Seven Dutch universities in top 100

Seven Dutch universities were included in a list of the world's top 100 universities. The Netherlands and Australia finished equal third on the rankings, each with seven universities listed. In a list compiled by British newspaper 'The Times', the US topped the rankings, with 33 universities, followed by the UK with 15. Ranked 67th, the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven is the Netherlands' top ranked tertiary institute, followed by the Universiteit van Amsterdam in 69th place. Other universities mentioned are the Technische Universiteit Delft (86th), the Universiteit Leiden (90th), Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (92nd) and the Universiteit Utrecht (95th). Wageningen Universiteit was the lowest ranked Dutch university, but still scraped into the top 100, finishing with a ranking of 97. The winner was Harvard University in the US, the same as it was last year. Second and third place was taken out by the University of Cambridge and Oxford University in the UK respectively. Source: Expatica.com

EU education systems not producing enough entrepreneurs

According to surveys, 60% of EU citizens have never considered setting up a business. “These figures reflect an attitude that needs to be changed to achieve the Lisbon objectives in terms of growth and employment”, said Commissioner Figel, in charge of education, training, culture, and multilingualism. Speaking at the first ‘Entrepreneurship in Education European Summit’, organised by JA-YE Europe, he stressed: “We need to make our societies and citizens think positively about starting new businesses." According to JA-YE, a provider of enterprise education programmes, entrepreneurship education plays an essential role in shaping attitudes, skills and culture. The earlier and more widespread the exposure to entrepreneurship and innovation, the more likely it is that students will consider becoming entrepreneurs. The commissioner said it is crucial to support the take-up of entrepreneurship programmes, from primary school to university, focusing in particular on secondary schools, where spreading the message: “You can create your own job”, by involving students in mini-companies for instance, can quadruple the chances of young people creating their own company. Caroline Jenner, CEO of JA-YE Europe said: “It is our intention that 90% of our member nations will be running a full roster of transnational programmes – something for every age group – by 2010. Each programme will have a European dimension and each programme will involve business people in the teaching process.” Source: Euractiv.com

Holland: Residence permit applications are restricted

Immigrants will in future only be allowed to submit one application for a regular residence permit, either for work, study or family unification, the Dutch Parliament decided recently. The proposal was lodged by right-wing party Geert Wilders during general discussions around government policy and the budget. Members of Parliament (MPs) backed the proposal, calling on the Cabinet to amend current regulations. Up until now, foreigners can submit an unlimited number of applications for a residence permit and remain in the Netherlands waiting for their assessment. Wilders said foreigners are therefore staying unnecessarily long in the Netherlands, stressing that this undermined the nation's repatriation policy. The former Liberal VVD MP also wanted to reduce pressure on the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and the nation's courts. Restricting the number of applications for residence permits will lighten the workload. A majority of MPs — including the government coalition parties Christian Democrat CDA and Liberal VVD — supported the proposal. The populist LPF also backed the motion. Source:Expatica.com

MEPs want larger 'European dimension' in national education

MEPs want larger 'European dimension' in national education The Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education has adopted a non-binding report on support measures to include the 'European dimension' in school curricula. The Committee wants EU national education systems to ensure that their pupils have, by the end of their secondary education, the necessary knowledge and competences to prepare them for their roles as future EU citizens. Teaching geography, history and foreign languages in particular "grant considerable status to the European dimension in education," the Committee believes. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

VU professor Elies Steygers talks about smokers’ rights

Vrij University of Amsterdam: professor Elies Steygers talks about smokers’ rights in the newspaper "Trouw". Job applicants who smoke needn’t worry about missing out on career opportunities as a result. The European Commission recently announced that employers have the right to refuse smokers, but in practice the situation is not that straightforward. ”It’s simply not feasible,” argues Elies Steygers, Professor of European Administrative Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Lawyers who specialize in employment law reckon that an employer has no control over what his personnel do or don’t do in their own time. Read more and see the fees: Eurogates. Forum of education news

HAN University: Bachelor programme in logistics (LO)

