Apply Sustainability

Do you want to contribute to the energy transition? Do you want to help local businesses to achieve their sustainable goals? This course teaches you to work together to come up with new, green ideas and make a difference in how companies operate. It's all about using science and creativity to protect our planet.

About the exchange programme

In our programme Apply Sustainability you will learn to work with technical systems and/or design logistical innovations that contribute to issues surrounding the energy transition. Consider themes such as:

- Energy Systems;
- Hydrogen Technology;
- Circular Design of products, processes and systems;
- Supply Chain Management in relation to sustainability.

You apply this knowledge in practice by working together with local businesses on challenging projects in the field of sustainability. Consider issues surrounding energy consumption, (re)use of raw materials or optimization of (logistics) processes.

Why this programme?

Teaches how to create eco-friendly solutions in energy and resource use.
Offers hands-on projects with local businesses to practice green innovations.
Encourages teamwork in designing sustainable products and improving supply chains.

More about Apply Sustainability

Teamwork; within the programme your work in a team that we call a Community for Design, compiled of students, coaches, researchers and the client.
Multidisciplinary; in these communities you work together with people from different disciplines, like informatics, engineering and logistics.
Innovative solutions; together you try to design and develop innovative solutions for business challenges of companies in the region of Venlo.
Learn by doing; you learn by doing, because you constantly apply your knowledge in real life and exciting projects.

Courses

The total workload for this programme is 30 European Credits, duration is 1 semester. After the first phase of the programme students delve deeper into curtain aspects according to their own interest. Students choose in which combination they would like to do an assessment. This is guided in a Personal Professional Identity learning path. The project is mandatory (20 ECTS), and additional, students can select two courses (of 5 ECTS each) to complete the programme.

The module Wind- & Solar energy will focus on the role of wind energy together with solar energy in the energy transition worldwide. A research will show what the world situation is nowadays and where we are heading to in the near future. Also very interesting is to look at how both wind- and solar energy is produced and collected on earth. What are the different systems and what are the working principles.

This module "Design for Sustainability" focuses on the design of sustainable products and how they can contribute to a better world. This involves making sustainable choices in design, materials, and the production process. The student will need to delve into analysis tools and explore sustainable alternatives in materials and processes. Subsequently, the student will be able to analyse an existing product, draw conclusions from this analysis, and propose a sustainable design. The knowledge gained from the lessons, practical skills, and insights can be applied in the project. The student will need to pragmatically generate proposals for the final outcome: a sustainable (improved) product.

As a professional approximating your employment career, you need to be able to oversee and comprehend end-to-end supply chains from the sustainable perspective. In addition, you must be able to improve these supply chains based upon factualknowledge and arguments. This, adhering to relevant developments in both external markets and amongst the players of the supply chain in question.

The module Hydrogen Technology will focuses on the role hydrogen can play in the energy transition. We will mainly focus on decentralized systems, ranging from electrolysers and fuel cell stacks to internal combustion engines running on hydrogen. System design, integration and control will be important aspects, but also safety and other standards will be addressed.

The project element aims to provide an experience of multi-disciplinary integration within a complex design project. -In the project students will have the opportunity to:

- Gain experience of the complexities of multi and interdisciplinary working.

- Broaden their knowledge of disciplines on the periphery of their main study.

- Gain or further their experience of generating and developing conceptual ideas in the field of sustainability.

- Analyse and evaluate design concepts against established criteria.

- Work as part of an integrated team developing a product or system

- Define product or energy system specifications based on user and situation analysis.

- Develop product or system design solutions meeting established performance criteria

- Research and evaluate a relevant study topic.

Admission requirements

For this exchange programme we have the following admission requirements:

English level: equivalent to IELTS 6.0;
Foundation year should be rounded off and preferably affinity with engineering and logistics.

How will your course programme be recognised by your home university?

Fontys will provide you with a so-called ‘Transcript of Records’, which will clarify the results that you have achieved. Depending on your results, you will receive a maximum of 30 ECTS credits. ECTS credits are recognised throughout Europe. The agreement between your home university and Fontys University of Applied Sciences will usually include a condition whereby the credits that you obtain will be recognised and transferred into the records kept by your home university.

Practical information

Start moment(s): February
Location: Venlo
ECTs: 30
Language: English
Duration: 1 semester

Applications should always be submitted via the International Exchange (or Erasmus) Officer at the home university. This officer will send your application request (nomination) to Fontys. Once Fontys has received the nomination, your Fontys study department will send you a link to a web application called Mobility Online. Please take a look here to see how it works.

If you want to come as a freemover, we also need your university to send us a nomination e-mail. Once we have received this we will send you our application information.
As a freemover the fees are €75 per ECTS. If you are not sure if your university is a partner of Fontys Venlo University of Applied Sciences, the international office of your home university can tell you more about this.

Deadlines

Spring semester:

Nomination deadline November 1st

Application deadline November 15th

Fall semester:

Nomination deadline May 1st

Application deadline May 15th

For more information concerning the start date, please get in touch with the contact person of the study department of the concerned exchange programme.

English language requirements

For most English taught exchange programmes a minimum level of English language proficiency of CEFR* B2 or an equivalent of IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 is required. However there might be programmes where a higher level is required and submitting evidence might be necessary.

For more detailed information about practical matters, such as financial matters, residence permit, health insurance and accommodation, please click on the button below.

More information on practical matters

Doing a study abroad most certainly means a lot of excitement and perhaps also a bit of anxiety. Getting used to everything may be a challenge at times. You may have language difficulties or be unfamiliar with certain aspects of life in the Netherlands and at the university.

We receive around 100 international exchange students each semester. To give them a warm welcome into Dutch culture and at our campus, the International Office has set up a buddy programme. A buddy is a Fontys bachelor student who is familiar with the campus and who can give practical help with administrative systems, timetables etc. They know their way around the city of Venlo and can also help students to better understand Dutch traditions and habits and feel at home real soon!

What else can students expect from a buddy? A buddy will:

- meet you at the Venlo train station and accompany you to your room.

- help you get settled during the first weeks by answering practical questions related to living in Venlo and by showing you around town.

- help you with questions about campus life, teaching styles, campus set-up, how to prepare for exams, etc.

- help you with practical questions such as how to print documents, how to get connected to Wi-Fi, get acquainted with the Fontys portal, etc.

- introduce you to Dutch culture.

- be able to join you during social activities.

The programme seeks to give students the best possible start to their study abroad in Venlo and at our campus!

Location and contact

Venlo

Tegelseweg 255

: fhtenl-studyabroad@fontys.nl