Dear Sir/Madam,
We are living in very strange times. In the past couple of weeks all of our lives have been turned completely upside down. Up to even a month ago nobody could have ever imagined that our world could change so radically and so swiftly. These are extremely difficult, tense and stressful times for everybody. In these uncertain times our thoughts go out to all the members of our large AMS community and their loved ones. We hope everybody is safe and healthy and we feel for all those who are ill or who may even have lost loved ones. We would also like to express our gratitude to all the people who are helping at this critical time, including medical staff, nurses, public and security services, factory workers and also policy makers. They are a vivid reminder of how a lot of people and jobs are critical to the uninterrupted functioning of our society.
The health and safety of the AMS community is our primary concern
The health and safety of our students, clients, staff and partners remain our top priority. For that reason, and following the latest government and WHO recommendations, Antwerp Management School has converted all learning activities into virtual learning until the end of this academic year. In line with global trends and technologies, we have gained considerable experience in digital learning and working in virtual teams. We are using our advanced online infrastructure and experience to assure the quality of our education and services in research & valorization. Our staff and faculty are working from home with strong continued commitment to support all of you, our students, clients and partners. We are very much aware of the challenging and unpredictable circumstances and the far-reaching impact of the current measures on all of you and us. But we will continue our journey, experience and partnerships together and we will contribute wherever we can. It has taken us some days too to adjust to the new situation. But again, I can assure you: AMS Is fully operational and more vibrant as before.
Building a future together
Many things will be changing in economic, social and environmental balances. In the quest for that new equilibrium, we are eager to continue our commitment towards society and we remain committed to our tagline "Opening Minds to Impact the World". As such, in the next couple of weeks, we will reach out to our alumni, to our stakeholders and the wider society. AMS is taking a number of concrete actions that you can expect to see in the following weeks. First of all, as the Dean of AMS I will make sure to play a very active role in those critical connections. It is in these times that we have to step up our efforts to help out, to add value and to strengthen our community. That is why we will also start giving a number of online webinars for the general public. These will be centered around a number of different themes in line with the AMS domains of expertise, such as supply chain, entrepreneurship, fashion and healthcare. These are all sectors that are particularly affected by the current crisis. Our expert staff has the know-how to help address crucial and critical questions in these areas. We feel that as a management school, this is the time to offer our expertise and reflect on the future together with our partners and stakeholders. In addition, we are equally starting up a blog where you can find useful information from academic staff, students and alumni. In these blogs we will open up the discussion on the changes in the world because of the crisis. Apart from the above we are developing some other exciting initiatives as well. We will keep you updated on these in the next days and weeks.
AMS community
In these uncertain times, community really matters. In particular in a period when we are being advised to practice social distancing. We are proud to be part of a global community with our extensive network of 25,000 alumni worldwide and many trusted business and academic partnerships across the globe. These are extremely difficult times for everybody. Yet these are also the times when true leaders step up to the plate. When people and organizations take responsibility and care for each other. When people and organizations dare to think outside the box and effectively work together to achieve greater goals. When each individual and everyone together in collaboration make the difference. When the best qualities in people emerge and we help and support each other in pursuing common objectives. When we trust and give trust. The magical power of unleashing the best in all of us.
This is exactly what we will be doing in the next couple of days, weeks and months. We will take our responsibility. We will connect closely with our network including all of you. We will continue to open minds to have a positive impact on the new emerging society.
As the Dean of AMS I invite you all to join forces with us. You can count on me personally as well as on all of our staff and faculty to make the difference. Let us embrace the strength of our network and let's work together to emerge from this crisis stronger than before.
Warmest wishes to you and your loved ones,
Steven De Haes
Dean Antwerp Management School
