About the
ASSET-H project
Humanities students and graduates are at the heart of the project
The ASSET-H project aims to enhance the transition of humanities graduates into working life. This is done by raising awareness of skills specific to humanities graduates among all stakeholders. University community stakeholders include humanities students, alumni, teaching staff and career advisors. In a larger context the project aims to influence recruiting human resources professionals, prospective employers of humanities students and decision makers.
​
ASSET-H stands for Awareness of Students' Skills: an Employability Toolkit for the Humanities. The three-year Erasmus+ strategic partnership ended in August 2023 but resources created in the project including the H-You: Humanities Explorer -toolkit are active until 2028. You can replicate all or parts of the project with the help of our methodological toolkit. The project was led by KU Leuven and project partners were University of Leiden, University of Helsinki, and the employment agency Randstad Belgium.
Project outputs
.png)
_edited.jpg)
Project team
The KU Leuven team handles project management and the following work packages:
-
Research-based humanities skills profile
-
Teacher training workshops that allow teachers to incorporate humanities skills knowledge into their course design
-
Methodological toolkit so that others can replicate project activities and to spread project results in the broader academic community​
.jpg)
Liesbet Heyvaert
Professor Liesbet Heyvaert, as the dean of the Faculty of Arts, is the principal investigator and general advisor of the project. In her earlier role as the Vice Dean of Education she oversaw several projects aimed at linking humanities graduates and the labour market together.
Eline Zenner
Assistant professor Eline Zenner is the main researcher behind the ASSET-H humanities skills profile for employability. With experience in educational policy, she also acts as general advisor for the project.
Catho Jacobs
Catho Jacobs acts as project manager. She co-developed the teacher training workshop and takes a leading role in implementing these workshops in all three partner institutions. As the project continues, she will create a methodological toolkit to ensure the transferability of the project to other institutions. She does interdisciplinary PhD research, investigating the identity negotiations of women with a migration background in the workplace.
Katrien Arron
Katrien Arron is event manager for the ASSET-H events in Leuven and general advisor for the project. She is a teaching assistant in the Business Communication programme at the Faculty of Arts.
Melina De Dijn
Experienced study advisor Melina De Dijn oversaw project management during the first half of the project. She was also involved in the research behind the ASSET-H humanities skills profile and in the development of the teacher training workshop. She is currently working on a linguistic PhD on job interviews and serves a general advisor on the project.
The University of Leiden team are responsible for the H-You: your humanities skills explorer.
Mirjam de Baar
Mirjam de Baar is Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Professor of Cultural History of Early Modern Christianity. As University Leiden is specifically responsible for the development and testing of the online training module for students, Mirjam is very curious which skills students will recognize in themselves. Mirjam de Baar holds the final responsibility of the project.
Jeroen Touwen
As Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and senior university lecturer, Jeroen is a general advisor. Jeroen sees this project as a big contribution to the faculty’s ambition to take major steps in terms of labour market preparation in the coming years.
Sanne Arens
Sanne Arens is the coordinator of the educational innovation program of the Faculty of Humanities. As an experienced policy adviser, with strong project management skills, and extensive knowledge of educational policy Sanne coordinates this project. She is the linking pin between teachers, colleagues and the tool developers to make this project a success.
.png)
The University of Helsinki team oversee the dissemination of information for the ASSET-H project. Part of this responsibility entails creating a detailed communication plan that traces the strategies of the project. This open access plan provides a blueprint for future projects.
Minna Palander Collin
Minna Palander Collin, as the vice dean of academic affairs for the Faculty of Arts, is the head of the project and handles its administration and management.
Elizabeth Peterson
Elizabeth Peterson is a University Lecturer in the field of linguistics. Her role in the project is as a general advisor and liaison for the communications side of the ASSET-H project.
Anna Suutarla
Anna Suutarla is the communications specialist for ASSET-H. She is the key person in charge of maintaining all aspects of PR and communication, both within the project and to our stakeholders. She is responsible for the project website and social media channels, and she is the lead author for the project communication plan.
