Q&A with Client Organisations: What makes PRINS so valuable for your organisation?
During PRINS 2018, thirty teams comprising 426 of Leiden University’s 3rd year International Studies students participated in consultancy projects presented by Starbucks, Google, OECD and Commonland and returning organisations Transparency International and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What’s in it for the international businesses, governmental and non-governmental organisations that have discovered in PRINS a new resource for their burning issues? Representatives from three of this year’s organisations, OECD, Commonland and Starbucks weighed in on why PRINS is significant for them.
This year, PRINS touched upon a broad variety of ‘wicked questions’ from climate change to digitisation, from soil degradation to migration, from recycling to recovery for victims of corruption, these cases challenged our students to quickly begin to think, collaborate, and research at a high level. PRINS is the ultimate ‘capstone project’, effectively preparing them to enter the job market or to go on to a research-based master programme. (To see where our alumni are now, take a look at bit.ly/Alumni-Dreams!). What do first time participants OECD, Commonland and Starbucks have to say about their PRINS experience? We asked them!
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Patrick Love
Patrick Love, who acts as Advisor to the Office of the Secretary General OECD, witnessed the team pitches for the organisation’s case. OECD operates in 35 nations; its mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
When asked what added value do International Studies and Humanities students bring to your case? He replied: The answer is in the name. The fact that it’s international corresponds to the OECD’s insistence on comparing country experiences to learn from each other’s successes and failures. I was impressed by this aspect of the work the project teams submitted. That international evidence-based approach is central to how the OECD tackles issues, but studying the humanities allows you to see that there are different kinds of evidence that need to be taken into account.
Annelies Sewell, from the Science and Education department at Commonland, was on hand to help jury the pitches of student teams. Commonland is a foundation putting soil remediation science into practical action. Its mission is to create an investable large-scale landscape restoration industry – aligned with international guidelines and policies – in close cooperation with experts and existing initiatives, with an approach based on a sustainable business model.
We asked Annelies what it was like to work with International Studies students in comparison to busines school students, to which se replied: At Commonland, we work in an international environment with many stakeholders, where the local context defines the success of a project. We predominantly work with business studies students or those in the environmental sciences. International Studies and Humanities students look at things from a different perspective, a more holistic perspective. Given that at Commonland we look beyond just financial returns from landscape restoration, to include return of natural capital, social capital and return of inspiration, this is a unique and important view to take into account.
Susanne Folkerts is the Project Manager Sustainability EMEA Supply Chain for Starbucks, a company that likely needs no introduction. Susanne was on hand to judge the PRINS team pitches on the Starbucks case.
When asked what attracted you to working with Leiden University BA students to solve your case? She replied: In the first instance, the fact that I know Leiden University attracts a bright and diverse pool of students from many different countries. What then got me hooked was the pitch and presentation by Sarita (Koendjbiharie). I was especially interested in the fact that the study was focusing on some of the main drivers behind sustainability behaviours (history, culture, economics & politics)