The Netherlands is located in mainland Europe bordering Germany & France and is a founding member of NATO, the EU & the OECD. Holland refers to the central part of the country that comprises of North Holland & South Holland with important cities such as Amsterdam & Rotterdam.
Interestingly, more than 25% of the Netherlands is under sea level. An extensive series of dams, sluices, dykes & storm surge barriers called the Delta works are what keeps the cities from flooding. The Delta works are often considered the 8th wonder of the world.
The Netherlands is the most densely populated nation in Europe and Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities home to at least 200 different nationalities.
In the Netherlands, students benefit from an international & multicultural environment with approximately 122,000 International students from more than 160 countries. The nationalities consist mostly of German, Belgian, Italian, Spanish, British, French & Chinese.
Being a liberal country, the Netherlands is known for its social tolerance. Everyone is welcome to share opinions & express themselves freely.
The high quality Dutch educational system with well-designed facilities and modern courses stands amongst the best in the world. As one of the most innovative countries in the world, students are spoilt for choice as Netherlands has the largest range of english-taught programs across Europe.
Dutch universities generally score very high in international rankings with 9 of the 13 universities in the top 200 worldwide (QS world rankings).
Qualifications from Netherlands meets all international standards & is recognized worldwide.
Teaching is interactive & group-oriented with emphasis on inter-personal relationships to build not only on the academic aspect but skills such as teamwork, creative & analytical thinking and problem solving as well. Professors & students are seen as “equals” to encourage more discussions & questions. Dutch universities also place an emphasis on practical experiences via partnerships with local & international companies.
Holland has a binary education system:
- Research universities (WO) offers research-orientated education
- University of Applied Sciences (HBOs) offer higher professional education that focuses on practical experiences and less on theory & research matters.
Only research universities offer PhD courses.
Try your hand at learning Dutch! In fact, many locals speak a third or fourth language thanks to Netherland’s proximity to Germany, France & Belgium. If new languages aren’t your thing, don’t worry – 95% of Dutch locals speak english as a second language. This makes studying, working & living in Netherlands very convenient & pleasant for international students.
According to English Proficiency Index (EPI), Netherlands has the highest English proficiency in the world amongst non-native english speaking countries.
Netherlands ranks the healthiest country for diet & enjoys one of the longest average life spans in the world. In an Oxfam report, Netherlands was ranked 1st in the world for having the most nutritious, healthy & affordable food among 125 counties.
Dutch people are on average, the tallest people in the world. This is due to environmental factors such as outstanding healthcare & nutrition, low social inequality and heavy consumption of dairy products.
Although there are transport networks in place to help you get from one place to another easily, the preferred mode of transport is on a bike! There are dedicated roads and lanes just for cyclists just about everywhere.
Netherlands enjoys excellent transport links to other major European countries that opens up the opportunity for travel and therefore broaden your study experience. With easy access to countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Spain, Italy, Belgium & Portugal, the country is often described as the “Gateway to Europe”.
Netherlands enjoys the highest number of part-time workers in the EU. International students from outside of the EU are allowed to work up to 10 hours per week and full-time during summer holidays.
International students are also allowed 12 months to look for a job after graduation. With the 17th largest economy in the world and big brands like ING, Shell, Unilever & KLM there are plenty of job opportunities to go around.
With the numerous perks as mentioned, it is no surprise that Netherlands is amongst the top destinations worldwide for international students.
Contact us for more info