Why choose to study in the Netherlands

 

◆ Studying in the Netherlands, we teach in English!

 

Although the Netherlands is a small country, the flat terrain can give you a broad view. Is this also true of intellectual life in the Netherlands? Is the Netherlands an ideal country for students who intend to study abroad? Is that a good place to cultivate an international outlook?

 

Facts speak louder than words

Some facts are self-evident. Dutch higher education institutions provide a total of more than 1,000 courses and subjects taught in English for international students from all over the world to study. The Dutch Parliament enacted a new law in 2001 to allow higher education institutions to adopt an internationally universal master's degree system to replace the traditional Dutch degree and title system. Major higher education institutions are now committed to promoting reforms, and most of them were completed in 2004. Although higher education institutions across the European Union will adopt the same measures sooner or later, the Netherlands insists on taking the lead in reforms and not lagging behind. But is this the only reason to choose to study in the Netherlands? No, there is more.

 

About the Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Netherlands, and it is indeed a small country geographically. In terms of population, the Netherlands has a population of as much as 17 million, which is a medium-sized member of the European Union. The standard of living in the Netherlands is quite high, with an average national income of US$50,846 per year, making it one of the richest countries in the world. The accumulation of these wealth relies on transnational service industries, trade, industry and high-tech agriculture. In addition, the Netherlands is also among the top three or four net grain exporters in the world. Rotterdam has been the world's largest port for decades. Schiphol Airport is the core of the European air transportation network. Many Asian and American companies have also chosen to locate their European headquarters in the Netherlands.

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Why is the Netherlands bigger than it looks on the map? The main reason is that the Netherlands is located in the delta where the four major rivers in Europe flow into the North Sea. To survive in such a humid environment, the Dutch have developed advanced technologies for building dikes and channels and other water conservancy projects for thousands of years. But more importantly, perhaps these big rivers have made the Netherlands a port for all of Europe, where freight and crowds converge. This makes the Netherlands a trading nation, or in the words of the former Minister of Culture, the Netherlands is "a treasure house of global ideas."

 

A strong international tradition

When the Netherlands established the first universities in the 16th and 17th centuries, intellectuals throughout Europe chose to print books in the Netherlands because their ideas could be expressed freely here. The spirit of current Dutch higher education is based on such academic freedom. But the Dutch have always been pragmatic, so freedom must have its effect. If the Netherlands is to maintain a high standard of living, it must continue to be at the forefront of technology. All this requires huge investment. Between 1998 and 2002, the national education budget grew by 30%, reaching an annual level of 23,111 million Euros. Today, the Netherlands has 85 higher education institutions with a total of approximately 455,000 students. Among them, more than 80,000 students graduate from these schools and enter the workplace every year.

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The characteristic of Dutch society lies in its strong international color. The newsstand sells books, newspapers and magazines from all over the world. The number of British and American books imported by the Netherlands is far more than any other non-English-speaking country. Almost all Dutch people speak English, usually more than one other foreign language. The university library has a rich collection of books, and the sources are also from all over the world. If you browse the catalog of any library, you will find that the "Treasure House of Global Ideas" is really close at hand.

 

Quality-guaranteed Dutch education system In the Netherlands, from elementary schools to graduate-level research institutes, all are funded by the government. The Dutch government also closely monitors the quality of education through the supervision of the education department. Nevertheless, the Dutch government never stipulates which courses or textbooks should be adopted, nor does it advocate any specific educational concepts. The Dutch government only formulates regulations for the length of study and the degree of academic ability that should be achieved. Therefore, the educational institutions in the Netherlands are all-encompassing, each has its own characteristics, and some even have their own unique conceptual backgrounds.

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In the Netherlands, teachers don't just stop at imparting knowledge to students. Their goal is to help young students discover knowledge for themselves and develop mature judgments on that knowledge. Therefore, students must be able to communicate with other people from different cultures, which is why learning foreign languages ​​is so important in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school and middle school. In the Netherlands, almost everyone who has finished elementary school has passed the national English proficiency test and even knows another foreign language. In addition to receiving general higher education taught in Dutch, many Dutch people also choose subjects and courses of study taught in English, and the number of these subjects or courses is constantly increasing.

 

Education system Higher education institutions in the Netherlands can be divided into three main types. General universities provide research-oriented education, while the professional education universities commonly known as hogescholen in the Netherlands provide higher professional education. The third type is the International Education Institute. All three types of educational institutions offer international courses at different levels and taught in English.

 

Bachelor's degree: The length of study for most bachelor's degree programs ranges from 3 to 4 years.

