Getting started with Connected for Impact

As a university staff member, how do you give meaning to the Radboud strategy ‘Connected for Impact’? Anouk Kerkhof does so by actively connecting educational institutions, the local council and civil society organisations. As project manager of City Deal Kennis Maken Nijmegen, she explores on a daily basis how students can contribute to addressing societal challenges. ‘In fact, our network organisation already embodies this strategy.’

Anouk doesn’t need to think long about the link between her work and the strategy. ‘Connected for Impact is at the heart of everything we do: connecting people and connecting knowledge to make an impact for the residents of Nijmegen,’ she explains. City Deal Kennis Maken Nijmegen is a partnership between Nijmegen City Council, HAN University of Applied Sciences, ROC Nijmegen, Yuverta MBO and Radboud University, which acts as the lead partner. ‘We are developing and implementing an approach that enables educational institutions and civil society organisations to collaborate on issues facing the city. We see Nijmegen as a rich learning environment for students.’

This approach is proving successful. Over the course of three academic years, more than 150 projects have been carried out, involving 2,500 students from 46 programmes across vocational, higher professional and university education. Students and lecturers work alongside community organisations on issues relating to health, social inclusion and the environment. ‘Social inclusion is about being able to participate in society – think of literacy, loneliness and poverty, but also street intimidation and inclusion. In the area of health, our projects cover topics such as nutrition, physical activity and mental wellbeing. Within the ‘Maak ruimte’ programme, we focus on urban planning, addressing challenges relating to housing, mobility, recreation and the economy.’

Building connections

As a Project Manager, Anouk is, above all, a connector. ‘I ensure that study programmes from different educational institutions find common ground. We often achieve greater impact when students from multiple disciplines collaborate on an issue. In doing so, we facilitate the connection and knowledge-sharing between students.’

This requires continuous coordination, Anouk explains. ‘I work in a team of thirteen colleagues from the council and the affiliated educational institutions. We focus on educational innovation and external networks. Together, we ensure that projects are well distributed across the city, so that residents and professionals aren’t overwhelmed and students don’t end up duplicating work.’ In addition, Anouk and her colleagues support lecturers and community organisations. ‘We help to find the right partners and formulate suitable challenges. A client often wants a lot achieved in a short space of time, whilst students are still learning. That is why we carefully guide that process together with the lecturers.’

According to Anouk, working on social issues is highly rewarding for students. ‘University students in particular have little prior experience of working with external clients on real and urgent issues. Afterwards, you always hear that they have discovered how they can use their studies to contribute to society. That is enormously valuable. What’s more, it helps students strengthen their connection with the city and brings them into contact with potential regional employers.’

Visible impact 

According to Anouk, all the projects have had a positive impact, to varying degrees, on the residents of Nijmegen. As an example of a project with a visible impact, she cites the collaboration with the Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital. ‘The sustainability manager wanted to make the outdoor area greener, with a focus on biodiversity and climate adaptation. He also wanted to investigate the relationship between a green outdoor space and the wellbeing of hospital staff. This was achieved over a two-year period. It began with a soil survey – a baseline measurement – carried out by Yuverta students studying Garden and Landscape Design.

Master’s students in Psychology then investigated the relationship between green spaces and job satisfaction. Students of Geography, Urban Planning and Environmental Science looked at climate adaptation, whilst students on the Master’s programme in Science Management and Innovation identified quick wins for increasing biodiversity. And HAN students studying Facilities Management carried out a needs assessment among staff. Based on all these results, Yuverta students drew up a design plan. This is a fine example of how different disciplines can work together in a relay-style approach to solve a societal challenge.’

According to Anouk, other projects also demonstrate this strength. ‘For example, at the municipality’s request, work was carried out to increase youth turnout in local council elections. HAN students came up with dozens of ideas. The municipality selected three to implement in collaboration with them. This led to a youth debate at LUX and a campaign by HAN and ROC students at three educational institutions on the importance of voting.’ She also mentions the Happy Hairdresser initiative during Wellbeing Week. ‘ROC Hair Care students were paired with Radboud students studying Spiritual Care, Theology and Psychology. Whilst ROC students gave young people haircuts, Radboud students engaged them in conversation. As a result, nearly 80 students left the pop-up hair salon with a new hairstyle and a positive feeling. This enables students from different educational institutions to really get to know and appreciate one another.’

A catalyst for the region

In the strategic direction, Anouk particularly recognises the regional role.  ‘We are contributing to the ambition to be a catalyst for the region. We have built up a solid infrastructure with educational institutions, the local council, the Municipal Health Service (GGD), Radboudumc and community organisations. This ensures short lines of communication and allows us to respond quickly.’ According to her, this strikes at the heart of ‘Connected for Impact’. ‘You don’t create real impact on your own, but together with regional partners. Our network organisation embodies this entire strategy.’ Thanks to that network, the impact is now being amplified. ‘Whereas university students used to often produce an advisory report that was rarely acted upon, follow-up projects can now be linked to other courses and disciplines, at vocational, higher vocational or university level.’

