About Hostmanship: Creating purpose driven human experiences
When was the last time you truly felt welcome in a community, whether in an organisation, private life, social environment, or the wider world?
People meet in many ways: as guests, clients, patients, students, citizens, or colleagues. How these encounters unfold shapes how people experience a sense of welcome. Whether you work as a manager, an employee, or even the owner of a company, you impact the lives of others through the way you interact with them.
About Hostmanship explores how meaningful human experiences are created. Hostmanship is more than hospitality; it is a mindset focusing on genuine attention, empathy and connection. It is about recognising the other person and understanding how everyday interactions can influence how people feel.
Minor content
In this minor, you learn how to create meaningful encounters within a variety of organisational contexts. You develop empathy, curiosity and mindful action, and discover how these qualities lead to genuine human connection. The programme combines insights from humanism, positive psychology, sociology, hospitality and Hostmanship, translating them into practice-oriented challenges through guest lectures, interactive sessions and Urban Safari experiences. Through open conversations and campfire-style reflections, alongside practical exercises, you translate insights into lasting behavioural change, both personally and professionally.
Learning is highly experiential. Each week begins in a ‘living room’ setting and ends with a campfire reflection session. During learning sprints, you explore what makes someone an authentic host. The Urban Safari is a key component, involving visits to a range of organisations. You can choose between an English-taught variant (Period 1, including a multi-day Safari, approx. €350) or a Dutch-taught variant (Period 3, free of charge). The minor awards 15 ECTS credits and a Hostmanship Practitioner® certificate.
Structure of the minor
The minor is structured around three interconnected components in which knowledge, practical experience and personal development reinforce one another. In Mastering Hostmanship Knowledge (3 EC), you explore the philosophy and literature behind Hostmanship and related fields such as humanism, positive psychology and sociology. You build a theoretical foundation and learn to critically analyse and apply these insights.
In Hostmanship Experience (6 EC), you put this knowledge into practice. Working in groups, you design a Hostmanship intervention for a selected target group or context. Through designing, testing and iterating, you discover what works in real-life situations and how to create meaningful human experiences. Experimentation, collaboration and learning from feedback are central throughout this process.
In Becoming an Artist in Hostmanship (6 EC), the focus shifts to your personal and professional development. You reflect on your own behaviour, values and beliefs and develop an authentic Hostmanship style. Through reflective writing, peer feedback, Safari experiences and practical challenges, you work towards a personal mission. The minor concludes with a visual presentation in which you demonstrate how you create impact by delivering meaningful ‘wow moments’.
Study features
Assessment consists of:
- a peer assessment (3 EC)
- a group presentation (6 EC)
- an individual visual final presentation (6 EC)
The Hostmanship mindset you develop serves as a lasting guiding principle for your professional practice.
This minor is open to students from a wide range of study programmes and disciplines. There are no specific entry requirements, and no additional costs associated with participation. However, students are expected to have an open mindset, an interest in human-centred work, and some experience in collaboration and reflection. These qualities will help you get the most out of the minor.
Whether you work in healthcare, hospitality, government, retail, events, education or any other sector, there is a growing recognition that the human experience makes the difference. In this minor, you will discover how you, as a future professional, can contribute to organisations where people feel welcomed, seen and valued. Hostmanship plays an important role in this, not only in professional contexts but also in everyday life. It is a mindset that benefits everyone.
The minor connects to fields in which human interaction, experience and collaboration are central. Students with an interest in personal development, hospitality, communication and improving interactions will benefit most. You will learn how to create meaningful encounters with genuine attention, empathy and conscious action, and how these can have an impact on both others and yourself.
