Spotlight: Hartstichting

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 Hartstichting

Representative Anna Koster

Has collaborated with ILS since 2019

Sector Health

What kind of company is the Hartstichting?

"The mission of the Hartstichting is to defeat heart and vascular diseases. We are a foundation in which all the money we are spending on research does not come from the government, but from people and donors. We want to spend 80 cents per donated euro on research. Besides research we focus on education, resuscitation and a healthy society. One of our goals is a 'heart-safe’ Netherlands. We focus, for example, on AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillator) and 'heart-safe' zones where everyone can be resuscitated within 6 minutes. But what we, as the Hartstichting, are also very keen on is a smoke-free generation. Just like the ILS student, we are very future oriented."

What is your relationship with ILS?

"One of the teachers from ILS, who I know from a previous job, approached me with the question if it might be interesting to connect ILS students with challenges that the Hartstichting faces. We were very enthusiastic about this question because at the Hartstichting we are very much involved in how we can make young people aware of the heart. Many young people know the Hartstichting, but do not feel the motivation to take action for a healthy heart. The essence of the heart is not yet in the minds of the younger target group. In the past period I have been the commission party for first year students who have researched this question for us."

What is the added value of this type of collaboration?

"I thought it was a very nice collaboration. I notice that I make many assumptions myself. Me and many of my colleagues at the Hartstichting are from a different generation. The ILS student comes with a very fresh view that someone who has been working with us for 20 years may no longer have in the way they can bring in. In addition, the trends that I use are very different from those that the students came up with. There were very interesting insights they shared with us. We're definitely going to do something with that."

What do you like about ILS?

"I found the students very eager. I was deeply impressed by that. They wanted to work hard and get the most out of it. It was clear that they wanted to impress me with their ideas, designs and presentations. In a short time they have done research and created a concept. They even did research with a certain party about the possibilities for realizing their idea. I was amazed. They are all allowed to come here for an internship! Besides that, the Hartstichting thinks a healthy future must become normal. This must be implemented everywhere. I think that the Lifestyle Professional could contribute to this future in different ways."