AKV | St Joost at Avans University of Applied Sciences

St. Joost School of Fine Art & Design was originally founded in 1812 as the Royal Academy of Art & Design in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Endorsed by Napoleon Bonaparte, the objective was to progress learning, knowledge and professional competence in the field of drawing and ‘all subjects from handicraft and factory industry to the training of skilled workers.

The Netherlands is renowned for its higher education system and has some of the highest-ranking schools in Europe and the world. The official use of English and the multicultural nature of Dutch society also make Dutch education one of the most accessible.

Dutch pedagogical philosophy is non-hierarchical and student-oriented. 

The focus is on autonomous thinking and collaboration, which empowers students and creates the space for radically new ideas. As with Dutch culture as a whole, open-mindedness and plurality are the keystones of the educational experience. Students are stimulated to be critical of the views of their peers and even their tutors, but also respectful of others’ positions.

The Master Institute of Visual Cultures sets out to widen the debate on where we can take arts education and establishes further the impetus for developing an arts research culture.

The institution plays a vital role in generating new ways of thinking and innovative creative practice, empowering our learning community, both students and tutors alike, towards excellence through artistic practice, research, scholarship and knowledge exchange.

Our distinct master pathways of study in art and design, facilitate political and socio-economic key issues.