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"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together"
As the digital transformation manager at Graafschap College, Monique Mulders has a deeply rooted belief in collaboration. “Seeking each other out, strengthening one another, and moving forward together—that is my guiding principle,” she says. The sense of community that the Eastern part of the Netherlands is known for, the concept of 'naoberschap', seamlessly aligns with her vision: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’.
Monique's mindset is reflected in her work. In it, she emphasises the importance of working together, both within her own MBO institution and with other educational institutions and organisations. And that in turn fits very well with Graafschap College, where Together. Learn. Share. are the key words.
Monique Mulders, Coordinating SURF Contact at Graafschap College
Not surprisingly, Monique is one of the Coordinating SURF Contact Persons (CSC) for the mbo sector. A CSC ensures good coordination between staff at mbo institutions and SURF. CSCs advise their board members on the direction of SURF and the match between supply and demand.
"For a few years now, there has been a movement not only to learn from each other, but also to take up issues together in a network context," says Monique. "It's great that by now all MBO institutions have joined SURF. The moment we do more together and align or even standardise processes, it becomes a lot easier for students and lecturers. Together you will be stronger, but it will also be easier to keep up with all the developments that are coming our way. It is precisely working together that gives me an enormous amount of energy."
"Separating IT services from digital transformation creates space to drive digital transformation in a targeted way, without getting caught up in day-to-day operational IT activities."
All the space for digital transformation
Digital transformation for the Graafschap College is not just 'going digital', says Monique. "For us, it is mainly about adding value to our education and increasing the effectiveness and agility of our organisation." This is exactly the reason why the institution of secondary vocational education chose to house IT services and digital transformation in separate departments.
According to Monique, a wise choice. "That creates space to stimulate digital transformation in a targeted way, without getting caught up in the day-to-day operational IT activities," she explains. "That space allows us to join many networks and to have and keep a good overview of innovations and developments. We then bring this knowledge to our institution, aiming to align internal developments with national developments."
"As you can already see from our definition, for us digital transformation is not only about technology, but mainly about value creation," Monique emphasises. "Digital transformation is not an end in itself, but a means. Although it remains a challenge to refute the perception that digital transformation is purely IT-driven," she laughs.
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A true networker
In her role at Graafschap College, Monique is actively involved in various external networks, including those of SURF, NPuls, and MBO Digitaal. “To make the right choices and decisions within your own institution, you need to know what is happening in the world and at peer organisations.”
The dynamic field in which she moves requires a continuous review of plans and strategies. A concrete example is the use of (open) educational resources. "We have drawn up a multi-year plan, but developments are so fast that we have to adjust continuously," says Monique. "And take the rise of AI. Three years ago, we hardly had AI on our radar and now it is a top priority."
Roll up your sleeves
The collaboration with hbo and wo within SURF offers opportunities and challenges for mbo, Monique believes. "We learn from each other. Of course, universities have been working together within SURF for much longer. The mbo can benefit from this. Conversely, MBO institutions have a 'roll up your sleeves and do it' mentality, something that MBO and WO can draw inspiration from."
The theme of public values, centred around humanity, justice, and autonomy, keeps Monique busy. She stresses that these principles are essential in the digital age, in which privacy, ownership of data and independence from big technology companies are increasingly important. "Institutions are starting to ask themselves whether they want to remain dependent on one provider or develop alternatives. SURF plays an important role in this by making strategic choices on digital autonomy together with institutions."
Monique uses the ‘Waardenwijzer’ game to raise awareness of public values in the organisation
Within Graafschap College education, there is also plenty of work being done to raise awareness around media literacy and AI. "Our students are growing up in a digital world. It is partly a task of our educational institution to teach young people to be critical and aware of all the implications of technology," Monique believes.
Pilot with PeerTube video platform
A concrete example of the digital course Monique is taking at Graafschap College is the institution's pilot with PeerTube, an open-source video platform. "We want to share educational resources education-wide, without depending on commercial platforms such as YouTube," she explains. PeerTube offers an ad-free alternative, in which educational institutions retain control over the content. "It fits perfectly into our vision of public values."
SURF is also running a pilot with PeerTube. "We recently agreed to join forces on this too," says Monique. "Perhaps we can work towards a widely supported, sustainable solution."
“In a peloton, you work together, keep each other out of the wind and help each other to get ahead. That is exactly how I function in my daily work together with my colleagues".
Cycling as a philosophy of life
Outside of work, Monique is a passionate cyclist and board member of a cycling club. She sees strong parallels between cycling and her professional life. "In a peloton, you work together, keep each other out of the wind and help each other to get ahead," she explains. "That is exactly how I also function in my daily work together with my colleagues. Working together makes it possible to progress faster and more effectively."
Her latest challenge is the Alpe d'HuZes, the cycling event where participants raise money for cancer research by climbing the Alpe d'Huez several times. "For me, it is not only a physical challenge, but also an emotionally charged mission," she says. "Everyone who takes part has a personal story, including me. That's what makes it so special."
One thing is clear: Monique firmly believes that collaboration is the key to progress. She applies this principle not only in her work, but also in her sport and personal life. "By working together, educational institutions can better address the challenges of digital transformation and achieve sustainable improvements for students, lecturers and the wider society."
Text: Brigitte Bloem
Photos: The Beeldredaktie / Sander Koning