Joost van Hilst

Senior Lecturer | Researcher | Educational Designer | Driven by Pragmatic-Idealism | Nemophilist

Tilburg, North Brabant, Netherlands

About

After gaining experience in international business, I transitioned into higher education to focus on work that is intellectually rigorous, purpose-driven, and societally relevant. My aim is to contribute to education and knowledge development that supports meaningful and sustainable change. My expertise lies in strategic management, corporate entrepreneurship, business development, sustainable strategy, innovation, and change management—the human side of implementing strong strategies. My work is grounded in pragmatic-idealism: the conviction that societal challenges can be addressed through thoughtful application of existing and emerging theoretical and methodological tools. This perspective underpins my involvement in Avans’ Centre of Expertise Wellbeing Economy and New Entrepreneurship (CoE BWNO). Dominant economic paradigms continue to equate wellbeing and prosperity with economic growth, often relying on linear and extractive models of production and organisation. As ecological and social limits become increasingly apparent, there is a growing need to transition toward a wellbeing economy centred on regeneration, resilience, and long-term value creation. Such a transition calls for new forms of entrepreneurship that integrate economic, social, and ecological considerations, and that prioritise prevention and restoration. In my role as Educational Designer contributing to all Avans’ Master’s programmes, I focus on the development of coherent, high-quality curricula, including content on Sustainable Transitions. I work at the intersection of pedagogy, strategy, and organisation, facilitating collaboration, fostering shared educational visions, and supporting continuous improvement in academic programmes.

Experience

  • Researcher at Centre of Expertise Brede Welvaart en Nieuw Ondernemerschap | BWNO
    Aug 2024 - Present · 2 yrs

    The Centre of Expertise Wellbeing Economy and New Entrepreneurship (CoE BWNO) strives for a sustainable future for everyone. The transition to a more sustainable, social and fair economy is key to this. That transition requires new entrepreneurship that contributes to human and natural values and makes an effort to repair the damage – but preferably to prevent it. The professorship New Entrepreneurship conducts research into the role of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in the transition to a wellbeing economy. Topics in this professorship include new forms of entrepreneurship, impactful entrepreneurship and other forms of collaboration.

  • Avans University of Applied Sciences (Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands)
    • Senior Lecturer
      Aug 2016 - Present · 10 yrs

      School of Management and Finance: strategic management, corporate entrepreneurship, sustainable strategy, business development, innovation and change management (the people side of implementing a great strategy)

    • Educational Designer
      Sep 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 11 mos

      Developing a generic and boundary crossing learning trajectory for all Masters focussing on Sustainability Transitions. Sustainability Transition is defined as a “radical transformation towards a sustainable society, as a response to a number of persistent problems confronting contemporary modern societies” (Grin et al 2010)

    • Programme Coordinator
      Aug 2019 - Present · 7 yrs

      Business, Leadership and Sustainability exchange programme

  • Visiting Lecturer at Business School Nederland
    Oct 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 10 mos

    Lecturing on International Management at BSN’s Executive MBA through Action Learning

  • Visiting Lecturer at Université catholique de Lille
    Nov 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 9 mos

    Lecturing on Design Thinking, Strategic Tensions and Decision-Making, and Sustainable Business Models at Faculté de Gestion, Économie & Sciences (FGES)

  • Core team member & training advisor at NTI
    May 2020 - Sep 2021 · 1 yr 5 mos

    Participating in the development of NTI’s online MBA. Primary focus on the development of a new Strategic Management module