The theme of this year’s HAS Year Event was the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which HAS University of Applied Sciences uses as a guideline for carrying out research and developing expertise.
On 20 June, the 8th annual HAS Year Event was held at HAS University of Applied Sciences. The event included the presentation of the HAS Awards in 4 categories: Young & Entrepreneurial, Sustainable Collaboration SME, Sustainable Collaboration Large Enterprise and Sustainable Collaboration Non-Profit. The respective winners were: Marieke Schouten, de Limgroup, Dairy Farm Custers-Keursten and the LLTB. The backdrop to the award ceremony was an Expertise Exhibition showcasing final-year projects by students from HAS University of Applied Sciences. The theme of this year’s HAS Year Event was the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which HAS University of Applied Sciences uses as a guideline for carrying out research and developing expertise. Professor Frederike Praasterink explained this approach to participants, together with Annemarie Rakhorst, founder and owner of the platform Duurzaamheid.nl. More than 300 students, members of staff and external contacts of HAS University of Applied Sciences attended the event.
Winner in the category Young & Entrepreneurial: Marieke Schouten
Marieke Schouten is a 3rd year student in Food Innovation. She has yet to graduate, but already owns 4 companies. The first one is her own media company: Mariekes Media. With her second business, World Wide Food Story, she’s building up a global network of food journalists, with whom she hopes to set up sustainability projects over the coming years. Her third company is Local Minds, an initiative in which she’s collaborating with the Rabobank to retain young entrepreneurs in declining regions. And finally, for her the fourth company: Het Sterke Reddertje (The Strong Little Saviour), Marieke has submitted a grant application. And, if everything goes to plan, the initiative it will generate funding for a final-year for HAS students. Marieke is clearly already a top entrepreneur.
Winner in the category Sustainable Collaboration SME: Dairy farm Custers-Keursten
Harold and Jacqueline Custers-Keursten are enterprising agricultural entrepreneurs. They’ve recently invested in a production and processing area for dairy and have just launched their first business-to- consumer product: rice pudding. With this kind of product development, they like working together with HAS University of Applied Sciences in the form of educational projects with different study programmes at our location in Venlo. They also offer internships and excursions, and are currently part of a paid final-year project together with LIOF and the Vereniging Innovatief Platteland (Innovative Countryside Association).
Winner in the category Sustainable Collaboration Large Enterprise: De Limgroup
De Limgroup has been investing in the development of the Applied Biology study programme at our location in Venlo for several years. Each academic year, they provide intensive supervision for one or more interns. They are also always prepared to help with excursions and guest lectures. And they love sharing their thoughts on developments within the sector and how to implement them in the curriculum.
Winner in the category Sustainable Collaboration Non-profit: LLTB
LLTB has been a partner of HAS University of Applied Sciences in Venlo since the site was founded in 2013. Their areas of focus fit seamlessly with those of HAS University of Applied Sciences. The LLTB membership network offers numerous possibilities for cooperation in the form of excursions, internships and projects. The LLTB is also one of the financers of the lectureship ‘Plant-Soil Health’, and are co-founders of the GROW graduation event in Villa Flora in Venlo, which was attended by 60 HAS students.