Firm must pay damages to burnout victim

Employers can be held responsible for damages if their staff suffer from burnout, a court in Heerlen ruled on Tuesday. The court agreed that a service engineer was entitled to compensation after going off sick with burnout. The amount of damages has not yet been agreed. The FNV's work-related injury unit, Bureau Beroepsziekten, said the ruling was a warning for other employers. The man in question was on call-out evenings and nights – but was also expected to work during the day, spokesman Jan Warning said. He said the employer was not planning to appeal against the ruling. It is not the first time employers have paid damages for burnout. Over four years ago, a woman who was forced to do so much overtime that she collapsed was paid 80,000 euro in compensation by her employer. 'But that was an out-of-court settlement and this is an actual ruling,' Warning said. Employers organisation VNO-NCW said more cases were pending and each one needed to be individually assessed. The NOS reports that around 700,000 people in the Netherlands suffer from symptoms of burnout.//Dutchnews.nl

90 % of examinees pass integration test at home

AMSTERDAM — The integration exam that the Dutch government requires non-western immigrants to complete in their home country before entering the Netherlands is posing few problems to examinees. About 90 percent of the immigrants who sit the exam pass on the first attempt, figures supplied to the Parliament by Integration Minister Rita Verdonk revealed on Wednesday. Most candidates are aged between 26 and 35. They are primarily Turkish (20 percent), Moroccan (19 percent) and Chinese (10 percent). The 'foreign integration basis exam' was introduced on 15 March last year and up until 30 September 2006, some 1436 exams had been completed. A total of 56 percent of the candidates were women, 88 percent of whom passed on the first attempt. The percentage among men was 90 percent. The exam is given at Dutch embassies or consulates via a telephone line that has a direct connection with a computer in the Netherlands. The idea behind the scheme is that new arrivals will more quickly integrate into Dutch society if they enter the country well prepared. The Netherlands is the first country in the world to obligate permanent new arrivals to complete an integration exam in their nation of origin before arriving in the country. Foreigners are tested on their knowledge of the Dutch language and culture. EU nationals and citizens from several other Western nations such as the US and Australia are exempt from taking the exam./Expatica

Money is not dirty says microbiologist

Money is not actually dirty, says microbiologist Rijkelt Beumer of Wageningen University. Beumer tested banknotes in a number of food shops for four types of bacteria which can make people ill. Money in the cash till of a cheese shop carried the most bacteria but it was still cleaner than the average hand, Beumer said./Dutchnews.nl

RSM jumps 10 places in Financial Times ranking

Rotterdam. December 4th, 2006 - In the annual European Business School ranking issued today by the Financial Times, RSM Erasmus University has entered the top 10 of European business schools. This meta-survey is based on the five Financial Times business education rankings that appeared in 2006; the full-time MBA ranking (published in January), the rankings of open enrolment and customised non-degree executive education programmes (May), the European Masters in Management ranking (September) and the EMBA ranking (October). RSM Erasmus University entered the top 10 of this overall ranking based on its strive for continuous innovation, and its focus on personal leadership development and diversity. The goal of RSM is to succeed in becoming a leading worldwide force in business education. “This is a most welcome recognition” says Han G. van Dissel, Dean of RSM Erasmus University. “Consisting of both a Graduate School and an Undergraduate College, RSM Erasmus University is now one of the top international business schools in the European domain. In a number of areas, its research is among the world top, in all other areas among the European top. Our education is student and learning-centered, international and for all programmes selective. The student population is international and diverse. Alliances exist with institutions in Europe, Latin America and Asia. A large student exchange network is in place with top-institutions all over the world. Moreover, both the education and research programmes are oriented towards academic and societal themes and mirror the needs in society/market. And, last but certainly not least, international recruitment of students and staff is core to this success. Our personnel policy is directed towards attracting, developing and keeping talent, and our academic talent is recognized globally. We are proud that our efforts are paying off and that we have entered into the top 10 of this widely acknowledged Financial Times ranking” About RSM Erasmus University RSM Erasmus University is an internationally ranked business school which focuses on developing leaders in global business. Offering an array of BaMa (Bachelor-Master)and executive education (MBA) programmes, it is one of the largest business schools in the world in terms of number of students and research faculty.

Dutch university boss calls for more diversity

The Netherlands needs far more variety in higher education, Sijboldt Noorda, the new president of the VSNU (Association of Universities) says in the Volkskrant on Monday. The strict division between universities and more practical-orientated HBO colleges (hogescholen) should be broadened into five or six sub-categories, Noorda said. Universities are no more 'one-size' fits all, Noorda told the paper. There are university colleges, broad-based English-language bachelor programmes, honours programmes, specialised bachelor degrees and extra courses for highly-talented students, he pointed out. In addition, Noorda said it was a pity that HBO colleges continued to offer four-year degree courses like universities and had not taken real advantage of the opportunity to offer two-year programmes./Dutchnews Read more: Eurogates

