Why the University of the North?

To utilize our combined expertise to create broad prosperity in the Northern Netherlands. And inspire the rest of the Netherlands and whole world with our solutions. This is why the University of the North exists (UvhN). To achieve these objectives we will be working together with partners on solutions to the transition challenges.

Based on the conviction that together we will be able to achieve what we cannot achieve separately, the five Northern knowledge institutions are intensively working together in the fields of teaching, research, and innovation. Through unique collaboration with the business community and societal organizations, our research, teaching, and innovation stimulates transitions in our region. We bundle existing knowledge, develop new knowledge and create practical applications: we discover, know, make, and do!

Impact

By joining forces and presenting ourselves to the outside world under one banner, we create more impact than we could on our own. Together, we are also a stronger discussion partner for government and industry, we provide more appealing education for students, and we are a versatile collaboration partner for national and international knowledge institutions.

By integrating the developed knowledge into our daily practice we also give the teaching and research programmes of the individual knowledge institutions a boost.

Ambitions

The University of the North has the following ambitions:

• We promote focused collaboration between northern knowledge institutions to create impact in the following key areas: the energy transition, the circular economy, public health, and digitization.
• We reinforce the northern innovation ecosystem in a sustainable way.
• We boost the visibility and appeal of the Northern region as the top place to study, live, and work.
• We train enough qualified employees for the region.
• We intensify knowledge in companies and institutions.
• We strive to increase the regional spread of innovation facilities while optimizing their use.
• From our knowledge position, we help set up, grow, and guide start-ups and scale-ups, using targeted research.
• We attract external funding to make more innovation possible,

using a joint approach:

• We take the Northern Netherlands regional innovation strategy (RIS3) (in Dutch) as a starting point.
• We focus on our Knowledge Agenda and translate it to joint initiatives.
• We take on an active and central role within the innovation ecosystem. by placing topics on the agenda, identifying, connecting, and boosting.
• We work together to strengthen a future-proof human capital.
• We increase the appeal of the region through an innovative knowledge cluster.
• We stimulate innovation in society and the business community.
• We develop field labs and campuses.
• We further develop the northern start-up ecosystem.

Broad collaboration

Our collaboration transcends the boundaries of the affiliated knowledge institutions. We promote collaboration between various knowledge areas and sectors, and between the government, the business community, and knowledge institutions. Our aim is to achieve a stronger range of teaching and research programmes, which will allow us to increase the impact of teaching and research on society.

Initially, we will focus on the Northern Netherlands region. Because themes such as the energy transition, the circular economy, public health, and digitization are obviously not unique to our region, we actively share the knowledge we have acquired with national and international partners.

Internationally visible

By strengthening the knowledge infrastructure and the connections between fundamental and practice-oriented research, we have become a player to be reckoned with both in a national and international context, as well as an attractive collaboration partner for international institutions. We want to put the Northern Netherlands even more firmly on the map on a European level as an innovative knowledge and learning region.

More information

Would you like to know more about the mission, vision, objectives, and ambitions of the University of the North? Please take a look at our Framework Memorandum (in Dutch) and our Knowledge Agenda (English version will be available shortly).