Becoming an Expert, Ambassador or Doing Project Work: Three Paths to Excellence for Students at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences

Abstract

Apart from the regular curricula in higher education, institutions increasingly offer additional initiatives or honours programmes for students to excel. Artevelde UAS wants to provide similar additional learning opportunities, in which the notion of excellence is based on reflection, self-direction and ‘giving back’ to stakeholders. This paper will provide an elaboration of these opportunities, based on three research questions: (1) What project or initiative can be considered as a valid and well-defined form of excelling, (2) How do we formally structure and organize this initiative or project, and (3) How can we evaluate and validate students’ experiences of excelling? Students of (International) Business Management at Artevelde UAS can excel in three different ways: by professionalizing and becoming an expert in a certain topic or area, by becoming an ambassador for one particular 21st century skill that has been put forward and highlighted by Artevelde UAS in its mission (global citizenship, entrepreneurship or sustainability), or by cooperating with professional business partners in order to develop and implement a real-life project.