Tilburg University students to assist Tilburg residents

Students of Tilburg University will be on hand to assist about 200 Tilburg residents with their income tax forms on Saturday. De Smeetskring Fiscal Assistance Foundation is organizing the event as part of the nationwide Tax Return Day.
Recently, a similar initiative took place on campus: First Aid for Pensions. People from the Tilburg community were welcome to come and chat with our students and with pension experts about their pension concerns and questions. I was pleasantly surprised to see for myself just how popular the day turned out to be. The day’s originators (Prof. Gerrie Dietvorst and his crew) received justifiable praise, both from the media and from private individuals.
These kinds of initiatives make me feel very proud. They are tangible ways to promote the link between the university and our host city. Local residents can get to know the university and our students, and they discover that we really have something to offer them. Often, these are people who really need counsel and advice, yet who have difficulty affording services on the open market.
Our students get the opportunity to apply and test their knowledge and skills in real-life situations. They also have a chance to gain a valuable dose of life experience from this public contact.