Programmes of Saxion Universities

Preparatory Courses • Preparatory Year • Preparatory Semester • Preparatory Short Track Bachelor Courses Bachelor of Business Administration • Accounting and Finance • Marketing • International Business & Management Studies • Hotel Management • Tourism & Leisure Management • Facility Management Bachelor of Environmental Science • Environmental Technology • Environmental Science Bachelor of Built Environment • Urban and Regional Planning and Development Bachelor of Engineering • Electrical & Electronic Engineering • Civil Engineering Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology • Business Information Systems • Information Services and Management Bachelor of Health • Physiotherapy Bachelor of Art and Technology • Bachelor of Art and Technology Master Courses • Master in Business Administration • Master of Arts in Management • Master in New Media and Global Education Master of Science • Facility Management • Real Estate Management • Environmental Science • Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Management • Urban and Regional Planning and Development • Nursing, Advanced Practice Short Courses • International Business and Management • Environmental Impact Assessment • Integral Water Management • Human Resource Management Read more: Saxion Universities

2,200 knowledge migrants in 6 months

A total of 2,200 non-EU citizens were issued with work permits under the Dutch 'knowledge migrants' scheme in the first six months of this year. Although the scheme has proven to be successful, it has compensated for only a small proportion of the skills shortfall, the Federation of European Employers (www.fedee.com) reported earlier this week. For this reason, the Dutch parliament has now approved a 'talents scheme', which will permit those with a wider range of skills to enter the Netherlands for fixed periods, but with a possibility of extension or conversion into permanent status. The permit will be linked to a specific job and will be withdrawn as soon as the immigrant applies for any welfare payments. The knowledge migrant system came into effect in the last months of 2004. It allows easy access into the Dutch labour market for non-EU nationals. However, minimum annual gross salary requirements must be honoured and the Dutch employer must be accepted by the immigration service IND as a participant of the 'kennismigrant' system. If all the conditions of the scheme are met, it is possible to legally bypass the general Dutch work permit requirement. In certain cases that is a huge advantage. Source: Expatica.com

Scholarships of Saxion Universities

For studying at Saxion Universities several scholarship programmes are available. Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences offers their own scholarships for talented students from abroad: • The Saxion Top Talent Scholarship (STTS). This scholarship is for excellent and very talented students and covers the complete tuition fee. Toptalent minimum requirement IELTS 6.5 and an average on your marklist of previous education of 75%. If you meet these requirements, you are invited to apply for this programme. • The Saxion Talent Scholarship (STS). For talented students a partial scholarship is available that will give a substantial reduction of the tuition fee. • The Saxion Excellent Scholarship (SES). For students that have proven excellent students, while studying at Saxion Universities, partial scholarships are available to reduce the tuition fee. After your application to Saxion Universities has been rounded off with your successful admission, you will receive more detailed information about an application for the Saxion Scholarships. Read more: Eurogates. Forum

Saxion Universities have a history of more then 100 years

Saxion Universities are located in the East of the Netherlands on three campuses, in the characteristic cities of Deventer, Enschede and Apeldoorn and have a student population of approximately 20,000 of which 2,000 are international students, taking both Bachelors and Masters programmes in 22 different pathways. International programmes are taught in English and comprise both business and technical studies. A Dutch Bachelors or Masters degree is recognised throughout the world and will enable graduates to seek employment in their home country, or many other countries across the globe. The Eastern part of the Netherlands and the adjoining German borderlands are developing into an area with tremendous growth potential, constructed on a powerful knowledge economy and regional self-confidence. In this development zone, between the cities of the Western part of the Netherlands and Berlin, Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences have forged strong ties with German partner institutions, with which they have intensive cooperation, as well as maintaining their partnerships on a global scale with institutions around the world in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Good examples of these links are shown in the regular staff contacts and student exchanges with Universities such as Beijing Jiatong University in China and Ferris State University in the USA. The Universities were formed from two traditional Dutch "Polytechnics" recently and have a history of more then 100 years. The cities of Enschede, Deventer and Apeldoorn are no more than 65 km apart and have a good intercity rail connection. Read more: Saxion Universities

