Wiro Kuipers started as a coordinator at EnschedeLab. The UT alumnus, who is also active as an entrepreneur in Enschede, will step in when the EnschedeLab enters a new phase.

The EnschedeLab, which started in 2017, is a partnership between four educational institutions and the municipality of Enschede. The collaboration focuses on solving issues that arise in the city, for example in citizens’ initiatives and neighborhood councils. The city of Enschede forms a unique learning environment of the future for students, teachers and researchers. On the other hand, the municipality has access to fresh thinking power from students, the citizens of the future.

Since the start, two successful pilots have been run. Phase 2 will start in the spring of 2020, in which the further development, deepening, strengthening and broadening of the EnschedeLab is central.

Second stage
The goals for the second phase are to make better use of knowledge and brainpower in solving social issues and to increase the social awareness of students, lecturers and researchers, so that the educational institutions can structurally make a greater social contribution. The Enschede community is also involved in this. For example, a menu will be made, with activities that are aimed at social issues in the city and that are open to students, employees, entrepreneurs, social organizations and/or citizens.

Education module
From September 2020, students can participate in a joint education module, in the form of a minor or elective module. In this joint educational module, students from senior secondary vocational education, higher professional education and university education work together to devise new solutions for a social problem.