Developing transition experts: the HVHL approach

"If you really want to make an impact, you need to also be able to supervise the transition process. That requires competencies such as empathy, openness and courage, but also an eye for social benefits."

PAUL VAN EIJK

Lecturer Sustainable Water in the Environment Act Programme leader Water Board Vallei and Veluwe Developing transition experts: the HVHL approach In order to maximise our impact on the transitions, we have adopted the 'HVHL approach'. With this approach, we develop transition experts who have a unique, professional and global perspective, feeling at ease in the international playing field. We distinguish four types of skills of transition experts:

1. Professional skills: An HVHL graduate has the professional knowledge needed, understands how ecosystems function, masters analytical techniques (in the field and labs), knows the dynamics of the problems and the best practices for solutions.

This involves knowledge of the problems, the required transitions and the coherence between the transitions. We share this professional knowledge within and between our courses.

2. Social skills: An HVHL employee is able to work based on cross-cultural cooperation, recognise and connect different interests, and build integrative solutions on this basis. That is why we select multidisciplinary projects to tackle together: in the regions of our locations and with our international cooperation partners.

3. Economic skills: High ideals can go hand in hand with solid business models. An HVHL'er understands that anyone who wants to make a sustainable contribution to transitions must also be able to keep a business afloat in the longer term. The major transitions will only succeed if the market and the consumer participate. That is why we need to be able to speak that language.

4. Personal skills: Achieving transitions requires perseverance, openness, courage and resilience, which can be summoned only if the motivation is strong. HVHL'ers are experts who have their hearts in the right place, keep their heads up, and have both feet on the ground. This way, we connect with what everyone is doing it for.