Building the future together

Looking ahead, Anouk sees opportunities to increase the impact. From 1 January 2027, City Deal Kennis Maken Nijmegen will be working closely with the regional networks ‘Wij zijn groen, gezond en in beweging’ (GGIB) and ‘Maatschappelijke Diensttijd’ (MDT).
‘This will further enrich our network and enable us to collaborate with new partner organisations. Our focus is on reducing health inequalities in the city.’ At the same time, there is a challenge. ‘There are so many wonderful things happening, but not everyone is yet familiar with this way of working together. It would therefore be fantastic if we could raise our profile.’

Finally, what message does Anouk Radboud want to share with her colleagues? ‘Connected for Impact can be applied to almost any theme, even less obvious ones. Take a broad approach, because every role within the university has an impact aspect. Talk to colleagues from other faculties or institutions. That way, you’ll gain new insights and, together, you’ll increase the impact. Because it all starts with connection.’

Although the Radboud strategy ‘Connected for Impact’ has only just been launched, Sjors Witjes is already putting it into practice on a daily basis. The associate professor of Strategy works with businesses, government bodies, students and researchers to find solutions to societal issues. At the same time, he is critical: if the university really wants to make a difference, he believes many changes are still needed. ‘That will require a cultural shift.’

As an associate professor, Sjors works at the intersection of science and society. He helps companies with issues relating to sustainability, circularity, diversity and climate change. He does this through research, teaching and collaboration with students. One example he is particularly proud of is the collaboration with waste management company ARN in Weurt. ‘Together, we’ve realised that we’re the only ones in the world who can recycle nappies,’ he explains. ‘The costs of producing nappies are high. This recycling example therefore demonstrates how science can respond to society’s needs and thus contribute directly to social change.’

According to Sjors, it is precisely this project that illustrates what ‘Connected for Impact’ is all about: seeking connections between disciplines and with the outside world. ‘We link knowledge from business administration with psychology, chemistry, geology and urban planning. Only by bringing that knowledge together, we can truly help organisations in making progress.’

External recognition, internal struggles

Sjors notices the social impact of his work particularly outside the university. ‘You do get recognition from outside, but much less from within,’ he says critically. He was asked to serve as a board member at ARN and on the advisory board of the OPEN Foundation, which regulates the collection and recycling of electronics in the Netherlands. ‘I see that as recognition that I’m doing my job well.’

Within Radboud University, however, he feels that transdisciplinary work is still not sufficiently valued. ‘At our university, you don’t become a professor by collaborating extensively, but by specialising and publishing. Maintaining networks brings little recognition, whilst impact actually stands or falls on collaboration.’

According to Sjors, there is still a fundamental problem here. ‘A transdisciplinary researcher is, in fact, an entrepreneurial academic. Many transdisciplinary researchers currently do this networking in their private time. That is why a cultural shift is so desperately needed.’ He also sees a clear difference in this regard compared with technical universities. ‘At technical universities, entrepreneurial academics are the norm, but at other universities – including ours – they are still the exception.’ He draws this perspective from his own background. ‘I started out as an engineer and have a background at a technical university.’

At the same time, he draws a great deal of motivation from working with students. ‘Students make me the happiest. I do my work for them, both in my research and in my teaching.’ It is precisely there that he sees how impact becomes tangible. ‘It gives me a good feeling when students take the points I make and put them to use in their future professional lives.’

Strategy as a foundation for discussions

In his own work, Sjors sees strategy at play everywhere. Among other things, he is involved in the development of the Lifeport Resource Institute in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, which focuses on raw material security and regional cooperation. ‘As a university, we have enormous potential, but I still see many isolated initiatives. We need to link them more effectively to create real synergy and impact.’

He uses a striking metaphor to illustrate this. According to Sjors, there are many separate components within the university that only have an effect once they are connected. ‘We have all sorts of separate pillars, but these need to be integrated into our operations. You need a skewer to hold them together.’

The ‘Connected for impact’ strategy also helps him in discussions within the university. ‘Previously, I had to explain why external recognition was important. Now I can say: this is simply part of our strategy.’ He cites as an example the task schedules of his own faculty, in which teaching and research hours are strictly fixed. ‘Maintaining networks and creating impact aren’t included in them. That’s exactly what you need to invest in to make transdisciplinary research possible.’

He therefore hopes that the strategy will lead to tangible changes. ‘The less entrepreneurial I have to be internally, the more entrepreneurial I can be outside the university.’

Collaboration starts internally

For Sjors, impact ultimately revolves around connection. ‘To me, impact means “making contact with”. If we want to move society forward, we need to collaborate.’ According to him, that collaboration begins within the university itself. ‘Find one another and see how we can help each other to create more impact. There are already many colleagues with excellent contacts outside the university, but they are dependent on internal opportunities.’