During a two-week tour a rock band will give nine performances in different sports stadiums. At a music shop you will get a new DVD as a gift during a short sales promotion. These activities require an effective logistical organisation. The Logistics study programme (LO) trains students to become specialists in the field of distribution and logistics. LO graduates can spot and identify problems in the production and distribution of goods and services and can find satisfactory solutions on the basis of an analysis of alternatives. LO graduates are specialists in many fields, for example, purchasing, production, marketing, automation and cost control. Our study programme pays ample attention to these subjects. In addition, our programme concentrates on internationalisation. LO graduates are generally found in middle management functions, with the prospect of promotion to strategic positions. Their activities mainly target small business, department stores, trade and industry and logistic services, but also non-profit organizations like hospitals, where the flow of goods is an essential part of the primary process. Read more and see the fees: Eurogates. Forum of education news

HAN University: Logistics on the move

Did you know that following the Logistics programme opens up such a wide scala of career possibilities? You can work in purchasing, production logistics, business organisation, and of course, in transportation. All of them are dynamic fields of work. Or does aviation appeal to you more? Simone Smedes, a 3rd year student of Logistics, talks about her choice: Why logistics? My parents had a small transport firm, so that’s why logistics was a logical choice for me. I am really glad that I chose Logistics at Arnhem. The programme is small-scale and that means you get more attention and have good contacts with the lecturers. They are also closely involved with their field in practice and that means lively and interesting lectures and realistic projects. Added to that, Arnhem is a friendly city with an inviting social life. In my case, I regularly go to the bars on the HAN campus: HANgar and Place 99. Read more and see the fees: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Wittenborg University: Bachelor Final Year Programmes

The Final Year for Undergraduate students is aimed at bringing undergraduate students to the Bachelor level in their chosen specialization. The Wittenborg Final Year is different from that of other institutions in that it uses an in-company approach: Students learn that a combination of tasks, projects, training seminars and research constitute personal development in any business environment. Wittenborg's Final Year in Business is made up of three significant areas, namely The Tutoring and Language Programme, The Employment Preparation Programme and the main subject Week to Week programme - a series of theme weeks with one of training days and seminars. Read more and see the fees: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Netherlands & Belgium: Same language, different people

Belgian Gwendolyn Lootens speaks Flemish but she tells Nicole van Schaijik about the differences she has noticed between Amsterdam and her native Ghent. The greatest point of difference between Belgium and the Netherlands, I find, is that people are far more open and spontaneous here. They talk a lot more, a lot louder and they are quicker to begin a conversation with you on the street or in a shop. I think that is great and I find the Dutch are very friendly. Belgians are more modest, closed. They more often walk with their head down and talk far less. Belgians also suppress more and there are more taboos in Belgian society. If you are open about something, people can respond with a look that says 'you can't say that!' Here in the Netherlands you never have to hold yourself back. Personally I am very open, like my father, and therefore not really Belgian. That has come to the fore since moving to the Netherlands. I come from Ghent in Belgium and sometimes I felt restricted there. Should I return there I will certainly not let myself be limited again, never again. It is good to be open. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Companies across Europe begin to reorganise their pensions

As part of the general effort to tackle obstacles to employee mobility, companies across Europe are beginning to reorganise their pension schemes. Natasha Gunn looks at how a recent directive from the European Commission aims to facilitate the process. European graduate Maria was thrilled to accept a job offer with a European company shortly after her 21st birthday. Two years later, she was entitled to become a member of the organisation's pension scheme. At 27 Maria received a lucrative job offer from another organisation in another member state. However, there was a catch. Her first company's pension scheme contained a clause stating that an employee must be 30 to have built up pension rights. Maria was faced with the choice of pursuing a career opportunity but losing her pension rights — receiving back only her own contributions to the scheme, or staying on in her current position until she reached the qualifying age. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

The Amsterdam MBA: Class of 2006-2007 is almost complete

The second class of The Amsterdam MBA is almost complete. We are very glad to announce that after a successful first year the second year looks even better. In a very competitive market we have succeeded to realize growth in all respects. This brings us again closer to our final goal: not to become the biggest, but the best! On 8 September we expect around 30 students to come to the Amsterdam Business School for the official start of The Amsterdam MBA. This is an increase of approximately 40% compared to our first intake. The number of applications has shown similar growth, meaning that we have been able to remain very selective. Our recruitment efforts are all the more remarkable if compared with the global trends that show a decline in applications for most types of MBAs in the past 3 years (GMAC®, 2005). Where numbers are important to create a critical mass in class, variety of students in terms of age, nationality, professional experience and educational background is maybe even more important in order for students to reap optimal benefits from interaction during the course of their MBA. An MBA taught in cosmopolitan Amsterdam should in our view be very international and at the moment of writing it looks as if we will have 17 different nationalities represented in class from all over the globe. About 30% from the students will come from Asia, 30% from Europe, 20% from North and South America and 20% from Africa. Not only the student body will be very international, our faculty is as well. Our students can expect to be taught by professors from the Netherlands, Mexico, the United States of America, India, Britain, France, Australia, Belgium (a.o.) Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Han University: Bachelor in Communication ( CO)

