You can find Dutch people all over the world, whether in the business sector, the football world, the art scene, or the scientific community. They are known to combine scientific insights with a relentless drive for innovation. It is no coincidence that they are known for their knowledge of foreign languages and their love of travel, so the international orientation of the Dutch is not surprising. Over the past few hundred years, many people from all across the world have travelled to what is sometimes called 'the delta on the North Sea.' The 16 million inhabitants of the country are used to working with people from international backgrounds.
The Netherlands' central position in Europe continues to lure internationally-operating companies, organizations and professionals. The port of Rotterdam and Schiphol airport are within easy reach of the capital city Amsterdam, and London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin are just a stone's throw away.
When you visit Holland, you will see that the country is very capable of manifesting itself in an increasingly globalizing world. Its economic, technological, cultural and scientific strengths may surprise you.
English-taught programmes
If you choose to follow a study programme in the Netherlands, you can rest assured that you are investing in your future in the best possible way. Studying in Holland will result in your developing an even more open mind and expanding the international perspective of your field of study.
You may be interested to know that Holland was one of the first non-English speaking countries to develop English-taught study programmes. Today, over 1,400 English-taught programmes and courses are offered, more than in any other country in mainland Europe. The curricula cover virtually every field and have been developed to meet the needs of students who are seeking specific knowledge.
For more information about English-taught study programmes and courses please browse the database at http://www.studyinholland.nl/
Academic mindset
No fewer than 70,000 international students travel to the Netherlands each year. If you study at one of the 14 Research Universities in Holland, you will learn to think academically and to perform research. However, many research university programmes also have an occupation-oriented component and definitely not all graduates choose a research career.
If you become a student at one of the 41 Universities of Applied Sciences, your courses will be largely practical in orientation and you will be expertly prepared for a particular occupation.
Finally, you may choose a programme offered at an Institute for International Education. There are five large institutes of this kind in Holland as well as several smaller ones, all offering courses in the field of development issues. You would be working in multicultural groups under the supervision of teachers who have gained a wealth of experience in developing countries.
The Netherlands has received international recognition for the problem-based learning method that trains students to analyse and solve practical problems. This interactive approach, together with working in groups, ensures that you as an international student can easily become involved in the instructional process.
Quality
The quality of Dutch higher education is excellent. A comprehensive quality assurance system guarantees students that they will get value for money.
The Netherlands-Flanders Accreditation Organization (NVAO) regularly subjects the educational programmes to a stringent assessment process. Only approved programmes are listed on the Central Register of Higher Education Study Programmes (CROHO) and are entitled to award qualifications that are recognized by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science (OCW). Moreover, an 'international students' behaviour code' applies in the Netherlands. This allows education institutions to guarantee students from outside the Netherlands that the information provided, admission procedures, counselling and the courses offered are of a high level.
For more information about quality assurance please take a look at the higher education section at: http://www.studyinholland.nl/
Talented researchers
Apart from bachelor's and master's programme students, many young researchers also travel to the Netherlands, ready to take the next step in their research careers. If you are a talented researcher, in the Netherlands you will have the opportunity to work on your doctorate for four years under the supervision of the best researchers in your field. The research environment in which you will find yourself is recognized as being of a very high quality. According to the Times Higher Education rankings, almost all research universities in the Netherlands are among the top-200 universities in the world. And the Netherlands also occupies a leading position globally in terms of the number of publications in scientific journals in proportion to the number of researchers and the size of its population.
If you come to the Netherlands from outside the European Union to follow a study programme or to perform research for your doctorate, you will need to apply for a visa or a residence permit. However, you will find that the tuition fees are very reasonable compared with other countries. PhD candidates may even be given a temporary job or a grant from the research university.
In short: What's holding you back? By following a programme at a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences, you are ensured that you will acquire high-quality knowledge that will prove its worth anywhere in the world.
Come to the Netherlands and let us open your eyes.
Contributed by:
Netherlands Organization for International Co-operation in Higher Education (NUFFIC). http://www.studyinholland.nl/
Your GoStudy Team
