Mirroring the Re/search activities, our Educational activities target both the internal VU Amsterdam student and teaching communities, as well as larger national and international academic and corporate communities.
The focus of such activities is on both raising awareness as well as providing inspiration to educate, learn and (re)search, connected with the VU Amsterdam identity.
On 20 May 2026, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam hosted the UNESCO Symposium We Shall Overcome: Building Inner Peace and Hope, bringing together roughly 150 participants - UNESCO Chairs, academics, policymakers, students, high school students, artists and community partners, around a single question: how can peace and hope be rebuilt together in a world marked by polarization, conflict and uncertainty? The symposium was organized by the UNESCO Chair on Cross-Cultural Sustainability together with the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO and a broad coalition of university and community partners.
View the full report of the symposium
On May 14, 2025, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam proudly hosted the international symposium “Be the Change”, in collaboration with the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO and the Aurora Network.
The event brought together students, researchers, policymakers and UNESCO Chairs from the Netherlands and around the world. Together, they explored how education, science, culture and diplomacy can help build a more peaceful and fair society.
View the full report of the symposium.
This symposium ‘Cross-Cultural Sustainability’ (CCS) is the 23rd symposium in an annual SERVUS series at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), a meeting place for students and professionals to strengthen the cross-cultural link between theory, business and society. This time it is a special edition, aligned with the launch of the UNESCO Chair ‘Cross Cultural Sustainability’ established at VU in 2023. The world is changing rapidly. The 24/7 organization calls for a sustainable leader, a leader who is a community builder, an active listener, a mentor or executive coach who is able to reconcile across cultures. How to be a compassioned motivator for your employees, your students, your coachees, or your customers across cultures? Renowned guest speakers will discuss cross-cultural issues in a historical perspective. Unesco symposium program (Testimonials keynote speakers) (Testimonials workshops) (Photos) (Video)
Tuesday 23 May 2023, 15:30-17:45 hrs Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
We live in a decade of cumulating global crises. Global sustainability issues in health, war, finance, and climate affect us all, no matter your job, education, the colour of your skin, your age, gender or societal status. At the same time these global crises made social inequality and the cultural gap more transparent. Health, social and economic fabric and life safety are at stake in particular among underprivileged and vulnerable citizens worldwide. During this symposium we will highlight research projects aligned with these issues and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Companies, NGOs and and educational organizations are facing a series of sustainabilty dilemmas. More often these dilemmas touch on social justice and human rights issues.
This 21th symposium ‘We Shall Overcome’ is about leadership in times of crisis. The roaring twenties only just begun. The Covid-19 crisis affects us all, no matter your job, education, the colour of your skin, your age, gender or societal status. At the same time this pandemic makes social inequality and the cultural gap more transparent. Health, social and economic fabric and life safety are at stake in particular among underprivileged and vulnerable citizens worldwide. We are delighted this symposium brings together cutting-edge thinkers Gunjan Joshi, Paresh Wankhade, Harky Klinefelter and Jasmine Chang-Howe. The speakers shed light on the gentle art of serving and leading in times of crisis, and how inspiring leaders can bridge the gap between cultures and the underprivileged members in society, to unlock their potential. Cross-cultural awareness where every human being counts. Or, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King jr.: “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve". The symposium is gratefully empowered by the VUvereniging.
This 20th symposium ‘We Shall Overcome’ is about leadership in times of crisis; dr. King’s approach revisited. The roaring twenties only just begun. The Covid-19 crisis affects us all, no matter your job, education, the colour of your skin, your age, gender or societal status. On top of this, the remote challenges of day-to-day virtual communication across cultures are unprecedented. Todays pandemic makes social inequality and the cultural gap more transparent. Health, social and economic fabric and life safety are at stake in particular among underprivileged and vulnerable citizens worldwide. We are delighted this symposium brings together cutting-edge thinkers Mzamo Mangaliso, Svetlana Khapova, Theresa Sigillito Hollema and Milton de Sousa, co-chaired by Sylvia van de Bunt and Fons Trompenaars. The speakers shed light on the gentle art of serving and leading in times of crisis, and how inspiring leaders can bridge the gap between cultures and the underprivileged members in society, to unlock their potential. Cross-cultural awareness where every human being counts. Or, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." The symposium is gratefully empowered by the VUvereniging.