How to prepare for life after graduation of Dutch university

That is a question many international students ask themselves as they prepare for life after TU Delft. Martin Stehouwer, an Intellectual Property manager at Philips Semiconductors in Nijmegen, discusses the expectations and attitudes that predominate in Dutch industry when it comes to employing international student graduates. Ramesh Chidambaram As a top manager at Philips Semiconductors and alumnus of TU Delft, Martin Stehouwer knows exactly what Dutch companies are looking for in the university graduates who are looking for good engineering jobs in the Netherlands. Stehouwer began his professional career as a Philips design engineer in 1995, before moving on to project leadership, project management, and currently intellectual property management. Stehouwer is an accomplished techno-manager and has served Philips in multiple locations, including as far east as Taiwan and Tokyo. What has made many native Dutch students sidestep engineering in recent years? "I think much of it has to do with the image associated with engineering. Many students seem to see it as a profession that demands lots of hard work, and that engineering is much more difficult than other disciplines, like business administration. It's purely a matter of perception, but it's created a very threatening problem for Dutch industry. Because we're now facing an acute shortage of good local engineers, we're forced to scout for engineers in other countries." Read more: Eurogates. Forum

Netherlands ranked 9th among of competitive countries

The English Page's round-up of what's been making headlines in the Netherlands begins with a study conducted by Rotterdam's Erasmus University and released by the World Economic Forum, in which the Netherlands - ranked 9th - is once again back in the top 10 of the world's most competitive countries. The report says the government budget is under control, investment in education is up, and the basic infrastructure strong. The US economy fell from first to sixth place. Switzerland ranked first. Source: Delta.TUDelt

Goodbye Delft, hello Rotterdam

Tiny rooms, filthy student houses, space-boxes, too few vacancies, too high rental prices. Searching for decent student housing in Delft is difficult and depressing. Many TU foreign students are now moving to Rotterdam, where good, inexpensive housing and a hip and young city await them. Ekim Tan Delft is a pretty, historic little city to study in. But living in Delft is, to put it kindly, less than ideal: too few, too small and too expensive student rooms; no really good clubs or shops; non-multicultural (except for the TU's foreign students themselves); and dead boring on weekends. Rotterdam, though, is indeed, as the city's website boasts, "a swinging, young city with excellent shopping facilities, restaurants and cafes." It's also a great place to live for TU students, as it's only 10 minutes away from Delft by train, 25 minutes by #129 bus (direct to the TU campus), or 45 minutes by bike (an enjoyable route through beautiful Dutch landscape along the Schie, from Delfshaven to TU Delft). Rotterdam's a real city, full of people and things you rarely experience in Delft, like urban guys cruising in pimped-out cars, streets alive with exotic foreign melodies, hip-hopsters in baggy ghetto-wear, skateboard dudes sailing along the Westblaak on their boards, colorfully dressed African and Caribbean momma's strolling with their kids. Add plenty of affordable housing to this (compared to Delft), and it's no surprise that many TU foreign students are opting to study in Delft by day, but then return to Rotterdam to live and experience life in the Netherlands. Source: DeltaTUDelft.

