Partnership with AUAS builds on Business Clinic success

Northumbria University’s partnership with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) is set to take an already successful consultancy service run by business students to new heights.

The recently announced partnership in the Netherlands establishes a campus presence for Northumbria in Europe, with UK-accredited degrees taught at AUAS and opportunities for both universities to collaborate on areas including research, exchange programmes and summer schools.

Collaboration has also just been agreed for students from the Amsterdam School of International Business at AUAS, and Newcastle Business School’s Business Clinic at Northumbria, to work together.

Anoesjka Timmerman, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship at the Amsterdam School of International Business, confirmed the arrangement during a visit to the Business Clinic to see how students work in teams to provide free consultancy advice to clients.

Kirk Dodds, Lecturer in Marketing from Newcastle Business School, said: “We were delighted to welcome Anoesjka to the Business Clinic, especially as it was on the day our students were making final presentations to their clients as part of their degrees. Clinic-based learning like this can really enhance the learning and employability of our students – values clearly shared with the Amsterdam School of International Business.

“The outstanding quality and experience that Anoesjka’s team bring to this style of business education means we can enrich the learning experience for students from both institutions even further. It is an exciting opportunity to truly collaborate and provide a new kind of opportunity for students and academics to learn from each other and make a profound contribution to the wider world.”

Both Northumbria and AUAS already run very successful business clinics in which students learn about business theory and practice through providing free, real, professionally supervised, assistance to business and other organisations with consultancy on their challenges and opportunities. From February 1st next year students and staff from both universities will be working together in Amsterdam to provide business consultancy to companies from the UK, Netherlands and beyond.  One of the primary goals will be to provide real benefit to companies based in the UK who are seeking to expand their European reach.