‘An international school in Enschede is important for Twente and certainly for the UT’, says Marketing and Communications Director, Atilla Kerpisci. ‘We want to attract and retain talent, and an international school is crucial. Especially for the international staff, PhD students and postdocs, such a completely English-speaking school is attractive because they have a temporary contract. I understand from the school board that about twenty percent of the students are children of UT employees. We would like the school to stay open for all those employees.’
Kerpisci joined a newly formed Advisory Board of the international school in the middle of last year, which also includes parties such as the municipality of Enschede, Saxion, Apollo Vredestein and Thales. Together they endorse the new business case from IST, which must convince the ministry to give the school time to grow. ‘We expect more internationals to come to the UT and the region in the coming years. You can assume that some will opt for the IST’, says Kerpisci.
More collaboration
The UT does more than just express its support for the IST, according to Kerpisci. ‘In the coming period we will investigate the possibility for further and closer cooperation. This can be done in various areas, for example by setting up a branch on campus, organizational support, teacher exchange and internships in cooperation with the Department of Teacher Development ELAN.’
