Joseph Kessels (dean)

"I am interested in people who are on the verge of taking a new turn in their lives and need a boost. Respect and appreciation, even for minor talent, are wonderful for confidence in one's own ability. Designing relevant learning environments together is an inspiring activity that may render many courses superfluous.

I am interested in organisations aiming to make the most of their valuable social capital, as they realise that this will generate and nurture their expertise, skills and knowledge. Such organisations are aware that some systems, structures and managerial styles are more likely to impede than to further this pursuit. Bringing about creative turmoil in a context of power, distance and obedience is difficult. Here lies a challenging invitation to find ways of associating relevance and sustainability with meaningful economic prosperity.

I may be driven by a deep conviction that people have more potential than their surroundings generally allow them to reveal. Companies, institutions and schools could achieve so much more, if they gave free reign to learning and development. But providing this kind of space and removing the obstacles to autonomy, self-guidance and emancipation takes courage. What choice do we have? In a knowledge society, all available talent is needed, whatever that talent may be. Making learning and development appealing has become an economic necessity. After all, you cannot be smart against your will.

Study and research are essential to me. Themes such as knowledge productivity, the corporate curriculum, knowledge as personal competence, social capital, autonomous professionals and cooperative academic education figure prominently in this part of my operations. Practical experience, however, is indispensable. Though often confrontational, practical experience is also a source of inspiration that encourages reflection and deeper understanding. This calls for moments of study. In my publications, I continuously try to investigate the next step. My part-time position at the University of Twente helps me link practice with academic theory."

Prof. dr. Joseph W.M. Kessels
Dean
TSM Business School
University of Twente
j.w.m.kessels@tsm.nl
+31 53 489 4891

CV Joseph Kessels
Since 1977, Joseph Kessels (1952) has been partner in Kessels & Smit, The Learning Company.
Since 2006 he is appointed as the Dean of TSM, Business School of the University of Twente.
Since 2000 he is part time professor of Human Resource Development corporate education at Twente University.
From 1995 -2000 he held a similar chair at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Leiden.
In 1989, he became the director of the Foundation for Corporate Education and was awarded the 'Training & Development Prize' of the NVvO, the Dutch Training and Development Association.
In 2000 the students of the University of Twente choose professor Kessels as the best academic teacher.

As a consultant he conducted projects for national government bodies, health care, banking, transport, telecom and industry, as well as with international firms. As an academic he published several books and numerous articles on training and development.

He lectured at the universities of Leiden, at the Durham University Business School in the United Kingdom, as well as at Tsinghua University Business School at Beijing and Fudan University at Shanghai.

Special activities:
Chairman of the Programme Committee of the International HRD Conference The Learning Society for Sustainable Development. Amsterdam: October 9-11, 2006.
Member of the Netherlands Education Platform
Student Union Advisory Board at the University of Twente
Editor HRDI: Human Resource Development International
Editorial Committee: Vocational Training. European Journal
Editor GJSS: Graduate Journal Social Sciences
Board member UFHRD: University Forum of Human Resource Development

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