The new academic year at Summa has opened!
The Central Student Council of Summa officially kicked off the 2026-2027 academic year on Monday afternoon at Summa Beauty & Lifestyle. This followed an energetic talk show about Lifelong Learning, with entrepreneurs, education, government, and personal experiences at the table.
An MBO diploma is not the end of the road.
Trend watcher Adjiedj Bakas set the tone for the afternoon and spoke about why continuous development is essential in a rapidly changing region. Entrepreneurs Hessel Peeters, Nick Smits, and Joop Essing shared how they handle training, development, and employee retention within their companies. “Retention is the new recruitment,” said supermarket manager Smits of Jumbo. Former course participants Pascal ten Zijthoff and Eisa Fouladi shared their personal training stories.
Eindhoven aldermen Samir Toub and Rik Thijs highlighted LLO from a municipal perspective. Annemarie Moons and Jochem Meulesteen of the Executive Board, LLO Director Régine van Lieshout, and educational innovator Lara Poulson took the audience through the development of LLO within Summa. This covered not only technology, but also healthcare, childcare, retail, and other sectors.
The common thread: better utilization of talent, retaining people, and above all, being able to respond more quickly to the needs of employees and employers. As Régine van Lieshout summarized it: “Speed is required.” Companies want a suitable solution quickly and do not want to hear that a new educational module won't be available until next year.
Agile and resilient
Crucial in this rapidly changing world:
➡️ agile, resilient, and curious professionals with broad skills who can handle change;
➡️organizations that stimulate and facilitate the continuous development of their people;
➡️ Societal partners – in The Hague and the region – who recognize the urgency and support these processes;
➡️ Learning offerings that align with this: current, engaging education – in content & form – for all ages. Not for the future, but as soon as possible;
➡️And above all: persevere and hold on to each other, even when things get tough.
The talk show was musically accompanied by Anna van Zon, a band with students from Rock City Institute, one of Summa's three music programs.
Other news
