Timo Kos to become new member of Saxion's Executive Board
Timo Kos has been appointed as a member of Saxion's Executive Board by the Supervisory Board, effective 1 January 2020. With the appointment of Kos, Saxion will have a three-person-strong Executive Board. Saxion is making the region a core focus in its strategic agenda for the next four years.
The arrival of Kos means that Saxion will be better able to connect to external events in the focus area that extends from Twente to Apeldoorn. His portfolio will include education and educational support, with Deventer as his focus area. President of the Executive Board Anka Mulder will continue with Twente as her focus area, and vice chairperson Ineke van Oldeniel’s focus area will remain Apeldoorn.
Timo Kos is currently the executive director of Delft University of Technology's Extension School, which develops education for working professionals in collaboration with the business community. Additionally, he is the director of innovation for the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Education and Learning (LDE-CEL) – the inter university and interdisciplinary research centre for educational research and lecturer professionalisation.
‘Timo Kos has a wealth of experience in dealing with educational innovations, especially those concerning the digitalisation of education. He has shown his value during a number of collaborations involving the universities in Delft, Leiden and Rotterdam as well as the universities within the SURF (Co-operative University Computing Facilities) foundation,’ emphasises Karl Dittrich, chairperson of Saxion's Supervisory Board. ‘He will play a substantial role in the further development of Saxion's educational model and the good regional connections required for it. Choosing to expand the Executive Board is also a choice to harness broader opportunities, especially considering the regional developments that we have to work together to capitalise on. The future is well and truly at our door.’
The Saxion University Council (CMR) sees the appointment of Kos as an opportunity to further shape and concretise Saxion's significant external and internal ambitions. ‘The experience Kos has in higher education and the business community can make an important contribution to the regional profile we're aiming for, as well as to innovating education at our university of applied sciences,’ explains Coen de Heer on behalf of Saxion University Council's executive committee.
What really drew me to Saxion was its future-oriented education and close collaboration with the business community and social organisations.
Kos studied history at the University of Amsterdam. The Core aspects of his career until now have been education and ensuring this education is futureproof. Kos works as Capgemini’s Consulting manager of the advisory group for education and the labour market. He also worked as an organisational adviser for institutions in university education, higher education, intermediate vocational education and secondary education. In 2013, he began working for the Delft University of Technology as the director of education and student affairs. In this role, he played a significant part in designing and implementing the TU Delft Vision on Education, the Delft Extension School and the Delft Teaching Academy. Kos is currently also a programme manager for the Zone EdTech of the 'Acceleration plan for educational innovation with ICT' of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, SURF and all universities of applied sciences and traditional universities. He has a broad network in the educational sector and significant knowledge and experience relating to open and online education.
‘What really drew me to Saxion was its future-oriented education and close collaboration with the business community and social organisations. I look forward to working on further developing the Saxion educational model and in doing so better preparing students for their future professions, thereby making a significant contribution with Saxion towards the economic development and innovation in the region,’ says Timo Kos.
Kos is no stranger to Saxion. He previously worked for the university of applied sciences as an organisational adviser, during which time he became acquainted with vice chairperson Ineke van Oldeniel. Furthermore, he worked with chairman of Saxion's Executive Board, Anka Mulder, during his time in Delft. Timo Kos, Anka Mulder and Ineke van Oldeniel will together form Saxion's Executive Board, which has locations in Enschede, Deventer and Apeldoorn. Saxion employs 2,700 members of staff and provides education to over 26,500 students.