Master's degree: The length of study for master's degree programs ranges from 12 months to 24 months.

Doctoral degree: To enter the doctoral degree program, applicants must have a master's degree and perform well, including research training. Applicants will be individually reviewed.

 

Universities in the Netherlands usually start in September and continue until mid-June of the following year. A few universities start in the spring, so the entire academic year is from February to December. The Netherlands is a multilingual country. International subjects are taught in English throughout the whole course, which is very convenient for international students. All school activities are also conducted in English. Since all Dutch people can use English, life in the Netherlands is like living in other English-speaking countries.

Higher education in the Netherlands enjoys an international reputation. This is not only because of Nobel Prize winners such as the Ding Bergen brothers (Jan is the winner of the Economics Prize and Nico is the winner of the Medical Prize), but more importantly, the average level of graduates. Generally speaking, students who have completed higher education courses in the Netherlands can fully grasp the breadth and depth of theories required for creative work in their academic fields. The focus of most course plans is nothing more than writing reports, group research to analyze and solve specific problems, internships to gain practical work experience, and experiments in laboratories. On the one hand, the workplace environment is closely integrated with social needs, and on the other hand, it also takes into account higher education and research. The Dutch government spends nearly 2.5 billion euros (2.7 billion US dollars) annually to fund basic research conducted by universities, research institutions, and private companies.

 

[International courses are taught entirely in English]
There are more than 1,000 international courses taught entirely in English. Due to the fast progress and high level of these courses, all students must have good listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English. Internationalization is already an established policy of Dutch educational institutions. Most schools are looking for partners from other countries, usually with the purpose of exchanging students. Due to the use of English teaching, visiting students can save the trouble of learning Dutch. This means that anyone who comes to the Netherlands for short-term study or research from other countries usually does not feel the language barrier.

 

[Higher education with strong internationalization]
In such a strong international environment, it is no wonder that Dutch higher education institutions are willing to offer courses in English teaching for international students. Whether it’s from civil engineering to music, or from agricultural science to communications research, no other non-English-speaking country in the world offers such a wide range of options. Most of the courses are based on obtaining a master's degree, of course, you can also study for a doctoral degree, and these courses are taught for bachelor's degree. In addition, there are many highly specialized short-term courses, but they are not within the scope of the degree system. However, in all these study abroad courses and subjects, the different nationalities of the students will be taken into consideration. The course content also takes into account the current development of the domestic and global situations in the Netherlands.

 

One of the important features of Dutch higher education is that it provides another advantage for international students. Students who are educated in the Netherlands know how to cultivate their own views and develop their creativity. Internships, project research, and report writing-and often custom topics-are important elements of all courses. Students can choose topics related to their own country or career.

 

【Quality of Higher Education】
In this context, the high quality of Dutch higher education is what you can expect. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science adopts a peer-to-peer evaluation system, convening independent professionals at home and abroad to conduct regular evaluations of various training courses to ensure the quality of education. The report results will be published in the media and accepted for public comment, so it is a very effective mechanism for quality control. If the results are not as expected, the ministry will intervene without hesitation.

 

【Reasonable Tuition】
From the perspective of the students' gains, the tuition fee for studying in the Netherlands is reasonable. On the other hand, reasonable tuition fees are also due to the Dutch government's subsidies for higher education. These factors make students who intend to prepare for life by absorbing the experience of studying abroad consider studying in the Netherlands-especially for those students who want to make the most of every penny. These students should take a closer look at what Holland, the gateway to Europe, can bring to you. Let’s take a trip to Holland via the Internet!

 

【Student Culture】
Although higher education institutions are scattered all over the country and even in cities, there is definitely a so-called student culture. Every school has a network of student clubs, such as school-related activities, sports and leisure clubs. These clubs are run by students, and some of them are international in nature. All clubs receive at least indirect assistance from the school, such as office space and supplies, telephones and computers, and other facilities. Sometimes, student clubs even get financial assistance directly from the school. Students also have their favorite pubs, restaurants and meeting places. The Dutch higher education community is to become a part of society, not to be outside the society. The Netherlands is a country that pursues internationalization, it is very friendly and there is absolutely no obvious problem of racial discrimination.

Due to many international cooperation and exchange students' course plans, more and more international students are choosing to study abroad or complete their studies in the Netherlands, or even pursue a doctorate degree. These students will soon realize that higher education in the Netherlands represents many opportunities in the future, but it also means that great efforts must be made. Students must be able to judge what they see and hear, and be able to act independently.

