Our story

Our vision and mission

In our ideal world, we put as many people as possible in touch with themselves and in connection with others. As a collective, they tackle personal-professional and societal challenges.
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This is why we are building the university of the 21st century. The ideal image of education, learning & development, where MBO, HBO & WO come together and for every phase of your life. Building we do together with The Bildung Network: a community of a new generation of students, (young) professionals and organizations. We move in education, science, art, the public sector and sustainable business. Read more about the building blocks of the 21st century university here.

On philosophy and what Bildung means to us

Bildung is actively, consciously and ethically relating to oneself, others and the world. It stands for the ideal that people develop as broadly and fully as possible and bear social responsibility.

We have been inspired by the ideas of classical bildungsdenkers such as Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767 - 1835) and Theodor Adorno (1903-1969), but also by contemporary thinkers such as Gert Biesta, Martha Nussbaum and Roman Krznaric.

"Every individual, depending on his needs and abilities and bound by the limits of his strength, must have the opportunity to develop according to his inner personality."

- Wilhelm von Humboldt (Gesammelte Schrifte I, p. 111)

Our genesis

Education does not touch the essence. Efficiency gives too little depth, a mass lecture too little connection. Is this really what it is? There must be more to it than we are getting out of it now.

In 2014, a group of students and teachers from across the country created an urgency to not keep walking around with this feeling, but to do something about it.

A bottom-up initiative by people with the will to bring about a positive change within the education system. To the great desire for more space within education for people's development, we saw the answer in Bildung: actively, consciously and ethically relating to your inner self, the other and the world.

"If Bildung is what we are missing, then we are creating the alternative ourselves."

Our view of the human being

We believe in the power and potential of human beings. Every individual carries potentials and talents within them that can be discovered and developed through conscious and guided education.

We do not see human beings as purely rational individuals. We see humans at their core as relational, deriving meaning from facing challenges and developing the ability to perceive, think, want, feel and act in interconnectedness.

This potency, or I-power, in relation to others and the world, enables us to consciously, actively and ethically direct our lives. Thus, as human beings, we are more than what technology, genes and circumstances make of us.

Bildung in practice

The Bildung Academie develops programs and offers training, coaching and advice around personal-professional development and social responsibility.

Such as The Bildung Half Year Program where students and young professionals spend six months working on personal issues and social challenges with each other and inspiration from guest experts. A coaching program at sustainable recruitment agency Generation, for the new generation of conscious leaders. Or a program in collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for students who want to examine themselves, their discipline and society from a broader perspective.

More about our ANBI status

De Bildung Academie has been classified by the tax authorities as an Institution for General Benefit (ANBI). This means that we are at least 90% committed to the common good.

Board composition

The Bildung Academy has a body established by law: the foundation board. The board currently consists of Michiel Tolman (president), Durk Gardenier (treasurer) and Dylan Vianen (secretary).

In addition, The Bildung Academy has an executive team, and several executive bildung professionals and several builders (volunteers) who are responsible for operational activities.

Further design

The members of the Foundation Board receive no remuneration for their work as board members of The Bildung Academy. Board members can only claim expenses incurred from De Bildung Academie.

If board members perform work for the foundation in another capacity, it is possible that a separate remuneration will be paid. This is always equivalent to remuneration for non-board members.

The foundation board binds the foundation and controls its financial management in collaboration with its financial partners, such as payroll administrator People & Payment and financial administrator De Jong Administratie. The directors of the foundation have equal voting rights. None of them can dispose of the foundation's assets as if they were their own. The foundation's financial administration (including preparation of the annual figures) and payroll administration are outsourced to a third party.

The executive team is employed by The Bildung Academy Foundation and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the academy. The salary is in accordance with the legal salary scales for (university) education (cao-NU).

Other professionals of The Bildung Academy are hired on the basis of an x-hours contract or contracted through 'agreement of assignment'. Any compensation herein is also related to the above salary scales. The Bildung Academie is a non-profit foundation. All resources are used to achieve its mission of general benefit.

Apart from a buffer to meet obligations, to cope with setbacks (especially also in the context of COVID-19 and the consequent cancellation of physical bildung programs) and in order to ensure the continuity of the foundation, the foundation does not seek to build up assets.

The foundation's funds are managed by Triodos bank, partly because we support the bank's mission: "to make money work for a nicer society."