- About BUas
- BUas 60 years!
 
# 60 Years of Pioneering beyond Borders. Episode 6: 2016-2026

 

BUas (and everything that came before) is turning 60! So, we’re diving into the archives to revisit some meaningful moments. In a series of six episodes, we’ll take a journey through six decades of history.

 

 

 

 

 

 At this point in our story, we’ve just turned 50. ‘50 Years of Excellence,’ we proudly declare in the anniversary book published in September 2016, and rightly so. So where do things stand? Read on and find out.

*‘In 2016 NHTV has 4 locations in Breda, some 7,700 students from more than 60 countries, 16 study programmes in 8 disciplines, and no less than 27,000 alumni. The connecting thread in all of NHTV’s activities is made up of the themes of cross-cultural understanding, social responsibility, imagineering and entrepreneurship. Education at NHTV is mostly delivered in English – some 13% of its students and 15% of its lecturers are from abroad. International business and cooperation – from a social and cultural perspective as well as an economic dimension – are a key focus area. The cultural mix is a fertile breeding ground for open-minded, curious and worldly-wise students!’*

And the cherry on top of the cake:

In 2015, we’re named the best university of applied sciences in the Netherlands (Keuzegids HBO) in the ‘large universities of applied sciences’ category. But being that big isn’t really what we’re after. We choose quality over quantity, and a small-scale, personal and inspiring learning environment. The campus plan fits that vision perfectly.

### Keys to the convent building

In 2017, we finally get the keys to the beautiful convent building! It is still empty, but it gets its baptism of fire straight away, when we throw open the doors to anyone who fancies a look inside during NHTV Festival Week. Students, staff, alumni, industry partners – and the neighbours too, because the campus will soon be open to everyone.

### Campus project

And that’s exactly how we approach the multi-year campus project too: together. We call it ‘Discover Your Campus’, very much in line with the ‘Discover Your World’ slogan we have been using for years to recruit students. Through Campus Labs with the architects and a roadshow across all NHTV locations in the city, we take students and staff along as we plan and make decisions. We invite the neighbours as well, along with local residents and the sisters, who have now settled into a lovely spot in the care home next to their former convent building.

Before work on the convent building really gets underway, students and staff are invited to dig up plants from the two inner gardens and take them home. Just over a year later, those once stripped-bare gardens have been transformed into two beautiful covered atria, and in September 2018 the first academies move into the convent, now renamed Horizon.

### Goodbye NHTV, hello BUas

With the new campus, we start a new chapter in our story. We say goodbye to the name NHTV and rebrand as Breda University of Applied Sciences, a name that fits our international positioning much better. NHTV becomes BUas. Blue becomes orange. But actually, every colour under the sun can be found on our new campus – diversity is key, and each academy has its own recognisable identity. Everything is designed to facilitate meetings, interaction and co-creation, and to boost vitality and creativity. Whether that is in Horizon, Frontier or Ocean (as the buildings are now called).

Just as we finally bring all our study programmes together on the campus in early 2020, something unexpected happens. The coronavirus pandemic forces us all to work from home, and teaching switches to online-only. That is obviously not quite what we had in mind with ‘All together on one inspiring campus’, but we quickly adapt and do our best to keep inspiring and motivating each other, even from a distance. And in a way, we’re already living out the ‘operating in a continuously changing world’ idea that’s about to become central to our new strategy.

### The next step

Under the inspiring leadership of Jorrit Snijder, chair of the Executive Board, BUas takes the next step. ‘Empowering young professionals on their journey to shape a better world’ becomes the new mission. Preparing students for their role as young professionals in a continuously changing world calls for something extra. Defining that ‘+’ and delivering on it becomes the heart of the new strategy. By making the most of each other’s strengths and combining them, involving our industry partners even more, and experimenting together, we are all shaping BUas+ together.

Now fully at home on campus, the BUas community keeps working hard on small-scale, high-quality education in multidisciplinary learning communities, and on a portfolio that reflects the needs of the industry. The range of master’s programmes has grown considerably, and in September 2021 a new bachelor’s programme in Applied Data Science and Artificial Intelligence gets underway.

### Research

Back in 2019, BUas already committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, working towards a sustainable, fair and inclusive society. And from 2023 onwards, the transversal themes of Sustainable Transitions and Artificial Intelligence run right through every domain, curriculum and research project, with new professorships added around these themes too.