His appeal to colleagues therefore ties in seamlessly with the core of ‘Connected for Impact’. ‘Impact is working together to improve society. Let’s step over the barriers known as faculties, or professional services versus academic staff. If we can find each other more easily internally, we can make a much greater difference outside the university. Only then will we make a real impact.’

As a manager, how do you ensure that our strategic ambitions do not get lost in lengthy Excel spreadsheets, but instead provide the energy to drive improvements? Yvette Akkermans, Head of Consultancy & Projects within the Campus & Facilities division, sees it as her duty to make ‘Connected for Impact’ a tangible reality for employees. ‘See which aspects of the strategy make their eyes light up.’

For Yvette, strategy is not a document that gets filed away in a drawer, but a way of working. In her role as Head of Consultancy & Projects, she leads a team of 22 staff members. Her departments primarily support Radboud University’s property organisation. Her responsibilities include project managers who oversee property and maintenance projects, as well as technical advisers for systems such as the thermal energy storage system.

‘Our university faces a challenge,’ explains Yvette. ‘We need to carry out our work more effectively and efficiently to ensure organisational continuity. This is in line with the strategic ambition to be an agile and resilient organisation. Drawing on my background at the Hotel School, with a Lean philosophy that includes value-driven working, I constantly ask myself: what are the needs of our target group and how do we add value to them?’

Within Campus & Facilities, this way of thinking has led to the introduction of value chains. ‘Do we do the work because we’ve always done it that way, or because it adds value? We want to better understand what students and staff need and tailor our services accordingly. In doing so, we actively seek to engage with campus users. Through consultations with, for example, the Accessibility Working Group, the Biodiversity Working Group, accommodation services and account management, we find out what needs exist. This enables us to better align our work with real-world practice.’

The power of communities

Yvette is particularly proud of the open culture of improvement within her departments. ‘We’ve set up a FLOW team: staff members who take on suggestions for improvement and work with colleagues to find solutions. In addition, we’ve recently launched the Process Management Community, where we share knowledge and learn from one another to drive continuous improvement. I’m a firm believer in communities. This keeps us closer to real-world practice and enables us to do our work better.’

She also experiences this freedom to take such initiatives herself. ‘I’m glad that, within Campus & Facilities, our director and my fellow management team members give me the freedom to put ideas into practice. That makes it possible to actually implement changes.’

Thinking more broadly

She sees the ‘Connected for Impact’ strategy reflected in her work every day. ‘As Campus & Facilities, we are the driving force behind the ambition to be a Connecting Community; for the other ambitions, we actively support or follow. For example, we’re working with student accommodation provider SSH& on the development of new student accommodation on campus.’

‘But we can also contribute by considering what a student will need in the future to make an impact,’ Yvette continues. ‘For example, by staying healthy. We can play a role in this through Radboud Sports & Culture. So we’re always looking at what Campus & Facilities can contribute to the strategic ambitions. Take the Food & Beverage department and the development of the ‘Broodje Nimma’ – where, with sustainability in mind, we explored how to develop a plant-based sandwich using local suppliers. It’s therefore important to think beyond the confines of your job description and to challenge one another in that regard.’

For Yvette, the greatest added value lies in involving staff in change. ‘When colleagues tell me that their horizons have broadened and that they feel they’re allowed to suggest that things can be done differently, I think: this is what we’re doing it for. I love it when people are empowered to do what drives them. That ensures they go that extra mile.’

As a manager, Yvette herself contributes primarily to the ambition of being an agile and resilient organisation. ‘For me, that starts with people. Staff need to feel that things don’t just happen to them, but that they can play an active role as well. Resilience is incredibly important in this regard. The strategy gives meaning to our work and helps us to focus. Every link in the chain within our organisation is important. ’
At the same time, she warns against making the strategy too complicated. ‘Perhaps the “how?” of the strategy has sometimes been developed in a rather consultancy-style manner. Try to look beyond that and focus on the intention. The strategy actually offers scope to interpret for yourselves what is actually possible.’

Comprehensive need

Looking ahead to the coming years, Yvette sees plenty of opportunities to make a greater impact, particularly by strengthening collaboration within the organisation. ‘Students and staff don’t think in terms of pillars or departments. They simply want to be helped. That’s why I hope we can break down the barriers between the pillars more often and organise our operations holistically, based on the user’s needs. That way, we’ll achieve greater impact together.’

In her eyes, this presents a key challenge for managers. ‘We must ensure that the strategy doesn’t remain a distant concept for staff, consisting of endless Excel spreadsheets. Identify which elements genuinely align with your team’s work. What makes their eyes light up? Focus on precisely those topics and discover together where you’re already making a contribution and where you can make an even greater impact.’
Her key advice to fellow managers? ‘Don’t treat the strategy as something separate from your day-to-day work; instead, make it part of the way we work – then it will be embraced naturally. And remember: nothing is certain except change.’