Desk research, qualitative and quantitative research for theVan Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (
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Education is constantly changing. This means that Van Hall Larenstein regularly reviews its portfolio of courses and asks the labor market to contribute ideas. This raises questions such as:

• What trends and developments are occurring within the sector that we, as a university of applied sciences, can and should respond to?
• Do our programs (still) meet the needs of the professional field and students?
• What competencies are required in the field?
• How attractive are we as a university of applied sciences to potential students?
• What areas for improvement and quick wins do our stakeholder groups identify?

Desk research, qualitative research, and quantitative research

We started this research by conducting desk research into developments and trends in demographics and the green sector. Subsequently, in-depth interviews were conducted with internal stakeholders and contacts from the field by a senior moderator. During these interviews, we focused on the role that Van Hall Larenstein can play in the field and the gaps between the wishes and demands of the field and the current range of courses on offer. We also ran a three-day online community with 16 students to find out about their educational needs. The results of the community were quantified in an online questionnaire among more than 300 potential students (senior general secondary education and pre-university education students).

“We believe it is extremely important to establish and maintain a lasting connection with all our stakeholders. Markteffect us for years in multiple areas to continuously test, assess, and refine this connection. Whether it concerns image and brand awareness research, market potential and portfolio research, or testing scenarios for our master's programs, Markteffect employees Markteffect always ready and respond very effectively. Few words are needed to achieve maximum results."
Emiel van den Bosch, Policy, Marketing & Communication Department

What did the research reveal?

The insights gained from this study have provided Van Hall Larenstein with guidance for making decisions about the structure of its bachelor's portfolio, both now and in the near future. In addition, the results have been used to improve the information provided to potential students.