With an incentive fee of 8000 euros, Fontys Food Festival should be able to professionalise itself. The money comes from the European subsidy program for higher education Erasmus+ for “Organisational Support” (OS), “Bron“, Fontys’ information website, reports. International students of Fontys are making dishes from their home country during the Food Festival, which are served to each other and teachers for a small amount of money. ‘Socialising’ is the magic word. “To me, this is the example of ‘Internationalisation at home’”, says Nico van der Aa, professor of electrical engineering at Fontys.
The Food Festival received the subsidy because of the way this project helps with the welcoming and guidance of students and staff members. The festival started as a small event: international students of Fontys University of Engineering were tasting each other’s dishes and culture. But according to Van der Aa, it could be seen at a lot more institutions in a few years, partly due to the subsidy obtained. “If other education courses want to organise it too, they can have our road map”, he tells Bron.
At Fontys Engineering, which includes mechanical engineering, mechatronics and automotive, there are students with 25 different nationalities. The 8000 euros will be invested in organisational matters and hiring a nutrition expert, according to Van der Aa. The organization itself remains in the hands of Innovum, the study association for all engineering courses.
Bron tekst & foto’s: Fontys Bron
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