It is not difficult for international students from other countries to notice that in Dutch higher education institutions, everyone must speak frequently. The most common form of teaching is thematic discussion or working group. Under the supervision of the teacher, the students in the group must analyze a certain problem. They must get together to discuss in small groups, and the content is usually based on a report made by one of the members on a certain level of a specific issue. Teachers inspire students to look at problems with a critical eye, and every student must actively participate in classroom activities. During the test, students not only have to prove that they understand the content of the class, but also that they have a complete and independent view of the topic.

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The Netherlands is located right in the center of a complete transportation network consisting of air, sea, river, land and rail transportation extending in all directions. Rotterdam is the world's largest port, where millions of tons of cargo are loaded and unloaded every day. Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport is the fourth largest passenger and cargo airport in Europe. The Netherlands accounts for 53% of the traffic on the Rhine and Maas rivers, while 27% of trucks in Europe use Dutch roads.

 

The Netherlands is located where the cultures of Germany, Britain and France meet. It is not difficult to find this as soon as the TV is turned on. In this country with well-developed cable television facilities, almost every household can receive TV programs from neighboring countries and even more distant regions. This phenomenon is also obvious in ordinary bookstores in the Netherlands. The number of original English books imported by the Netherlands is unmatched by any other non-English-speaking country. Elseviers Science Publishing, the world's largest publishing house for scientific books and magazines, is also located in the Netherlands. All the films from various countries shown in theaters are broadcast in the original sound. In addition to ordinary church towers and synagogues, more and more minarets of Muslim monasteries can also be seen in metropolises. It’s as easy to do the Latin dance salsa whenever you want, as it is in Latin America. And Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, and even fast foods, are gradually becoming more familiar just like ordinary Dutch food.

 

In this context, it is not surprising that the Netherlands has actively promoted international cooperation in many aspects. For example, the Netherlands is one of the founding members of the United Nations. In some United Nations organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the important role played by the Netherlands far exceeds the expectations of the world for such a small country. The amount of funds provided by the Netherlands to the United Nations is also greater than its share in the United Nations.

 

When most people think of Holland, the first things that come to mind are tulips, windmills and wooden shoes. But as early as the beginning of the 17th century, the Netherlands was one of the first countries to join the ranks of developed countries, and much of its wealth came from overseas colonies. Today, the Netherlands is still one of the most advanced countries in the world.

 

For hundreds of years, the Dutch economy has always had a global outlook, and its image as a trading power has never changed. The prosperous and stable economy of the Netherlands is mainly due to the consultation and coordination between the government, management and trade unions. The Netherlands plays an important role in the global trading system and is a major operating center for many multinational companies. It is also home to many multinational companies, such as Philips, Unilever, AKZO NOBEL, and Shell. According to the forecast of the authoritative British Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the Netherlands will be the first choice for global business investment for at least the next five years.

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Fully understand what the Dutch people say in their small size. Therefore, for many centuries, the Netherlands has maintained an open and tolerant attitude towards the world in terms of business, social life or culture. Innovation and culture The Netherlands has successfully combined history and traditional culture with innovation, modernization and internationalization. The Netherlands, whose export industry is represented by tulips, is the country that imports the most English books among non-English speaking countries. Currently, the number of people using the Internet in the Netherlands ranks among the top in the world. But while the Dutch are traveling in the high-tech world, they also enjoy the leisurely stroll along the ancient canals that run through the town. This contrast is very "Dutch!!" and does not conflict.

 

Geographical environment

 

The Netherlands is located in western Europe, with Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North and the West facing the North Sea. More than 16 million people live on this piece of land only slightly larger than 41,000 square kilometers. When you arrive in the Netherlands, you will immediately be amazed by the scenery that enters your eyes, because the land of the Netherlands is extremely flat. Although there are several hills in the southeast of the Netherlands, these hills are also insignificant under the vast sky unique to the Netherlands. In addition, sparkling water waves can be seen everywhere, with countless lakes, rivers and canals all over the Netherlands.

 

The Netherlands is located in a flat and low-lying delta, and a quarter of the country's land is below sea level. Because of this extremely unsatisfactory terrain, the Netherlands has the best embankment dam in the world. At present, several Dutch companies are actively participating in water protection projects and sea sand reclamation projects all over the world. In the seventeenth century, wind was the most important energy source. Windmills are not only used to grind grain, their functions also include pumping water from low-lying open land, starting a saw to cut wood to build ships, and starting hammers for beating purposes. Some windmills can even be used to make paint. To this day, there are only less than a thousand surviving ancient windmills, which are preciously preserved by the Dutch government as a national heritage, reminding us that windmills once played an important role in promoting the economy.

