New online platform Learning with the City
Learning with the City, a partnership between the Municipality of Leiden, Leiden University and University of Applied Sciences Leiden, has a new online platform. Learning with the City aims to use knowledge and expertise from higher education to solve social issues in Leiden. The platform will help students, researchers and lecturers come in contact with local organisations.
The Learning with the City (in Dutch) website provides information on the project and its goals, partners, activities and news. The different target groups of the project – students, lecturers, researchers and local organisations – can read about previous projects and find information on how to participate, as either an organisation with a question or a lecturer, student or researcher.
For students, the city provides a rich learning environment: they gain experience outside the lecture hall and tackle a real-life social problem. This is valuable for them because they acquire and practise new skills. It also fosters active citizenship and greater social awareness and involvement.
For lecturers, these real-life issues can add another dimension to their courses, giving students the opportunity to integrate theory with practice. Learning with the City provides a network that brings them into contact with local organisations with issues that need to be tackled. Lecturers can also gain inspiration from previous Learning with the City projects.
The Learning with the City network may also prove useful for researchers. Their knowledge and research can have a local impact and help solve social issues.
Local organisations, such as the Municipality and health organisations, can submit a project to Learning with the City and thus benefit from the knowledge present at the University and University of Applied Sciences.