In this practical summer school on Effective Communication, a social entrepreneur and former diplomat share 20 years of insights for greater impact at work and more fulfillment in relationships. In this highly practical course you will learn to listen more deeply, express needs clearly, manage emotions, navigate conflicts, and connect across differences. Past participants rated this course with a 9.2 out of 10.
In every part of life—whether leading a team, collaborating with colleagues, or building personal relationships—effective communication is what makes understanding and cooperation possible. It bridges differences, turns ideas into action, and transforms conflict into connection. In today’s fast-paced and often polarized world, the ability to communicate with clarity, empathy, and presence is a vital strength. A social entrepreneur and a former diplomat will teach you the most important things about communication that they learned over the past 20 years.
You’ll learn to tune into emotional cues, express yourself clearly, and connect across differences. In a world often divided by misunderstanding or haste, you’ll practice finding common ground and turning difficult conversations into opportunities for insight and growth.
And as a bonus, effective communication doesn’t just help you at work, it enhances your personal life as well. Managing emotions skillfully and engaging in relationships with care brings greater confidence, satisfaction, and well-being.
A highly practical course
This course is highly practical in nature. You will participate in many interactive exercises, receive loads of feedback, and try again on the basis of your personal reflection. We will practice on the basis of case studies that participants bring in. In this way you will be able to use what you learned in the workplace and in your life.
Last year’s UU Summerschools by Jan Reinder and Henrik received a 9.2 out of 10 score by more than 50 participants.
What you’ll learn:
This course is designed to help you deepen your communication skills. You’ll explore how to:
Learn to negotiate a mutually beneficial outcome
Speak with inspiration
Our approach
We blend trusted methods into hands-on exercises that let you discover what works best for you—all in a supportive, relaxed setting. Here’s a glimpse of the tools we use:
What previous participants say:
"The instructors' positive vibe and experience in the different topics as well as their willingness to go above and beyond their role and make a change. Additionally, I liked their rather innovative pedagogical methods which they used to make us comprehend the topics discussed."
"Being primarily exercise based, this course was highly effective for me. I expected I would be on my own to construct situations but this was infinitely better."
"I really appreciated how in-depth we went on an emotional level, how caring the teachers both are and how they managed to create a safe space and how this affected in a positive way to the connection of the group. I will remember the exercises we did for a long time."
"I learned how to express my feelings, how to stay rational during conversations, to present myself better, to be understanding, to negotiate and tools for presentation and most of all to connect to people on a new level."
"I met students from around the world, sharing many new stories about life with people from different backgrounds and learning so many new things."
"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and how it was presented. Top marks to the facilitators for their energy and professional experience which pulled an incredibly diverse group together. Most enjoyable."
How we work:
This course will not have long lectures or endless presentations. This isn’t a traditional course: it’s an experience. There will be brief elements of theory, lots of practice, meaningful feedback, and deep self-reflection. You won’t just use your head—you’ll tap into your feelings, intuition, and embodied wisdom.
As the European Debate Champion, Jan Reinder made his way into the world of training. He founded a company and published The Debate Guide. Yet he feared spending the rest of his life focused only on persuasion and debate, so he became a diplomat. In that role, he served the Netherlands and the European Union, working in places such as Turkey and Brussels. There, he discovered the power of connection.
When he made peace with his family’s history during the Second World War, he no longer felt the need to save the world. That’s why, in 2019, he returned to guiding teams and individuals—this time with a focus on empathy and finding better ways forward together. Transformational work, systemic practice and empathic communication have been essential in Jan Reinder’s personal development, and he now loves sharing some of his insights with others.
Henrik is dedicated to hosting safe and brave spaces for learning, regenerative strategy development, and empathic communication processes.
This can be supporting an international bulk trader developing participatory-decision making processes in their supply-line, developing innovation labs, or facilitating ‘the good talk’ around a campfire. Experiential learning, fun and blended methods are always ingredients of the ‘soup’ when you work with him. Preferably with a touch of nature.
Henrik holds a Research Master of Science in Human Geography and Planning, with a specialisation in International Development Studies. He also holds a coaching degree and is serial social entrepreneur.
On average two thirds of participants to this course are professionals and one third are masters' students.
Every day, we will start at 10.00 hours and we will finish around 15.00 hours. Every day, there will be around one or two hours of homework to prepare for the next day.
The housing costs do not include a Utrecht Summer School sleeping bag and pillow. These are separate products on the invoice. If you wish to bring your own bedding, please deselect or remove the sleeping bag from your order.
