'During the sympodium, we want to emphasise the student as the director of their own development. Students are still often unfairly seen as passive products of their studies, while they are much more than that. By giving students more control over their own development, they learn to think critically and to set and pursue personal and professional goals. Unfortunately, this is not yet the standard in most studies. The aim of the sympodium is to set this change in motion by sharing positive student experiences from teaching practice with lecturers.'
'Implementing such a new way of thinking is complicated because there is no universal solution. Moreover, it requires adjustments to both study programmes and faculties, and a different role for lecturers. Lecturers now often adopt an active attitude towards students, which can sometimes lead to students becoming passive. But students should instead be sufficiently encouraged to think for themselves about how they work and what goals they have set for themselves. That is precisely what makes this change so complex, but the benefits for both students and lecturers are enormous. And that change can only happen in a good way if students and lecturers engage in a dialogue together.'