Jenniliisa Salminen
Jenniliisa Salminen, a University Teacher, specializes in pedagogy in science communication. She is responsible for implementing training sessions for University of Helsinki teaching staff in the Faculty of Arts. For this role, she provides a crucial link between working life courses and the training created through the ASSET-H project.
Laura Ihalainen
Laura Ihalainen is currently an Academic Advisor at the Faculty of Arts. She acts as a contact person in the ASSET-H Helsinki team.
Randstad provides feedback on all project outputs.
Vivian Roks
Vivian Roks is Innovation lead at Randstad Belgium, the largest HR provider in the world. Vivian's passion is translating challenges such as mismatch and scarcity in the labor market into solutions that help the labor-active population, employers and Randstad itself. She is also the driving force behind Randstad Young Talents, a program that helps highly educated young talent get off to a flying start to their careers. In that context, Randstad, as a partner of ASSET-H, is helping to improve the flow of Arts students to the labor market.
Stakeholder and expert boards
KU Leuven
-
Helge Daniëls: assistant professor Arabic Studies faculty of Arts KU Leuven
-
Pieter Vermeulen: associate professor English Literature faculty of Arts KU Leuven
-
Lien Verpoest associate professor Modernity & Society 1800-2000 faculty of Arts KU Leuven
-
Sander Vanuytven: student representative at CORaaL, the consultation body for KU Leuven Arts students
-
Ellen Van Laer: student representative at CORaaL, the consultation body for KU Leuven Arts students
-
Alice Delhoux: student representative at CORaaL, the consultation body for KU Leuven Arts students
-
Charlotte Verrydt: student advisor, faculty of Arts KU Leuven
-
Daphne Rombouts: student career advisor, Student Career Center KU Leuven
-
Heidi Van Cleynenbreugel, HR-expert, Randstad Young Talents
-
Annelies Vanmechelen HR-expert, Randstad Young Talents
University of Leiden
Stakeholder board
-
Tanja Bos Projectleader Employability, Universiteit Leiden
-
Désirée Le Large, HR coordinator, Universiteit Leiden
-
Marlous Dekker, HR-adviso,) Universiteit Leiden
-
Egbert Fortuin, Professor Russian Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Universiteit Leiden
-
Jaap Kamphuis, Lecturer / Programme Manager, Bachelor International Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Universiteit Leiden
-
Dennis van Leeuwen, Coordinator of Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Universiteit Leiden
-
Barbara Sumer, Internship Coordinator, Humanities Career Service, Universiteit Leiden
-
Atse Fokkens, Teamleader/Internship Coordinator/Career Advisor Humanities Career Service, Universiteit Leiden
-
Rose Rorije, Internship Coordinator/Career Advisor Humanities Career Service, Universiteit Leiden
-
Michelle Man (Bachelor China Studies, Master Asian Studies) Member of Program board Asian Studies
-
Thijs Scherjon (Bachelor and master Religious Studies, Master History) Member of program board Religious Studies
-
Simone Scholte (Bachelor Film & Literature Studies) Member program Board Literature Studies
Expert board
-
Rob Goedemans, Information Manager, Faculty of Humanities, Universiteit Leiden
-
Jaap de Jong, Professor of Journalism and New Media, Faculty of Humanities, Universiteit Leiden
-
Jeroen ’t Hart, Director Expertise Centre Student and Educational Affairs, Universiteit Leiden
-
Wilfried Admiraal, Director / Professor of Educational Sciences, Universiteit Leiden
-
Lauren Fonteyn, University Lecturer Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Universiteit Leiden
University of Helsinki
-
Jarkko Immonen: specialist, teaching and learning services
-
Eric Carver: specialist, teaching and learning services
-
Heini Hult-Miekkavaara: specialist, teaching and learning services
-
Anna Storgårds: specialist, teaching and learning services
-
Tarja Tuononen: University Lecturer, HYPE Centre for University Teaching and Learning
-
Juha Eskelinen: University Teacher of English Translation, Faculty of Arts
-
Max Wahlström: University Lecturer of Southern Slavonic Languages, Faculty of Arts
-
Sampsa Granström: Student, English language and linguistics
-
Etta Melander: Student, Comparative linguistics