Legislative changes in 2007 in Holland

The start of a new year invariably signals legislative change. We list the most important ones, from purchasing power to integration. Aaron Gray-Block reports. As 2006 turned into 2007, several important legislative changes took effect — and for many Dutch residents, the changes mean that the coming 12 months will prove to be a very happy New Year. Most households will profit from improved purchasing power, childcare payments will increase and the situation of elderly people and incapacitated workers will also improve. The increase in purchasing power will be different for everyone, but will on avedrage rise by 0.75 to 1.5 percent. Parents will not only receive an extra EUR 35 per child in child allowance payments, but they will also profit from an increased government contribution for childcare costs. Pensioned Dutch residents can expect EUR 48 extra and payments for completly incapacitated workers in the WIA insurance scheme will receive 75 percent of their last wage (up from 70 percent). We list these and more changes below and provide links to more information (in Dutch). Social Support Law (Wmo) On 1 January 2007, the Wmo legislation took effect. Municipalities are now responsible for social support services, such as domestic care, wheelchairs, housing adjustments and meal services. More information: Wmo dossier and www.info-wmo.nl Integration Law The Integration Law took effect on 1 January 2007. Both new arrivals and long-term immigrants (who have lived in the Netherlands for some time) will be obligated to undergo an integration exam. The legislation applies to foreigners from non-EU nations and the EEC. More information: www.inburgering.net Read more: Eurogates

Holland opens doors to new EU workers

The Netherlands will open its borders to workers from eight new EU member states on 1 March. The Cabinet had initially decided that on 1 January it would open the border to workers from Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. But several political parties were concerned that inadequate measures had been taken to prevent foreigners working illegally in the Netherlands and to ensure employers maintain working conditions. MPs then voted in December to extend the restrictions for two months. Read more: Eurogates

Holland: House prices rise 3.7% last year

House prices rose 3.7% on average last year, says estate agents' association NVM. Home-owners now pay an average of €241,000 for a home. The NVM says interest rate rises and an increase in economic growth will boost house prices some 5% in 2007. Read more: Eurogates

Accelerated residence permit for international students

After a successful trial in Utrecht, the Immigration and Naturalisation Bureau (IND) plans to accelerate the residence permit procedure for international students. By 2008, students will be able to obtain a residence permit in six weeks. Although the IND already has an accelerated procedure for students, getting a residence permit currently takes a minimum of three months, owing to processing delays. "Sometimes students don't receive their residence permit until they have completed their time at Tilburg University", according to Hans-Georg van Liempd, head of the International Office. Non-EU students have to apply for an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV), a visa that allows them to enter the Netherlands. Once they arrive, they apply for a temporary residence permit, which is valid up to one year. Without such a residence permit students are not allowed to travel outside the Netherlands. The new procedure no longer requires the university to go through the municipal government to request residence permits for its students. Instead, the university can contact the IND directly. Read more: Eurogates

Saxion University: Preparatory Short Track

For a long time international Bachelor and Master programmes at Saxion, taught in English, have been popular with students from all over the world. Apart from the appropriate educational background, it is essential that students master the English language sufficiently to be able to follow the international courses. For students who need intensive English language preparation in order to be admitted, Saxion offers preparatory courses of various duration and content. Apart from improving your English, there are other benefits you may derive from taking part in the preparatory programmes. If you come from cultural backgrounds in which studying and teaching is done in completely different ways from what you will find at Saxion, preparation for more active and interactive study methods will lead to a better chance of academic success afterwards. Another benefit may be that it allows you some time to adapt yourself to Dutch culture and life in the Netherlands before you start your academic course. Read more: Eurogates

HAN University: students Master of International Business perform well

MKB-Nederland (the Dutch SME) commissioned TNS NIPO (+/- the Dutch MORI) to conduct a survey among entrepreneurs. 61% of the respondents are convinced that contacts between schools and business should be strengthened in the form of work placements and final projects. For its Masters of International Business (MIB), HAN has made a well-considered choice for this collaboration between school and business. MIB final project The final project for the MIB consists of a theoretical and practical part, carried out in cooperation with the MKB. In the final project, the student shows evidence of understanding what will be expected of him/her as a professional. Kees Schaaps (assistant manager at Henk Scholten/Volvo) was involved in the final projects of two MIB-students, Gerald Boss (Austrian) and Hartwin Maas (German). Kees: "They have developed an interface between market and finance: the ‘Customer Value-Based Model’ (CVM). First, they carried out marketing research and financial analyses, the results of which they combined into a management strategy. This enables a company to assess its marketing strategy in a much better way." Read more: Eurogates

Leiden University: International Symposium on Ranking

It is clear from those who go out to recruit talented students for their university that many prospective students consult global rankings. This increases the imperative to deal with this issue. For this reason, Leiden University has taken a lead in Europe to address this issue and wants to continue the excellent dialogue that was started at the 1st Leiden University International Symposium on Ranking held in February 2006. The second edition of this symposium wants to explore reactions to this phenomenon of international ranking. The symposium will review and update you on ranking systems. Furthermore, it will explore views on ranking from a diversity of perspectives. Deliberations from the International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) will be explained, bibliometric studies will be considered, and the ways in which universities can deal with rankings in their international positioning will be explored. Finally, several presidents from renowned universities that operate in different contexts will give their views on how to further develop their universities and to strive for excellence. Given that ranking is here to stay results in the rising of the question how institutions are affected by this and, more importantly, what they can do to protect their international positioning to facilitate their quest for attracting talented students and staff. Read more: Leiden University