Netherlands

The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country located in northwestern Europe with overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces; it borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coastline to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. The official language is Dutch, with West Frisian as a secondary official language in the province of Friesland. Dutch, English, and Papiamento are official in the Caribbean territories.

ECONOMY
Since the 16th century, shipping, fishing, agriculture, trade, and banking have been leading sectors of the Dutch economy. The Netherlands has a high level of economic freedom. The Netherlands is one of the top countries in the Global Enabling Trade Report (2nd in 2016), and was ranked the fifth most competitive economy in the world by the Swiss International Institute for Management Development in 2017. The country was ranked the 7th most innovative nation in the world in the 2023 Global Innovation Index down from 2nd in 2018.

CULTURE
The Dutch are proud of their cultural heritage, rich history in art, and involvement in international affairs. A predominant attitude in the Netherlands is to think of the nation as being "both tolerant and cosmopolitan.”
A Dutch saying indicating their sense of national pride in their reclamation of land from the sea and marshes is "God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands." Dutch manners are open and direct with a no-nonsense attitude—informality combined with adherence to basic behavior. "Dealing with the Dutch" by Jacob Vossestein states: "Dutch egalitarianism is the idea that people are equal, especially from a moral point of view, and accordingly, causes the somewhat ambiguous stance the Dutch have towards hierarchy and status."

FOOD
The Netherlands are known for varieties of meals, amongst are poffertjes, hollandse nieuwe haring, pannenkoeken, sate, stamppot, oliebollen, erwtensoep, to mention but a few.
Netherlands meals are adaptable to by international students and perfect for persons that love to explore cultural meals across the world. International students also have the free will to make their own meals.

TRANSPORTATION
The Netherlands is a small, densely populated country with a highly effective public transport network. No matter where you want to go in the Netherlands, you can get there easily and comfortably by train, bus, tram, metro or ferry. You can even rent bicycles at the train stations and safely cycle on our bike paths.
ACCOMMODATION

In the Netherlands, students usually don’t live on campus but live in student houses across the city.
Some higher education institutions do have some on-campus housing. A prospective student can check at his or her institution whether they can arrange a room for him or her.

WEATHER
The Netherlands may be a small country; however, each province has its own weather conditions. The weather in coastal provinces is more moderate whereas inland more extreme weather is to be expected. The biggest chance of enjoying sunshine is along the coast, particularly in Zeeland and upper North Holland and on the Walden Islands.

WHY STUDY IN NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands is a unique non-Anglophone country, where approximately 95% of locals speak English. This factor makes living, studying, and working in the Netherlands very convenient, comfortable and pleasant for international students. The Netherlands is also very open and tolerant, welcoming everyone to share their opinions and express themselves. This is very much encouraged during your studies.

Studying in the Netherlands is not that expensive, compared with other English- speaking countries such as the UK or US. Dutch higher education is subsidized by the government and tuition fees are relatively low. With the country’s renowned standard of education and comparatively low cost of living, studying in the Netherlands will give you true value for money.
In addition, many Dutch universities offer grants and scholarships that can reduce or fully cover the tuition fees of study programs.

The Dutch educational system is of high quality and Dutch universities are acknowledged worldwide for their well-designed, modern courses and facilities. The teaching style focuses on teamwork, which makes it easy for international students in the Netherlands to meet Dutch people as well as other international students.
Dutch universities place a strong emphasis on good personal relations between professors and students. Most tutorials and seminars take place in small groups of around 15-30 students. Most of your coursework will consist of group work, developing not only your academic skills but also your ability to work together as part of a team.
Dutch universities include many practical elements in their degree courses. There is a high emphasis on relevant practical experiences, and universities have a lot of partnerships with Dutch companies, as well as international ones.
As well as general universities, there are also universities of applied sciences, which provide more specialized studies. For those who prefer to gain insights into practical issues, a university of applied sciences might be more attractive. These focus more on practical experiences and less on theoretical and research matters.
Compared with other western European locations, the cost of living in the Netherlands is relatively low. If you are a EU student, you can work 32 hours a month and be eligible for a €265 grant and a student OV-Chipkaart for free public transportation either during

the week or weekends.
As a student, you can also get discounts in many bars, restaurants, museums and cinemas. You can get around town easily on a bicycle. This is not only typically Dutch, but also a cheap means of transportation. You should definitely ask for an ISIC Student Card to get many more benefits and discounts.

The Netherlands is known as the first non-English speaking country in which universities started to design higher education study programs in English, to attract students coming from abroad. More than 2,100 English-taught study programs and courses are available in the Netherlands, covering a broad range of fields, and leading to a bachelor’s, masters, PhD, diploma or certificate.
It certainly does sound great: high-quality, affordable education offered in many disciplines, in an international, open-minded country.

The Netherlands is centrally located in Europe and is in easy reach of all major European cities. The Netherlands is often described as the “gateway to Europe”. It takes only about an hour to fly from Amsterdam to Paris, Berlin, Brussels, or London. It also has great connections and accessibility by train to all major European cities.
The Netherlands also has a well-developed and connected transportation system, and various discounts for students to make travelling quite affordable. As mentioned, when working 32 hours a month, you can also get a student OV-Chipkaart, which gives you access to free public transportation. This makes it very convenient and cheap to explore the whole country. Further, you will love how easy it is to get around with a bike – the preferred means of transportation of the Dutch, and also the cheapest. You can cycle in peace, confidence and tranquility, as there are dedicated roads for cyclists.

The Netherlands has also been recognized as a knowledge center with rich study traditions and well-known universities. Scientific research at Dutch universities is very highly valued at both the national and international level. Education in the Netherlands meets all international standards and is well-reputed worldwide. A diploma from a Dutch university provides an opportunity to start one’s own business and can be very useful in terms of having a successful career in any country of the world.
Â