Team

These are the people behind the conception and realization of Exploration Week FHNW.

Nicolaj van der Meulen (Lead)

Nicolaj van der Meulen studied art history and philosophy and was awarded his PhD in 2000 at the University of Basel. In 2013, he completed his habilitation in art history at the University of Hildesheim (Department of Aesthetic Practice). Nicolaj van der Meulen currently heads the inter-university CoCreate module at the FHNW School of Art and Design. His research focuses on the following areas: food as an aesthetic and cultural practice, image theory and art history. Further areas of focus: digitality in relation to the development of teaching and social change. Head of the Innovation School (2019–2024). 

Kathrin Theurillat

Kathrin Theurillat is a research assistant in the Vice-Presidency for University Development at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). She has an academic background in history and Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, having completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has also completed further training in gender equality and diversity (CAS), change management (CAS) and financial consultancy. Since March 2023, she has been working in university development at the FHNW, where she contributes to issues relating to the cross-university development of education and continuing professional development.

Sara Bachmann

Sara Bachmann heads the degree programmes at the Institute for Kindergarten and Primary Education and, in this role, is responsible for the further development, quality assurance and operational implementation of the programmes. She holds a Master’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Science Management, and a CAS in the Management of Projects and Degree Programmes at Universities. As programme director, she bridges the perspectives of students with institutional and profession-specific requirements and creates structures for a coherent and university-standard programme of study.

Milena Rutz

Milena Rutz is a lecturer at the FHNW School of Applied Psychology and is actively involved in institutional development, including in her role as Quality Development Officer.

In her work, she combines psychology, strategic design and UX research at the intersection of innovation, digital product development and transformation. Bridging the gap between academia and practice, she brings together perspectives from research, education and organisational development to design interactive learning and innovation formats.

With over 16 years’ experience in innovation and process design, she is involved in cross-university initiatives such as the Innovation School FHNW, Co-Creating Sustainable Futures and Exploration Week FHNW, with the aim of strengthening future-oriented skills and facilitating interdisciplinary learning.

David Grimm

David Grimm heads the Bachelor’s programme in Geomatics at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) and is a professor of Geodetic Measurement Technology and Geosensor Technology. He studied Geomatics Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) and also completed his PhD there. Before joining the FHNW, he worked for several years as an applications engineer and senior applications engineer in the field of innovation within product management. His work encompasses research, teaching, continuing professional development, as well as the management and supervision of degree programmes in the field of geomatics.

Nenya Biedermann

Nenya Biedermann is a research assistant at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), working at the Institute for Arts and Design Education within the School of Design and Art. There, she works on design and research-related projects, amongst other things, and is involved in teaching and research activities. In addition, she has written a bachelor’s thesis in the Process Design programme, in which she explores eco-poetic rituals and holistic processes – a contribution that addresses knowledge exchange and connectedness in design processes and more than human beings.