On Thursday December 7, the Erasmus Hub! Rotterdam was officially opened. Dozens of people gathered at the pop-up location on the Nassaukade to experience the new space and celebrate its opening. In the coming years, this will be the place for active and creative education and put its focus on impact-driven education and engagement with the city.
Erasmus Hub! Rotterdam
The Hub! is a project of the innovation program Impact at the Core and Erasmus University Rotterdam. Erasmus Hub! Rotterdam director Daniƫl van Vliet explains that Impact at the Core works to implement impact-driven education. In impact-driven education, students are challenged to work with stakeholders and work on schools of thought and solutions for social issues to make a positive contribution to society. "We quickly found that this kind of education requires new ways of working: more creative and flexible. That is why we started looking at the opportunities for a more flexible space," Van Vliet says. The Hub! is 660 square meters and consists of a large open space and smaller project spaces. The location has creative materials and a flexible, adaptable interior that can be deployed according to the needs of the education. "In this space, we will experiment with more active and creative learning and work on impact and engagement with the city." The Erasmus Hub! Rotterdam is available to all departments and faculties of the EUR.
Opening
During the opening, guests were able to experience these active and creative ways of working. At different stations in the space, they worked on small creative activities, where stickers could be collected to receive an exclusive opening present at the end of the afternoon. At the stations, for example, people created their Rotterdam of 2050, brainstormed freely on statements where only "yes, and..." could be used, and meditated briefly in the designated space before getting creative and active again. In addition, students were present to share how they have already experienced the Hub! during the 'Impact Space' minor.
The Hub! will house interdisciplinary and impact-driven education and engagement events in collaboration with city partners. Finally, Van Vliet adds, "We can be proud that the university now bridges the gaps and has such a connecting and inspiring location in the middle of the city."
Want to know more? Do you have ideas, a great (educational) activity with an impact component and want to learn more about opportunities at the Hub? Click here to find out more and for our contact information.
Please note: Without a scheduled class, appointment, or activity, it is not possible to visit the Erasmus Hub! Rotterdam. There are no study areas available. Currently, the Hub! is located in an older building, with no elevator but only stairs, which unfortunately limits accessibility.