Jan Van Beek

Area of expertise: Hospitality, Business

Born in the Netherlands, where he received most of his education, Mr. Jan van Beek holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Amsterdam, gaining competency in many other areas as well. He obtained teaching certificates and experience for and in Biology, Human & Social Biology, Geography, Tropical Agriculture, Physics & Chemistry, Science as well as Technical Science. He was a trainer/coach for the National Board of Vocational Training in Hospitality, Tourism and Food. He carries a Socratic Presidency Diploma from Schwab Philosophy Spain, Cambridge qualifications for Dialogical Teaching as well as Cam-talk, and is an Emergency Medical Responder. In addition, he is a Certified Hospitality Educator for the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, conducted masterclasses in Entrepreneurial Behavior & Leadership and lends his expertise on an ad hoc basis, as a Consultant to Ecorys Rotterdam.
Mr. Van Beek is currently the Head of the Business & Hospitality Division at the University of St. Martin where he is responsible for the BTEC accreditation as Internal Examiner and Verifier. Over the years, he has taught on several continents and in many countries, referred to as “an entrepreneur pur sang” by many of those who worked with him on all kinds of different projects. He engages himself and has a passion for developing and creating new ventures in a variety of fields, especially education for the poor.
During his early years, he was engaged in the anti-nuclear movement and got infected with what in those days was called the “Hollanditis Disease”. The word “anti” suits him well as he spent several years in the Southern part of Africa with the anti-apartheid movement, where he assisted the democratic movements to get into power with one of the highlights being the liberation of the late Nelson Mandela.
Mr. Van Beek has worked, lived and travelled in many countries, speaks Dutch, English, German and French fluently and masters basic Spanish, Shona and a bit of Kiswahili. He was able to develop several new educational concepts as well as methods, among them the concept of Entrepreneurial Learning (Learning by Doing), Education with Production, Fame-Ish connecting real Theater with education, future scenarios for cities as well as for young entrepreneurs.

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