Mijts, Eric

Position / Title

Senior Coordinator SISSTEM and Coordinator of UA Research Center

Department

Faculty of Arts and Science

Email Address

eric.mijts@ua.aw

ORCID

0000-0002-5055-8067

Fields of Specialization

Multilingualism
Language policy and planning
Education for sustainable development
Inclusion/exclusion processes
Islandness

Last updated October 21, 2025

Biography

Eric Mijts is a senior researcher at the University of Aruba (UA) and the head of the University of Aruba Research Center (UARC). As a linguist he has been involved in studies in sociolinguistics and decolonial development in the former Dutch Caribbean islands Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Statia and St Martin over the past 25 years. He is (co-)author of numerous publications at the intersection of language, education, law, policy and development in the Caribbean and is the founder of the Caribbean Association for Dutch Studies (CARAN). Dr. Mijts has developed and taught a wide variety of courses in different programs of the UA and as a guest lecturer at institutes in the Caribbean, Americas and Europe. Eric Mijts has built a wide multidisciplinary network in and beyond the Caribbean region as the co-founder and developer of the Academic Foundation Year (AFY), co-founder of the EU funded Sustainable Islands Solutions through STEM project (SISSTEM), and as facilitator of international student research exchange programs.

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 184

Open Access
The GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap: a roadmap for in-depth holistic evaluation of the integration of the GreenComp framework in higher-education curricula
(2025-01) Mertens, Anouk; Eppinga, Maarten; Arens, Patrick; de Scisciolo, Tobia; John, Nigel; Sultan, Salys; Buys, Nadine; Mijts, Eric
Purpose The GreenComp framework identifies 12 competences for sustainability as common ground for higher-education curricula. The framework can be used for self-assessment and the review of curricula. However, a step-by-step method to conduct such a self-assessment is not yet available for the GreenComp framework specifically. Therefore, the authors present the GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap allowing to evaluate the extent to which the frameworks’ competences for sustainability are integrated in higher-education curricula. The application of the GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap to a curriculum taught at the University of Aruba, allows to report on the benefits, limitations and future potential of the approach. Design/methodology/approach The proposed mixed-method approach combines hybrid qualitative and quantitative data collection on the integration of the 12 competences for sustainability of the GreenComp framework in higher-education curricula. The authors showcase its potential through application of the GreenComp framework as an evaluation tool to a science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based bachelor program taught at the University of Aruba. Findings The GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap not only allows for an evaluation of the curriculum and identification of competence gaps. It also supports educators to conduct a self-reflection on individual course(s) and the program as a whole. The paper shows promising results that the roadmap developed could be a reproducible approach. Moreover, it provides guidance to other higher education institutes for self-evaluation and self-reflection on how the competences for sustainability are integrated in their curricula and how this can be enhanced in the future. Originality/value The need to integrate sustainability throughout higher-education curricula is broadly recognized. The GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap contributes to the literature by offering a methodological approach to evaluate the integration of the 12 competences for sustainability throughout a curriculum.
Metadata only
Sustainable Island Solutions through STEM
(2021-06) Mijts, Eric; van Veghel, Amber; Acevedo, Diego; Facun, Kryss
Open Access
Language of Instruction in Sint Eustatius: report of the 2013 research group on language of instruction on Sint Eustatius
(Minsterie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen / Rijksdienst Caraibisch Nederland, 2013) Kester, Ellen-Petra; Faraclas, Nicholas; Mijts, Eric; Mijts, Eric
Metadata only
Internal Communication at the University of Aruba
(Routledge, 2020) Mijts, Eric; Supheert, Roselinde; Bamberger, Fardau; Beerkens, Roos; Le Pichon-Vorstman, Emmanuelle; Supheert, Roselinde; ten Thije, Jan
This contribution describes a study of internal communication at the University of Aruba. The consultancy focused on bottlenecks in internal communication strategies and practices as well as the employees’ experiences and expectations. Interviews and participant observation allowed for an analysis of the use of communication channels, which led to the conclusion that the communication challenges faced by the institute seem to have originated from the growth of the organization rather than from the multicultural society of which it is a part. Changes in organizational culture can have an important impact on communication.
Metadata only
Van Oost Groningen tot Westpunt Aruba : een Koninkrijk met vele culturen. Identiteit en identificatie in het Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
(Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wroclawkiego, 2013) Mijts, Eric
Metadata only
Home languages and higher education : challenges for inclusive higher education language policies for postcolonial small island states in the twenty-first century
(Peter Lang, 2020) Mijts, Eric; Pieters, Danny; Keersmaekers, Thijs
Open Access
