Avans University of Applied Sciences is a young Dutch public university of applied sciences. It was founded in 2004 as a union of Hogeschool ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Hogeschool Brabant. Avans University of Applied Sciences opts for smallscale, vocationally oriented education with appropriate learning pathways. Graduates have the necessary professional competencies and a learning, investigative, enterprising and responsible attitude. This gives them the confidence they need to continuously develop as future-proof professionals ready to enter the workforce, acquiring new expertise for education and society in partnership with companies, institutions and government agencies. Avans University of Applied Sciences was declared by independent researcher Keuzegids HBO as the best major University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands for nine of the ten years up to 2019.