Delft University: international exchange grows

The numbers of Chinese studying in the Netherlands has decreased in the past couple years, mainly because higher education standards have become stricter. But in Delft, the numbers are still high. In 2003, around 2,600 Chinese students received visas to study in the Netherlands. In 2005, that number decreased to 1,300, according to a Nuffic report about international mobility in Dutch higher education. Nuffic says the numbers have halved because of stricter admission requirements, higher tuition fees and, for the Chinese, the strong euro. The average number of new Chinese students enrolling in TU Delft in the past years has remained at around 100, while the total number of foreign students in Netherlands last academic year rose by 5,000, to 48,500 students. Also, more Dutch students are going abroad to study. In 2005, 17,500 Dutch students studied abroad, of which 5,000 were part one-year Erasmus exchanges, with Belgium and the UK the most popular destinations: approximately 3,000 Dutch students study in each country. Outside Europe, the US is the most popular destination: 1,700 Dutch students study in the US. Source: Delta.tudeft.nl

Education for the new economy: country ranking

Research from the World Economic Forum that ranked 125 countries according to their preparedness for the new economy shows that poorer countries often scoring higher than their wealthier counterparts. For example, China, Tunisia and Barbardos score higher than the UK for overall education system, while Benin ranks higher than Spain and Portugal for maths and science. Our maps show where each country falls in the World Economic Forum rankings. See the whole list: Eurogates.Forum

Nyenrode Business Schools:MBA class has highest female %

With its new MBA class, Nyenrode has set a new internal record and a new international record - 39% of participants in the new class are female. The new MBA class started at the end of October and will be on campus for the coming year. Seventy-two percent of the students are non-Dutch nationals. In October, the MBA program was awarded its international AMBA accreditation and climbed from position 95 to the 89th position in The Economist rankings. The International MBA is a full-time program that takes 13 months to complete. The program is geared towards developing globally-minded business leaders and managers who possess specific competencies essential for the success of 21st century organizations. In addition to providing future business leaders with thorough understanding in the fundamental areas of marketing, finance, accounting and operations management, the program focuses on developing skills that are vital to effective management - the ability to communicate, motivate and lead people. Mandatory work in a small multi-cultural project fosters teambuilding, and manageable numbers allow our faculty to provide each individual with constructive feedback regarding skill acquisition and development. Active participation is required of everyone, with strong interaction between participants and faculty. Read more: Eurogates.Forum

TOEFL® Internet-based Testing Overview

The Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings. The TOEFL test is offered in different formats depending on a test taker's location. The TOEFL Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) tests all four language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The test helps students demonstrate that they have the English skills needed for success. TOEFL iBT emphasizes integrated skills and provides better information to institutions about students' ability to communicate in an academic setting and their readiness for academic coursework. With Internet-based testing, ETS can capture speech and score responses in a standardized manner. Online registration and online score reporting make it easier for students to register for TOEFL iBT and receive their test scores. When Will TOEFL iBT Be Available? TOEFL iBT was introduced in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Puerto Rico in 2005. The second phase of the rollout began on March 25, 2006, when test centers in selected cities in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa offered TOEFL iBT for the first time. A list of cities where TOEFL iBT is being introduced is posted in the Learners and Test Takers section of this Web site. This list is updated every week. TOEFL iBT introduction dates have not yet been set for some countries (PDF). When these countries are ready to implement TOEFL iBT, a message will be posted on this Web site. To provide continued access for TOEFL and TSE test takers in these areas, ETS will offer the paper-based TOEFL test and the TSE test until TOEFL iBT can be delivered. What Is Happening To The Current TOEFL Tests? The computer- and paper-based (CBT, PBT) versions of the TOEFL test will be given at a particular location until the Internet-based version is implemented. Read: Eurogates.Forum

Nyenrode Business Schools: 3 video films made by students

These three short clips have been created by some of the Nyenrode students and alumni to bring you the "insider's view" of the university. Not the facts and figures (which are available elsewhere on our website and in our brochure), but things that give you a more personal impression of the famous Nyenrode experience, brought to you from the heart of Nyenrode! See films: here