SERVUS symposium 26 May 2021.pdf
This 19th annual SERVUS-VU symposium ‘Mentoring in Cross-Cultural Communities’ of May 18th 2020 created an online meeting place for MSc students, mentors and practitioners to strengthen the link between theory, business and society. Worldwide, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, there is a call for a compassionate leader, who is a community builder, an active listener, and a mentor able to reconcile high-tech versus high-touch. Inspiring keynotes by Prof. Sharda Nandram and Prof. Fons Trompenaars and dialogue shed light on the gentle art of serving and leading, chaired by Sylvia van de Bunt. One of the 4 parallel workshops ‘Giving Back mentoring practice’ was led by Malika Ouacha, program manager Giving Back Students Community (SGBC). Zoom host: Rodrigo Martinez Romero, see picture. The event was empowered by the Cloverleaf Foundation and the VU School of Business and Economics.
This symposium ‘Mentoring in cross-cultural communities’ is the 18th in an annual SERVUS symposium series. How to be a mentor, steward or motivator for your employees, your mentees, and your customers across cultures? How can executives in their mentorship role give back to society? Renowned keynote speakers highlighted the state-of-the-art in cross-cultural mentoring research, the emancipation of refugee communities through mentoring and dilemma reconciliation. Guest of honour was Mpho Tutu van Furth, co-founder of #I Too mentoring initiative, www.mphotutuvanfurth.com, http://www.itoowomen.com
Programme
Available presentations:
Introduction
Keynote Children of Refugees in Education
Workshop TCS Mentoring through online Communities
Workshop Giving Back
Education 4 you
Symposium Mentoring Dilemmas summary + The dilemmas of coaching
The corporate world is changing rapidly under the pressures of new technologies. Social media are part of everyday life at work. Cross-cultural (mis)understanding is influenced by diverse perceptions of e.g. time, trust, privacy, and language clues. These conditions may hinder remote workers in building trusted long-term working communities in which they feel a sense of belonging. This 24/7 workplace calls for a compassioned leader, a leader who is a community builder, able to reconcile high-tech versus high-touch. At this symposium dilemmas in platform organizations Booking.com and Uber were highlighted. In one of the Workshops participants experienced reconciliation of cross-cultural dilemmas through online tools. In particular the Mergers &Acquisition App and the Culture for Business App demonstrated the online stewardship potential in cross-cultural collaboration. In a parallel Workshop digital nomadism was addressed, as an emerging and novel independent working culture. See enclosed program overview.
We are delighted this 16th event in an annual symposium series, brings together cutting-edge thinkers and practitioners across disciplines, leveraging the global human needs to learn, serve and lead in their unique way. Or like Ricardo Semler, champion of the employee-friendly radical corporate democracy and CEO of Semco Partners argues: “Once employees feel challenged, invigorated and productive, their efforts will naturally translate into profit and growth for the organisation.” Servant-Leaders nurture organizational practices to promote such work. This symposium will include case studies, keynote presentations and a plenary debate to shed light on the gentle art of serving and leading, and how leaders can acknowledge and develop meaningfulness at work.
Programme
Presentation Semco Partners
Student blog presentation
This symposium was the 15th in an annual symposium series, a meeting place for students and professionals to strengthen the link between theory and business practice. The event explored the power of societal engagement; how can leaders create an organization in service of the employees, customers and society at large?
Servant-leaders help create a corporate social responsible culture where employees perceive their work as meaningful. Societal consciousness is more and more important nowadays and is given focus not only by universities but by companies as well. Increasingly, companies plan to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some major SDG steps are taken by business leaders working towards a sustainable future. Corporate engagement to humanize underserved groups will not only bring social justice in society, it will also improve the internal working climate for employees.
What can we learn from societal engaged business stories in Africa, the Middle East and beyond? How can leaders become powerful engines of organizational and societal progress?
Available presentations
Programme and available presentations
Programme and available presentations
Photo impressions and Photo album
Programme and available presentations
Programme, photos, and available presentations
Programme and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos and available presentations
Programme, photos, Avenir Article and Nieuwe Leiders Article
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