For the Digital Business and Innovation program, incorporating insights from seasoned practitioners is indispensable in equipping students for successful careers. Does the program adequately equip students for the demands of the professional world? Are learning objectives translated into practical skills essential in the field? The program greatly benefits from the guidance of the Advisory Board, comprising esteemed professionals such as Anneke Rijsemus, Cyber Security Manager at VGZ (DBI alumna 2010), Sophie Haverkamp, Program Director at ABN AMRO Bank (DBI alumna 2010), Birashanth Thanabalasingam, Director at Davinci Conclusion, and Tim de Koning, Director at KPMG Digital.
During the "Life After Graduation" session, the Advisory Board and four alumni engaged in discussions with students on the transition from university to the professional world. These alumni, representing diverse sectors where DBI graduates excel, include Mike van Dijk, Project manager at Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water (graduated 2013), Laura Braun, Global Product Owner Data & Analytics at Unilever (graduated 2019), Tessa Coenen, Product Manager at Vanderlande Warehousing Solutions (graduated 2021) and Karim Ridanovic , Cybersecurity Consulting Analyst at Accenture (graduated 2022). Beyond addressing the common challenges faced during this transition, the themes of the discussion included the future of 'digital' as a distinctive label, ethical dilemmas arising from technological advancements, and the importance of lifelong learning to stay relevant to the rapidly changing demands.
We are immensely grateful to our Advisory Board members and alumni for their generous sharing of expertise. Special thanks to Program Director Bart van den Hooff, Program Coordinator Maura Soekijad, and the DBI students for their challenging questions and ideas.