Leiden University: Extra PhD places for talented students

Ten talented students from Leiden University are invited to submit a proposal for doctoral research to NWO. NWO's Toptalent programme is intended to promote the development of talented researchers. The 42 places will be competed for by students from all the Dutch universities. Young and creative In September 2005 the notice Onderzoekstalent op waarde geschat (a report assessing the value of research talent) was published by the Ministry of Education. This document includes ideas from the Ministry to make studying for a PhD more attractive. One of these ideas has been further developed by the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and will now be implemented by NWO: the Toptalent programme, which is aimed at giving young, creative and talented researchers the opportunity to write a dissertation on a research proposal of their choice. Successful candidates can start their promotional track immediately after they have completed their studies. The Ministry has committed to make 16 million euro available for the period 2007-2010. There will be two subsidy rounds. The first 42 awards - amounting to some €7.6 million - will take place in 2007, and the second round is planned for 2008. Each university can put forward a number of candidates, in proportion to its official student population. For Leiden University this means ten candidates. Read more: Eurogates.Forum

Utrecht University offers 87 Master's programmes in English

It can be difficult to find the Master's programme you are looking for amidst all the possibilities. Therefore, it is added a third search option on the site. It was already possible to search alphabetically or by field of interest, but now you can also search by degree. In this way, you can find all of our Master's programmes which will earn you a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc) or Master of Laws (LLM): search by degree search alphabetically search by field of interest Search of programmes

Utrecht University at number 6 in the top 100 in EU

Utrecht University is proud of its reputation as one of Europe’s leading research universities. In 2006 we received excellent ratings in various international rankings of universities. The ‘Academic Ranking of World Universities 2006’ report, compiled by researchers of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Higher Education, ranks the world’s top 500 universities on academic and research performance. It placed Utrecht University at number 40 within the top 500 of the world’s best universities, at number 6 within the top 100 of Europe’s best universities and at number 1 of the 14 Dutch universities. All universities were carefully evaluated using several indicators of research performance, including the number of highly cited researchers, academic performance, the prevalence of articles published in the scientific journals Science and Nature, and the number of Nobel Prize winners. Source: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Huygens Scholarship Program (HSP): 155 foreign & 55 Dutch topstudents awarded

The subsidy regulation Huygens Scholarship Program (HSP) of the ministry of OCW is managed by the Nuffic and started this year. The prestigious grant program has been created for talented foreign students, who would like to study in the Netherlands or perform research. Excellent Dutch students with international study-experience are eligable for HSP talents program. The ministry makes annually five million Euros available. The old Huygens-program and the talents program have been taken up in this new program. The regulation has been published on 29 May 2006. The Nuffic has informed the candidates over selection results 9 June 2006. Source: Nuffic.nl

A warning to the European University

The Dutch Ministry of Education has issued a warning to the European University. The European University is not publicly funded but may nevertheless award diploma’s and titles that are officially recognized by the Dutch government (1). The warning is aimed at the International Management degree programme and could result in revoking the approval (1) of the study programme. The above mentioned warning results from advice given to the State Secretary of Higher Education by de Inspectorate of Education. The Inspectorate concluded that the European University is not acting in compliance with the Dutch Higher Education Law. The non-compliance regards care of quality, registration, educational entry requirements and the education itself. By law the first step in revoking any approval is to give a formal warning. The warning to European University includes a three months period in which the institution must show compliance with the Dutch Higher Education Law. If, after this three months period, the European University is not in compliance with Dutch law, the approval will be permanently revoked. Moreover, since the European University offers only one such approved degree programme, revoking the approval of this programme will result in the revoking of the approval of the institution as a whole. If the approval of the degree programme is revoked the European University will no longer be allowed to award degrees that are recognized by the Dutch government. Source: Nuffic.nl

