Support people in taking action
    • and encourage initiatives that contribute to an inclusive society.

    This aligns with our Fontys for Society strategy. Together with students, staff and external partners, we build a network where the IDEAS themes are visible and tangible in education, research and our communities.

    Questions, ideas or an initiative related to IDEAS?

    inclusie@fontys.nl