Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences

In January 2008 the Minister for Education Ronald Plasterk announced that his ministry and associated executive agencies will use the name 'Universities of Applied Sciences' (UAS) to refer in English to institutions offering profession-oriented study programmes. In recent years, the universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands have grown from teaching institutions to broad-based knowledge institutions. In their dealings with overseas contacts, many of them have already been expressing this fact in the English name they use. The result was that a whole variety of names was in concurrent use. This in turn led to puzzlement from students, teachers, officials and policymakers, especially those at overseas institutions. This is not good for the image that Dutch higher education wishes to portray in the rest of the world. The new name – University of Applied Sciences – is in keeping with current international convention. The term also makes it clear that the universities of applied sciences are broad-based and conduct both teaching and research with a focus on practical application. Clarity in the naming of the universities of applied sciences increases the transparency of Dutch higher education in the overseas marketplace and recognized the unique character of universities of applied sciences within the Dutch system. It is also useful within the bachelor-master structure to distinguish between pure academic and profession-oriented learning. The universities focusing on pure academic learning and research will continue to be known as Research Universities in English. The name University of Applied Sciences will be used by all multidisciplinary institutions offering profession-oriented learning. Institutions that concentrate entirely or largely on the arts, teacher training, agriculture or hospitality may adopt a name other than ‘university of applied sciences’. A consultation period will be used to decide on the English names that these institutions will use. A final decision is expected in summer 2008.// Source Nuffic.nl