Annual Report: good results despite lack of contact

7 Jun 2021 11:45 | Communication

The year 2020 was a difficult one due to the corona restrictions. The lack of real contact took its toll on students and employees. However, some good results were achieved in the midst of this. You can read about them in the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences’ (AUAS) annual report for 2020, which was published today.

Thanks to the efforts of lecturers and experts in the fields of ICT and didactics, most of the education at AUAS managed to move online. Student assistants were deployed to help reduce the workload for teaching staff. However, students and staff struggled due to the lack of personal contact. The flip side of this situation is that lecturers and ICT colleagues have gained tremendous knowledge and experience of online education in a short time frame. This knowledge will serve as a foundation for the ongoing development of blended education.

The percentage of students graduating (within four years after the start of the main phase of their programme) remained stable at 62%, which is comparable to previous years. Some 6,811 students obtained their Associate degree, Bachelor's or Master's degree. Lecturers worked on strengthening the quality of education at AUAS, within the framework of the quality agreements.

It was a challenge to conduct research in 2020, but the situation also offered new opportunities for research related to corona. For example, AUAS received a grant for research into the use of public spaces in the 1.5-metre society. In total, AUAS research grants totalled some 14.6 million euros in 2020.

The extra costs due to corona are partly absorbed by the investments made by the government within the framework of the National Education Programme (NPO).