Nokia has introduced a new mobile telephone into the market. How can the company reach its target group? How can a company ensure that the media publishes its press release? A Communicationgraduate knows the answers to these questions. The Communication study programme (CO) trains students to become specialists in the field of business, marketing and corporate communication. CO students learn to formulate strategic communication plans which must include internal communication external communication and public relations. They also learn how to draw a (marketing) communication research plan. Furthermore they learn about advertising and how important it is for a company to have a good advisor. Applying skills in practice is an essential part of the CO study programme. Examples of these are designing adds, leaflets and brochures, designing an internet page connected to a database and using direct marketing to get the highest response. Students form their own advertising agency with fellow students, which is an important contribution to future functions. Students also have the opportunity to compete with other CO students for the best strategic integrated plans in the Integrated Communication Game. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Tilburg University: tuition fees per programme 2006-2007

The number of English-taught programmes at Dutch institutions of higher education continues to rise. The Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic) predicts an increase of more than 100 programmes this coming year. By the start of the 2007-2008 academic year the total number of programmes in English is expected to reach 1,168. Tilburg University currently has 28 English-taught Bachelor and Master programmes, up from 24 in 2005. Read more and see the fees: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Tilburg University: tuition reduction for non- EU citizens

For the academic year 2007/2008, the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration has a maximum of 10 partial tuition waivers (reduction) available. Do you qualify for this waiver? These waivers are only available for excellent graduate students from outside the EEA who are applying for the one-year master’s programme in Economics and Finance of Aging. How much will the fee reduction be? The tuition fee will be reduced to the non-EEA Bachelor’s fee (waiver of approximately € 3500,-). The tuition fees for academic year 2007/2008 will be announced around January 2007 on the website. The current tuition fees are also available on this website and give you an idea of the costs. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Euro*MBA: participants profile of intake september 2006

Short profile: September 2006, 14 participants start the Euro MBA programme. The nationanilities of the participants are Dutch (7), Czech (2), French (3), German (1)and American (1).Four female and ten male. Positions vary from logistic manager, medical systems engineer, institutional donor account manager, offshore installation manager, ceo/owner to financial controller and sales manager. Some of the sectors that are represented: NGO, Gaz-Oil, Chemical, Medical devises, Pharmaceuticals, IT consulting, Construction, Welding services and systems Address: Eurogates. Forum of education news

EU qualifications framework easies student & worker mobility

"People in Europe too often face obstacles when they try to move from one country to another to learn or work, or when they want to build upon previous education or training," said Education and Training Commissioner Ján Figel’, launching the Commission proposal for a recommendation on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning, on 5 September 2006. The proposed European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is designed to function as a 'translation device' to make relationships between education and training qualifications of different national systems clearer. It is expected to make European general and adult education, vocational education and training systems more transparent and accessible and is, therefore, expected to enhance student and worker mobility. The main element of the EQF is a set of eight reference levels describing learners' knowledge, skills and competences at each level and 'learning outcomes', in essence what a learner knows, understands and is able to do. The EQF reference levels thus represent a shift from the traditional approach, which emphasises learning inputs (length of a learning experience, type of institution). Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Dutch student grant can be used for study abroad

Dutch students will soon be able to study anywhere in the world and still receive a student grant from the Dutch government, just like domestic students. This was recently announced by the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, Mr Bruno Bruins. He noted that this plan has the support of the entire Dutch government. In an interview with De Telegraaf, the largest daily newspaper in the Netherlands, Bruins is quoted as saying, “There are currently many more foreign students coming to the Netherlands than vice versa. That needs to change if we want to keep our international outlook. Making student grants and loans portable will give this ambition a major boost.” Dutch students can normally expect to get a grant of about 250 euros a month. If their parents have a low income, students can also take out a loan which is paid back later at a reduced rate of interest. Despite this, many Dutch students prefer to take a part-time job for a few hours a week rather than end up in debt. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

