Spotlight: Tilburg Ten Miles
Students of ILS learn their profession in real life. That is why International Lifestyle Studies works together with companies from the Netherlands and abroad. In the first two years of the programme, these companies act as project owners. In their third year, students can also approach them for their internships. On Join ILS, these companies introduce themselves on a regulary basis.
Company name Tilburg Ten Miles
Representative Henk van Doremalen
Has collaborated with ILS since 2010
Sector HUMAN MOVEMENT
What kind of company is Tilburg Ten Miles?
"Tilburg Ten Miles is known both nationally and internationally as a leading running event. We are part of a sports marketing agency which organizes dozens of larger events in Western Europe. Tilburg Ten Miles is one of them. Our goal is to organize good running events. We want to get people on the move. We want to help people with being healthy by moving. Every year, Tilburg Ten Miles takes place on the first Sunday of September. Over the years, it has become one of the most enjoyable running events in the Netherlands. Both national and international top athletes take part and also children and non-professional runners join. All this with an enormous crowd of spectators along the road."
What is your relationship with ILS?
"In the past Fontys was one of the larger sponsors of Tilburg Ten Miles. I was invited as a guest lecturer several times to come and explain what an event is. ILS asked us how their students could contribute to our event in a creative way. We asked the students to help us answer the following questions: ‘How can we reach groups of young people studying in Tilburg?’ and ‘How can we reach young people from ethnic minorities in the city and its surroundings for the event?’. International Lifestyle students have been working on this research question for the Tilburg Ten Miles event for several years now."
What is the added value of this type of collaboration?
"Because we collaborate with students, who are also the target group, we hear how they see an event like this. Despite the fact that the event has a high level of awareness in Tilburg, we have noticed that the event is completely unknown to students. A collaboration like this sharpens our focus on how we can approach certain people and do things. The way students respond, inspires us to sharpen our thinking. We hear and see many creative ideas. These may not always be applicable, but they do open our eyes and provide insights."
What do you like about ILS?
"ILS students are very creative in their way of thinking. That is what I specifically like about ILS and what distinguishes itself from the other courses I am in contact with. Of course this is one of the main goals of the course. But these students go down paths that we would have never thought of at first. I really appreciate it and get energized by it."
