We are De Haagse Hogeschool. You also know us as De Haagse, De HHs or THUAS: The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Because in addition to a large group of Dutch students and staff, the proportion of international colleagues and students is large. We are proud of that! In this way, THUAS is not only a good reflection of our city and region, but of the whole playing field in which we want to be active: the world.
Indeed, we have big goals at THUAS. We have to in this day and age. As a knowledge institution, we are responsible for delivering resourceful professionals who can contribute sustainably to the pressing social issues we face. And that is not for later. Contributing to a better world starts right away with us. Every day, students, lecturers, researchers and support staff work in co-creation with the field to create a sustainable and just world. To experience what that feels like, we take great care and attention to building and maintaining our inclusive community.
We are open to others and curious about the world around us. We invest in our professional growth by seeking knowledge beyond our own expertise and perceptions.
We are committed and help each other and the community move forward. We live, learn and work for a sustainable and just future.
We embrace diversity and stand for inclusive participation in our community. We make connections with society and seek cooperation with external partners.
Standing still is not an option at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. We are always looking ahead to how we can make even more impact for our students and society. The Institutional Plan (IP) helps us do this. In it, we set the course for the next six years; the current IP runs until 2028.
With the IP, we respond strategically and actively to current and future developments. Think of the urgent need for a cleaner and healthier world, and a fairer distribution of opportunities and possibilities. But also, for example, the growing influence of technology. Changes in our student population and their needs and expectations also play a major role, as do the expectations society and our partners have of our contribution and our graduates. The IP reflects our ever-evolving knowledge on learning, research, testing, the position of higher education, the importance of practice-based research and the connection between education, research and practice.
In the coming years, we will continue to build our knowledge institution by focusing on 5 strategic themes:
Each strategic theme has been translated into ambitions for 2028. In the video below, you can see in outline how the institution’s plan is structured.
Below is the core description of our leadership vision. This is followed by a further elaboration based on three pillars that are relevant for every leader. The emphasis may vary depending on the context, the team, and the role.
We invite leaders to be aware of their own preferred style while at the same time demonstrating style flexibility. Good leadership requires the ability to switch between different approaches in attitude and behavior. One situation may call for more results-oriented leadership, while another may require a development-focused or connecting approach. The conscious and purposeful ability to alternate between the three pillars and apply them at the right moments is what The Hague University of Applied Sciences considers good leadership.
Connecting leadership
Results-oriented leadership
Development-oriented leadership
As a leader at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, you work in a vision-oriented manner and create a stimulating, results-oriented and inclusive environment that revolves around high-quality education and research. You inspire and facilitate your team to get the best out of themselves. Together with your team and others, you work on the foundation of mutual trust and professional responsibility to create a culture in which quality, innovation and learning are central. You embody good employment practices, take responsibility, demonstrate courage and style flexibility in different contexts. Reflection, openness and a curious attitude characterize your leadership. You encourage feedback and help each other move forward with a continuous focus on development.
You facilitate a professional culture with a focus on quality, innovation, mutual trust and learning. You embrace diversity en stimulate participation within an inclusive and safe culture.
Together, you ensure that everyone feels welcome. You embody good employment practices and utilize the expertise of others. You ensure the connection between education and research is at the center. You and your team actively seek connections with the professional field and society and collaborate with other teams, internal partners* and external partners. Together you create opportunities for personal development. Through your involvement, you help each other move forward and work together toward sustainable societal progress.
* Like the participation council and the connection education and research
You posses strategic skills, affinity with the content and work transparently and vision-oriented. Based on that vision, you provide direction, set realistic goals, show courage, engage your team and achieve results. In your decision-making and actions, you work determinedly toward sustainable societal progress while keeping in mind: “How does this benefit our students and society?”. You create space for different perspectives within and between teams and ensure understandable and transparent decision-making based on fairness and integrity. Thanks to your agility and decisiveness, you make appropriate adjustments and respond effectively to internal and external changes within THUAS.
This stimulates your team’s ability to change and encourages them to work together to achieve sustainable progress step by step.
You lead by example, you are visible, identify qualities and have the ability to reflect (on oneself). You use your style flexibility in relation to your colleagues, situations, approach and communication. You encourage personal leadership to ensure employees take initiative, ownership and demonstrate self-reliance, curiosity and solution-oriented skills. This allows your employees to make the most of their talents and qualities to achieve joint and personal development. You build a feedback culture in which giving and receiving feedback is self-evident and where there is space to learn from both successes and setbacks. In this way you strengthen professional responsibility and continuous development – with an eye for the well-being and resilience of your team(s).