On the research side, cross-domain collaboration has been going on for some time around the themes of Places & Flows, Experiences, and Digital Realities, and this gets underlined even further with a new vision for research and the appointment of a director of research. Innovation Square is buzzing with activity, including start-up support for graduates, and more and more labs and studios are springing up to support our practice-based research.

### AI Strategy Compass

BUas is also pioneering in AI, developing its own approach to rolling out AI across the entire organisation: the AI Strategy Compass. This puts us right at the forefront of higher education. Not just students, but also staff, colleagues from other institutions and business partners are brought along on this journey, learning how to use AI properly and responsibly in their day-to-day work.

Over all these years, we have built up a network we are active in across the globe. In 2024, a wonderful new partnership joins the mix, as we become part of KreativEU. It is a collaboration between 11 small-scale European universities, all based in historic cities. The shared goal is to transform education and research in the fields of culture, identity and heritage – in an inclusive and ambitious way, with an eye on the needs of society, both now and in the future.

### Challenges

Great new developments, but there are challenges too. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m fairly certain 2025 is going to be a challenging year for all of us. We’re facing budget cuts and a gloomy political climate. That said, I have every confidence we can take on these challenges together. After all, our greatest strength lies in our strong community, how much we care about each other, and our shared drive to create meaningful experiences – for each other and with each other,” says chair of the Executive Board Jorrit Snijder, wrapping up 2024.

With a new slogan (‘Creating Meaningful Experiences’) and an updated strategy, we are heading into the future with confidence. ‘Human-Centred and Future-Forward’ is our guiding principle. Our direction for the coming years rests on three new pillars. We prepare students for an ever-changing world and make sure they are truly future-ready: adaptable, digitally skilled and with a broad view of the world. We strengthen our position as a European Research & Development university of applied sciences, with practice-based research closely connected to education and society. And we build a caring, inclusive community where students, staff and partners feel seen, valued and supported.

And with the celebration of our 60th anniversary in 2026, we reach the end of this ‘60 Years of Pioneering Beyond Borders’ story. Curious to know where we stand today? Check out the [BUas Facts & Figures 2026](https://www.buas.nl/facts-and-figures).

**Also read:**

[Episode 1:1966-1976](https://www.buas.nl/en/news/60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders "Page - news - 60 Years of Pioneering beyond Borders INT")

[Episode 2: 1976 - 1986](https://www.buas.nl/en/news/60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-1976-1986 "Page - news - 60 Years of Pioneering beyond Borders: 1976-1986")

[Episode 3: 1986 - 1996](https://www.buas.nl/en/news/60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-3-1986-1996 "Page - news - 60 Years of Pioneering beyond Borders. Episode 3: 1986-1996")

[Episode 4: 1996 - 2006](https://www.buas.nl/en/news/60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-4-1996-2006 "Page - news - 60 Years of Pioneering beyond Borders. Episode 4: 1996 - 2006")

[Episode 5: 2006 - 2016](https://www.buas.nl/en/news/60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-5-2006-2016 "Page - news - 60 Years of Pioneering beyond Borders. Episode 5: 2006-2016")

 

 

 

    ![Nico van Ons ontvangt de sleutels van het klooster](https://www.buas.nl/sites/default/files/styles/1_1_groot_wysiwyg/public/2026-11/nico-van-os-receives-key-of-convent.jpg?h=3246df31&itok=W2IQgQDo) 

 

 

 

- [  email ](mailto:?subject=Page%20-%20news%20-%20INT%2060%20Years%20of%20Pioneering%20beyond%20Borders.%20Episode%206%3A%202016-2026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buas.nl%2Fen%2Fnews%2F60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-6-2016-2026)
- [  facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buas.nl%2Fen%2Fnews%2F60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-6-2016-2026)
- [  linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buas.nl%2Fen%2Fnews%2F60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-6-2016-2026&title=Page%20-%20news%20-%20INT%2060%20Years%20of%20Pioneering%20beyond%20Borders.%20Episode%206%3A%202016-2026)
- [  whatsapp ](https://wa.me/?text=Page%20-%20news%20-%20INT%2060%20Years%20of%20Pioneering%20beyond%20Borders.%20Episode%206%3A%202016-2026%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buas.nl%2Fen%2Fnews%2F60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-6-2016-2026)
- [  X ](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Page%20-%20news%20-%20INT%2060%20Years%20of%20Pioneering%20beyond%20Borders.%20Episode%206%3A%202016-2026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buas.nl%2Fen%2Fnews%2F60-years-of-pioneering-beyond-borders-episode-6-2016-2026)