 

political

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy and adopts a bicameral parliament and universal suffrage based on the proportional representation system. This system means that many political parties can win seats in the parliament without a single party dominating the parliament. Since the government must obtain the support of a majority of the parliament in order to retain power, the parliamentary cabinet chaired by the prime minister is usually composed of a coalition of multiple political parties. The constitutional monarchy symbolizes the unity of the nation and has representative characteristics. Therefore, most of the population in the Netherlands are loyal supporters of the constitutional monarchy and the Dutch royal family. The political tendencies of the Dutch are roughly the same as those of other Western European countries. The three main moderate political parties are the Social Democratic Party, the Christian Democratic Party, and the Liberal Party. Compared with the three major moderate mainstream factions, the remaining small political parties usually appear more intense.

 

As early as the early seventeenth century, the Netherlands had already entered the ranks of advanced countries with the huge wealth earned by trade. The Netherlands is located in the delta where the major rivers in Europe merge into the North Sea, so it relies on an ideal geographical location to become the trade and transportation center of Western Europe. If you know that Dutch merchant ships transported 90% of Europe's cargo to all parts of the world, it is not difficult to understand why the seventeenth century was a famous golden age in Dutch history. Today, international trade is still the main economic lifeline for the growth of the Netherlands. In fact, the Netherlands is the world's top ten major exporters. Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe, was the world's largest seaport before being surpassed by Shanghai in 2004. Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is one of the major airports in Europe.

 

Several well-known multinational banks in the international financial world, such as ING and Rabobank, which are among the top 20 in the world, are all from the Netherlands. Philips is a Dutch company, and Dutch businessmen also hold more than half of the shares in Shell and Unilever. The CD was developed by Philips, and DJ Tiësto, who is popular all over the world, is also Dutch.

 

The Netherlands exports its agricultural products to all parts of the world, and Dutch agricultural products account for 7.7% of the global market. The Netherlands, which has the reputation of "European Garden", is also the world's major exporter of vegetables. The Dutch flower market share is as high as 60% in the global market. High-tech-led production methods combined with modern management have brought high productivity, high quality, and high revenue to Dutch agriculture.

 

The Dutch enjoy an urbanized and international lifestyle. They live in cities that are built with humane design as the starting point. These cities fully blend traditional and modern buildings. Each major city in the Netherlands has its own unique characteristics, even if they are geographically close. The inhabitants of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrez are about 10 million people. Amsterdam, with its historical sites, magnificent buildings, museums and circular canals running through the city, attracts many tourists. However, The Hague, Delft, Harlem, Utrez, Groningen, and Maastricht also each have historical buildings, museums, traditional customs and sightseeing spots with local colors. Rotterdam is famous for its breathtaking modern buildings, such as the famous Erasmus Bridge, which is known as the "swan" by local residents.
Traveling in the Netherlands, as long as you rely on bicycles or trains, you can travel in all directions. And besides work or studying, there are many entertainment programs and cultural activities waiting for you to enjoy it. For more information, please visit www.holland.com.

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Country name: Kingdom of the Netherlands, usually referred to as Holland or the Netherlands

Capital: Amsterdam

Administrative center where the government agency is located: The Hague

Area: 41,543 square kilometers, approximately 1.14 times the area of ​​Taiwan Population: approximately 16.97 million people

 

Politics:
. A constitutional monarchy, with King William-Alexander as the head of state.
. The legislative power belongs to the Congress, the executive power belongs to the king and the cabinet, and the cabinet actually holds the power. The parliament is divided into one house (the upper house or the senate) and the second house (the lower house or the house of representatives)

 

Economy:

The GDP in 2016 was 865.9 billion U.S. dollars (approximately 26.5 trillion Taiwan dollars), and the per capita value was 50,846 U.S. dollars (approximately 1.557 million Taiwan dollars). The unemployment rate is 5.8%.

Race: 90% of the residents are native Dutch, 7% of the residents are related to the following countries: other EU countries, Indonesia, Suriname, Turkey, Morocco, the Netherlands Antilles and Aluba. Foreign residents: 3 million people (non-Dutch nationality).

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Religion:

52% Christianity, 40% have no specific religious beliefs, and 8% belong to other religious beliefs.

Official language: Dutch. Almost everyone can speak English, especially in larger cities or towns. In the northern province of Frisland, the second language of about 600,000 people is Frisland.

 

Currency: Euro

Living standard: The average monthly consumption of an average student is between 700 to 1,000 Euros.

Main airport: Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the fourth largest airport in Europe.

Main port: Rotterdam, the largest sea port in Europe.

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Website: Please refer to the Dutch government portal http://www.government.nl

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