Goals

Education

The Academic Development and Skills Unit plays a central role in the Bachelor Programme by facilitating multiple practical learning lines. With our expertise in small-group, practice-oriented education we train students’ academic and research skills as well as their professional and interpersonal communication skills. We connect students with other students and with faculty members through Academic Learning Communities to foster their active learning, critical reflection and ownership of their academic development and career. Our mission is to foster students’ academic growth, enhance their employability, and contribute to their overall success and retention within the program.

Another core activity of the team is training students didactic and coaching skills and managing group dynamics. This gives them the opportunity to participate in the academic community and supervise small groups in skills courses in years 1 and 2. Within the Coaching Platform, students can be coached and also gain practical experience as coaches themselves. To support international students, we organize the Buddy Project.
We are also responsible for teacher professionalisation and offer train-the-trainer courses to prepare Phd students and other staff members to supervise Academic Skills, Research Practicum and Bachelor thesis groups. 

Research

The research conducted within Academic Development and Skills is embedded in the following broader BSS themes: 

• A large part of the research conducted within our team is focused on themes related to Learning and development,  such as peer mentoring, student performance, student engagement and development, skills training, and internationalization, intercultural competence, educational innovations, learning communities, student well-being and inclusion, developmental psychology, talent development and learning strategies.
• Some team members conduct research on topics related to health and well-being, such as positive health perceptions, coping with physical mental and social challenges, promoting health in a broad sense, student well-being, and talent development, burnout and body dissatisfaction.
• Other team members conduct research related to Working and collaborating, such as team dynamics, conflict management, leadership, performance, cognitive style, motivation, motivated reasoning, creativity and  innovation in organisations, power and leadership.