NL: Wage increases higher than anticipated

Wages in the Netherlands are increasing more than anticipated with average increases running at 3.8 percent rather than the 2 percent forecast. The increase is up to 3.6 percent for operational staff and up to 4.1 percent for people at managerial level, according to the Beloningsindex 2006, the wages index published annually by ADP Nederland and Mercer Human Resource Consulting. More than 350 organisations took part in the study of salaries and employment conditions. They expect a 2.6 percent increase in wages next year. Researchers found that the trade and financial sectors showed the strongest growth in wages last year — more than 4 percent. A random sample indicated a director gets the highest wage (EUR 110,200), while a cleaner gets the least (EUR 23,200). The wages gap between men and women performing the same job remains. Male accountants, for instance, receives 7.4 percent more than their female colleagues, male bookkeepers get 9 percent more and a human resources manager 21.4 percent. But wages for men and women are rising by the same percentage. Source:Expatica.com

Saxion Universities offer Preparatory Courses

Saxion will be present at the largest education event, the Fair "Education and Career" in Russia, Moscow on 16, 17 and 18 November 2006. Since 1994 this Fair has been held twice a year in Moscow in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Saxion Universities offer Preparatory Courses for students that require extra English support (students that do not yet have the required level of IELTS or TOEFL). These programmes are aimed at two categories of students: A. students who have already obtained a Bachelors degree in their home country, or who have a minimum of 3 years of higher education (and therefore are technically eligible to apply for a Final Year programme), but whose English language skills have not reached the level required for a Final Year (Bachelors) or Masters Programme. B. students who have obtained a diploma of secondary education with good results whose English language skills have not reached the level required for entrance to a four-year Bachelors Programme. Preparatory Year, aimed at both categories of students, comprising an intensive 240-hour English course from half September until end of June, a full introductory programme including basic Dutch, introduction to Holland and intercultural skills, preparation for living in Holland and studying at Saxion higher education, focusing on study skills, computer skills, management and communication skills plus an optional module as an orientation towards chosen future course of higher education. tutor hours to monitor students’ well-being and progress, to familiarise them with the practical side of studying at Saxion. In general the student has become better equipped for higher education at Saxion Universities: the student has improved his English to the required level he is competent in using the intranet, internet and email, he knows how to use the Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. he has the necessary skills to manage his time and himself knows what efficient communication entails and can give a presentation he can apply the relevant strategies to study more efficiently he has become aware of some of the main differences between Dutch culture and his own and has learned to deal with these differences. he has participated in some form of education as an orientation on his future course Prospective students must apply for their future Final Year or Master’s programme at the same time they seek entry to the Preparatory Course in order to ascertain if they have the proper prior education for their intended future studies. Costs: Course type Course Fee Total Package Fee Prepatory course € 7,450 for 6 moths course and € 12,750 for 12 monts course Saxion University

New EU nationals: what are your rights?