The resource (in)suffciency of the Caribbean: analyzing socio-metabolic risks (SMR) of water, energy, and food
(Frontiers, 2023) Martin del Campo, Francisco; Singh, Simron; Mijts, Eric
Introduction: Socio-metabolic risks (SMRs) are systemic risks associated with the availability of critical resources, the integrity of material circulation, and the distribution of their costs and benefits in a socio-ecological system. For resource- stressed systems like small island nations, understanding trade-o􀀀s and synergies between critical resources is not only crucial, but urgent. Climate change is already putting small islands at high risk through more frequent and intense extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and threats of inundation with future sea-level rise. Methods: This study compares the shifting resource-baseline for 14 Caribbean island nations for the year 2000 and 2017. We analyze water, energy, and food (WEF) and their nexus through the lens of SMRs, using indicators related to their availability, access, consumption, and self-sufficiency. Results: Our findings point to the decreasing availability of all three resources within the Caribbean region. Meanwhile, between 2000 and 2017, consumption levels have increased by 20% with respect to water (from 230 to 275 m3/cap/yr) and primary energy (from 89 to 110 GJ/cap/yr), and 5% for food (from 2,570 to 2,700 kcal/cap/day). While universal access to these resources increased in the population, food and energy self-sufficiency of the region has declined. Discussion: Current patterns of resource-use, combined with maladaptive practices, and climate insensitive development—such as coastal squeeze, centralized energy systems, and trade policies—magnify islands’ vulnerability. Disturbances, such as climate-induced extreme events, environmental changes, financial crises, or overexploitation of local resources, could lead to cascading dysfunction and eventual breakdown of the biophysical basis of island systems. This research is a first attempt at operationalizing the concept of SMRs, and offers a deeper understanding of risk-related resource dynamics on small islands, and highlights the urgency for policy response.
Open Access
Environmental science education in a small island state: integrating theory and local experience
(Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2019) Eppinga, Maarten; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Mijts, Eric
The importance of education to address current sustainability challenges in small island states has been widely recognized. Environmental education may increase knowledge, while also increasing environmental awareness and motivating students to become agents of change. Student engagement in introductory environmental science courses may benefit from operationalizing abstract concepts by embedding course material and activities within this local context. Here, we describe an introductory course in environmental science that has been tailored to the local context of a small island state in the Caribbean. In addition to reaching academic course goals, pre- and post-course surveys showed that course participants’ environmental awareness increased on the dimensions ‘Personal Value System’ and ‘Willingness to Take Environmental Action’. The described course provides a template for the development of a low-cost introductory environmental science course that integrates general theory and application within the context of Caribbean island states.
Restricted
The 21st annual Eastern Caribbean island cultures conference ‘Islands in Between’ University of Aruba 15-17 November, 2018.
(2018-11) Mijts, Eric; Rodríguez Iglesias, Carlos; Lozano-Cosme, Jenny
Open Access
Putting sustainability research into practice on the university campus. An example from a Caribbean small island state
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020) Eppinga, Maarten; Lozano-Cosme, Jenny; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Arens, Patrick; Santos, Maria J.; Mijts, Eric
Purpose Despite increasing efforts to incorporate sustainability in curricula and practices of institutions of higher education, effective implementation remains challenging. The purpose of this study is to present an approach to incorporate sustainability into a practice-oriented research skills course, which was implemented at a small island state university in the Caribbean. Design/methodology/approach First-year university students followed a four-week course module, starting with the introduction of the sustainable development goals, and culminating in a symposium in which the students present the findings of their research projects to the campus community. Pre-course module and post-course module surveys measured the students’ knowledge and perceptions regarding sustainability. These survey results were also compared with the result of a similar survey held for the university’s employees. Findings The survey results suggested that following the course module increased students’ knowledge about sustainable development, as well as their support for the university campus and its community putting more emphasis on teaching, practicing and encouraging sustainability. Interestingly, university employees scored significantly higher on the latter component than students, suggesting that in this case a lack of interest of the staff is not a barrier toward a sustainable campus. Originality/value The presented course module offers a novel and low-cost approach to introducing sustainability into a broad range of academic curricula, specifically tailored to the needs of institutes of higher education in small island states. The survey results suggest that this type of education may not only ensure reaching academic goals but also increase students’ interest in sustainable development within their local environment.