10,000 Dutch dissertations go online

Professor Kees Blom, Vice-Chancellor of Radboud University Nijmegen, launched the national dissertation website on Wednesday. All universities in the Netherlands are taking part in the project. Now everyone can have access to new and often ground-breaking research being carried out in the Netherlands, the DAREnet organisation said. Over 2,500 doctoral dissertations, many by young scientists, are completed in the Netherlands every year. Until now these research papers were hard to access by outsiders while the works themselves were often left untouched on library shelves or in attics. "The quality of doctoral research is very high and therefore Dutch universities have a duty to bring as much as possible to the outside world," Professor Henk Zijm, Chancellor of Twente University said. Address: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Europeans willing to work longer ... for more pay

Around 70% of the workers interviewed in five countries (UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany) expressed a desire to work a longer working week if they were paid more. Not surprisingly, France, which has a mandatory 35-hours working week, has the highest number of interviewees expressing a wish to work more (75%). When asked whether governments should be allowed to establish mandatory retirement ages, the results are mixed. In the UK, 22% say yes with 65% rejecting a government-set retirement age. French and German workers also do not want their governments to decide when they should retire but the margins are much smaller (France 42% yes and 51% no; Germany 34% yes and 54% no). However, in Italy (47% yes- 45% no) and especially in Spain (72% yes - 23% no) people want the government to set the retirement age. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Work permit in NL for a non-EU citizens

There are really only two ways for a non-EU citizen to get a work permit. The first way is to apply directly to companies yourself. You cannot use a recruitment agency like Undutchables because our clients require that all candidates have their paperwork in order. This is because it saves the companies a lot of time as they are looking for people who can begin work immediately. Applying for a work permit may take up to 6 months and companies just do not have the time to do that. If, however, you do apply to companies on your own and they would like to hire you, then they will start the permit process for you. This is not as easy as it sounds. The company has to prove that it is in their best interest to hire you above all other Dutch and EU candidates. They also have to prove that the job has been advertised for at least six weeks and that they have interviewed Dutch and EU candidates, yet you were the best person for the job. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

EU countries not recognizing each other’s qualifications

The European Commission has taken action against France, Italy and Spain for not recognizing professional qualifications earned in other member states. Some Italian nationals, for example, were refused access to the Spanish labour market because they were told that their engineering qualifications were not valid in Spain. In Greece, architectural qualifications were evaluated incorrectly, and France was given a warning by the Commission for not recognizing teaching qualifications in the field of special educational needs. The cases were brought before the European Court. The EU requires compliance with all rules relating to the recognition of foreign qualifications for admission to regulated professions. These are professions that can only be practiced by people who have the proper training and qualifications. Complaints about recognition problems can be made to the European Commission. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

In Europe sport jobs are in demand

Sport science and leisure studies has become the fastest growing field for jobs in higher education according to the latest study of movements in the academic employment market. Over two years, the number of academics employed full time in this area has risen by 19% - more than double the growth rate of staff recruitment in any other discipline and more than 7 times that of the sector overall. A Times Higher analysis of data supplied by the Higher Education Statistics (HES) Agency shows that between 2003-04 and 2004-05, the last year for which figures are available, the number of full-time academics in sport science and leisure studies rose by 180 to 1,120. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news

Go Dutch - save a fortune in study fees

Universities in Holland offer first-class postgraduate degrees at a budget price, says Simon Northwood If markets have any place in higher education, and if British postgraduate students are half as bright as they're cracked up to be, there will soon be an exodus to the Continent. This is the logical consequence of the rapid growth in demand for postgraduate qualifications and of our exceptionally high fees compared with those elsewhere in Europe. This demand has grown because increased numbers of graduates and grade inflation have reduced the competitive value of a first degree. On average, today's graduates can expect to earn only £150,000 more in a working lifetime than non-graduates - 10 years ago, it was £400,000. To boost this earnings differential, the modern graduate needs to stand out by adding another degree - a masters or a PhD - to his CV. No wonder that almost four times as many postgraduate degrees were awarded to full-time students last year than 10 years earlier. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news