The Dutch government is gradually opening its borders to workers from the new EU member states, but what rights do they already have and who can enter the country for work purposes? I want to learn more about my rights in the Netherlands. I have a Polish passport and hear all sorts of stories about working and living in the Netherlands. As a qualified telecommunications engineer, do I need a work permit? How about a residence permit? Patrick Rovers answers: You cannot personally obtain a Dutch work permit. That is the so-called 'prerogative' of Dutch employers. In other words: only a prospective Dutch employer may arrange a Dutch work permit. The work permit will state the name of the foreign national who will be working for the Dutch employer. Eased work permit laws A while ago, the Dutch government decided to gradually open up the Dutch labour market to citizens of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Slovakia. According to the treaties that were signed with these eight nations, the old EU member states are entitled to place entry limitations on their respective labour markets until 1 May 2011. For now, the Dutch government has decided to maintain the mandatory Dutch work permit requirement for employees from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Slovakia, potentially until 1 May 2009. However, for certain sections of the Dutch labour market, the application conditions for a work permit (and its underlying procedure) have been relaxed. This involves industries such as agriculture, wholesale trade in woods/sawmills/wood preparation, metal industry, metallurgical and technical branches, bakeries, retail and trade, wholesale, inward shipping, the hotel and catering industry, telecommunications and provinces and local governments. Employers in these sections are no longer required to register job openings with the local employment offices, nor are they required to invest in recruitment offers. Residence permits Technically speaking, an EU citizen is not required to apply for any kind of Dutch residence document because an EU citizen is automatically granted residency in the Netherlands under the EU treaty. The treaty allows EU citizens to reside in the Netherlands for work, studies and internships, on an economically non-active status or as a family member of an EU citizen. However, I recommend applying for 'proof of lawful residence' because there are certain advantages. Proof of lawful residence is easy to obtain, the costs are low and it is a valid Dutch ID card. It will prove that you are legally allowed to live in the Netherlands and it's very useful when you have official dealings with (local) government representatives, banks, police officials and so on. Crackdown on fraud In the eastern province of Gelderland, six municipalities (Nijmegen, Arnhem, Doetinchem, Wageningen, Apeldoorn and Ede) and representatives of the Labour Inspectorate (Arbeidsinspectie), tax office (Belastingdienst), foreign police (Vreemdelingenpolitie) and the regional police have set up a temporary fraud team. That team is especially designed to hunt down illegal employees, tax and social contribution evasion, human trafficking, social benefits fraud and illegal housing. The project is aimed at the retail and trade industries in Gelderland and local employers and employees will be thoroughly checked for a period of six months. Registering with the IND Note that as a Polish national you are not entitled to officially register with the Dutch immigration service, the IND. As of 1 May 2006, a simplified procedure was introduced for citizens of Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Switzerland and Sweden. The new procedure allows them to officially register with the IND if they have the intention to stay in the Netherlands for more than three months. But citizens of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia are not able to register with the IND. These citizens can only apply for proof of lawful residence, as long as they are not allowed unrestricted access to the Dutch labour market. This column is for informative purposes only, is general in nature, and is not intended to be a substitute for competent legal and professional advice. Dutch and European rules and regulations regarding foreigners, policy, procedures, work permits, visas, and residence permits are continuously subject to change. Source: Expatica.com

The Netherlands in pictures

Want to see Amsterdam in pictures? Please visit the following websites: Phototourism.org and Panoramsterdam.nl

Eased entry conditions for expat doctors and researchers

Expat doctors and researchers who study to become a specialist in the Netherlands will find it easier to obtain work here after 1 November. The Cabinet decided on Friday to ease regulations governing 'knowledge workers' to stimulate the skills economy. The government hopes the easing of regulations will lead to a fall in the shortage of high-educated workers, RTL reported. Currently, employers can only employ staff from outside of Europe if they can't find workers within Europe. But in future, they will no longer need to obtain a permit to employ workers from outside the EU if they are recruiting doctors or researchers. The move represents an expansion in the current regulations for knowledge workers. The system allows high-educated expats to work in the Netherlands for five years.However, they need to meet salary requirements: anyone older than 30 needs to earn at least EUR 45,500 annually. Meanwhile, the cabinet will also cut the wage requirement for university lecturers and academics wanting to study a post-doctoral degree in the Netherlands. It will also become easier for non-EU students to undergo the necessary workplace training that accompanies their studies in the Netherlands. Source: Expatica.com

Sharp rise in number of Dutch singles

The number of singles living in the Netherlands has increased by 400,000 in the past 10 years to almost 2.5 million on 1 January 2006. About one in six men live alone and one in five women are single, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) said on Monday. The CBS attributed the increase in the number of singles to population growth. Relationships are more frequently ending in break-ups and youth are more often choosing to live alone. The number of single men aged 35-54 is rising the quickest. In 1996, there were 300,000 single men in this age group. Ten years later, that figure had risen to 419,000. The only age group that showed a decline was women aged 55 to 74. The CBS said this was because men are living longer. The CBS also said that that number of residents declined in 13 of the 40 regions of the Netherlands. The decline was most noticeable in the region around Delfzijl and southern Limburg. The number of residents only declined in nine regions a year ago and in 2000, only the southern Limburg region recorded a decline in the number of residents. Source:Expatica.com