23/03/2026
๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ค โ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ
International Week for block 3 has drawn to a close, yet the conversations in our Facility Management corridors at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences continue. This edition once again proved to be a week in which students stepped outside their comfort zones, explored new cultures, and learned more in a few days than any textbook could ever offer.
๐ฆ๐น ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ โ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ, ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ
For fifty of our second-year students, the adventure began early in the morning as they travelled to the Winter School at Fachhochschule Kufstein Tirol.
Throughout the week, they worked intensively with students from various countries on international and facility-related assignments.
During the day, they were fully immersed in project work โ and in the evenings, they relaxed together on the dance floor of the local disco. Those lighter moments often sparked the most memorable conversations, forging friendships and deepening intercultural understanding in a way that only shared experiences can.
๐ณ๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ง โ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
The other half of the cohort stayed closer to home but embarked on an equally international journey. Under the guidance of Marlene van Heel and Ankie Hoefnagels, they tackled three challenging assignments centred around intercultural communication and its relevance within the facility management profession.
Two guest speakers โ Mark Bruls and Lonneke Peeters โ shared their insights and experiences of working across cultures. Their stories resonated strongly with the students, encouraging reflection and highlighting the importance of intercultural sensitivity for future facility professionals.
๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค?
A backpack filled with new experiences.
Insights that only truly take shape when lived rather than read.
And above all: pride. Pride in our studentsโ dedication, their curiosity, and their willingness to open themselves to the unfamiliar.
We look back on a wonderful edition of International Week โ and are already looking forward to the next.
