Standards provide a level playing field

Standards in our higher education? "That still comes up far too little. And not out of unwillingness on the part of teachers," laughs Kim Willems, professor of marketing at the VUB. A case of 'what we don't know, we don't appreciate'? "Absolutely. In the not-so-distant past, I too was insufficiently informed."  

In her commercial engineering studies, Kim first came across management and quality standards. "But not much attention was paid to them then," she looks back. "My eyes only opened during a workshop held by NBN. CEO Johan Haelterman's presentation was enriching and I will never forget his metaphor about a tennis match. Only then did I really begin to realize how important it is for our students to learn more about standards."

"Standards are best practices."

While the NBN workshop was a first, important stepping stone for Kim, the results of her own research in 2020 were a real eye-opener. "Together with colleagues Michaël Dooms and Caroline Buts, I researched the strategic and economic importance of standards for the Belgian economy. That research showed with objective figures that they give a significant positive effect on labor productivity and GDP." The main reasons for companies to turn to standards? "Using standards helps to speak the same language as your suppliers and creates a level playing field. Standards also create trust. Standards are sometimes called "best practices" thanks to the committee of experts who develop the standards. They ensure that products and services are produced with better quality and at a lower cost."

Give your students an edge

The added value for a student? "For some, it is already useful while writing their master's thesis. But the day of their first application, it's a great added value anyway. Textbooks and academic literature don't teach us everything. Industry is often ahead of what appears in academic literature. Showing at your job interview that you have cheesed on standards shows that you have an affinity for the industry. That you realize what's going on in the field. It gives you, in my opinion, a significant edge over other applicants. I therefore motivate students to browse the EDU portal already. NBN's platform is free to students and it helps them stay abreast of new developments in their field."

Grass-thinking in offerings NBN

Kim is a firm believer in the added value for students. "That's why I advocate making room for knowledge building around standards in our curriculum. It will increase the quality and employability of the alumni we deliver." Doesn't that create a lot of extra work? "No, NBN gives webinars with info on this for the teachers and professors. Then NBN can come by for a guest lecture on standards. There is also the EDU portal flyer with explanations and the link to the EDU portal. So I like to encourage every colleague to browse through NBN's offerings. There you will find a lot of pleasant surprises that will get you started right away."

Standards in your course? 3 golden tips from our expert!

• Provide specific examples that fit your course content.
• Don't invent the hot water yourself. NBN offers lots of tools to help you get the message across to your students.
• Look at the broader picture. Point your students not only to Belgian standards, but also to European standards and the international ISO standards.

Want to know more?

Discover the free EDU portal.

Download the EDU portal flyer here.

Interested in a guest lecture on standards? Contact Yens Van Overloop at yens.van.overloop@nbn.be.