Four Erasmus University students have been recently named Stanford University Innovation Fellows, following a six-week training focused in design thinking. Their training aims to develop and support existing innovation and entrepreneurship ventures on campus.
This year, Erasmus students Anisha de Vries, Nick Tennekes, Ramzi Abdulkadir- Ahmed and Teodora Comanescu were selected and took part in the program. The application and selection process started with the help of the Community for Learning and Innovation (CLI) back in April 2020. During the summer, they received news of their acceptance as Erasmus University’s first UIF cohort and were all excited to get to work when the training started at the beginning of September.
The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program empowers students to become agents of change at their schools. Fellows work to ensure that all students gain the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to navigate a complex world and build the future. These student leaders from schools around the globe create opportunities to help their peers build the creative confidence, agency, and entrepreneurial mindset needed to address global challenges. The program is run by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). With the addition of the new Fellows, the program has trained more than 2,600 students since its creation.
The fellows worked together with their Faculty Champion, Mijke Slot, in completing the training. The Faculty Champion plays an important role in connecting the students with relevant stakeholders on campus and providing assistance during the training and in the projects the Fellows will develop. “It was a packed six weeks, in which we worked together closely to analyse the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem of our university and to see what opportunities are out there. We have learnt that amazing opportunities already exist and there is room for plenty more growth to benefit all Erasmus students- we are excited to get to work to put what we have learned into practice”, says Teodora after finishing the program.
For the rest of the year, these four students, alongside their faculty champion and the CLI, aim to enrich the innovation and entrepreneurship landscape of Erasmus University. "Now that we have finished our training, we hope to create a platform for student innovation initiatives, big or small, to continue to improve the university and its impact - both within and outside of the campus borders.”, says Anisha.
The Fellows and their Faculty Champion are looking forward to the rest of the year and the projects on the horizon. They would love to hear from you about any questions you may have, or even better, any ideas you would like to see them pursue! Feel free to reach out to them at their student emails:
