Just before the end of the year, I was asked to give a guest lecture for the ‘Leader-shift’ minor at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS). This course is designed to support students in acquiring and applying practical and theoretical knowledge about different theories on leadership and (Personal) Leadership skills, in preparation for the professional field within the THUAS World Citizenship framework (Let’s change) and 21st-century skills.

During this lecture and workshop, we explored the meaning, significance and value of community. The students created mappings of the communities to which they belong, and linked them to their value pyramid. In addition to identifying their own communities, I also asked the students to identify communities their ancestors were part of, and compare the constitution and characteristics of communities of their ancestors and their own. The session ended with a plenary sharing of the mappings, personal experiences and insights. We closed the session with a Q&A during which students asked me different questions, many of them addressing the theme of career and personal development as a woman with a multi-layered identity. The world is in serious need of young professionals who are able to combine skills (hands) and knowledge (head) with the right attitude and personal motivation (heart), following different lines of research in the professional field.

This minor aims at building connections between the student’s professional ambitions and the work field. It will enable students to become more aware of the current trends in the field of leadership, community-building and sustainable change. One way to help students integrate the theories and practices on leadership is to incorporate ways of Knowing, Doing and Being (the 3 Circle Theory of Transformation) and to create meaningful learning communities. The minor combines standard didactical methodologies with the most recent learning strategies (e.g. Blended Learning, Design Thinking, Appreciative Inquiry, etc.).

Interested in booking Safiyeh as a guest lecturer?
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