The Netherlands: Windproof umbrella wins top design award

The windproof umbrella designed by three former students from Delft University of Technology, has been given this year's Red Dot award; a prize given for innovative design. In total, 2,548 products were nominated. Previous winners include Porsche and Apple. The umbrella looks like a cycling helmet with a short front and longer back, making it difficult for the wind to get underneath. //DutchNews.nl

Dutch pupils create 'most magical' square

Three Dutch secondary school pupils have created the ‘most magical magic square in 5,000 years’, according to maths experts from Radboud University in Nijmegen. Jess Hoekstra and Willem Schilte, both 17, and Petra Alkema, 15, created the 12x12 square during a masterclass last year. A magic square is a mathmatical trick in which horizontal, vertical, diagonal and sometimes even circular rows of figures add up to the same number. 'These three are super brilliant, you don't work this out by chance, Radboud's Arno van Essen said. The square consists of 144 boxes containing the numbers 1 to 144. The sum of each row and each column totals 870 as do the diagonals and the parallel broken diagonals. 'We were just playing with the square by dividing it up into little ones, it was only later we realised all its magic elements,' said Jesse. 'This is the most magical magic square in 5,000 years,' said Van Essen. Jesse and Willem have submitted the project for their final school maths project. 'Normally you can score poor, average or good, but our teacher is going to try to get us a very good,' the boys said. ANP reported that the new square will be known as the HSA square after the trio's initials. The square will be shown on current affairs show Nova on Thursday night.// DutchNews.nl

Scholarships of Saxion Universities

For the following courses Saxion Universities have a Saxion Talent Scholarship (STS) to offer. 1. MBA 2. MA in Management 3. MSc in Facility Management 4. MSc in Real Estate Management Saxion Talent Scholarship requires IELTS 6.5 and an average score of 75% on your list of marks from your previous education. If you meet these requirements, you are invited to apply for this programme. This scholarship covers the tuition fee partially. The amount available for an individual student is Euro 1500. You can apply by sending an e-mail to internationaloffice@saxion.nl. OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS The Dutch government is attempting to make Dutch higher education as accessible as possible to students and mid-career from other countries. Funding These are described here in brief. For more information you can also look at www.grantfinder.nl, an online search engine that brings together a range of Dutch scholarships for international students who wish to come to Holland. Netherlands Fellowship Programmes The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) are demand-driven fellowship programmes designed to foster capacity building within organizations in 57 countries in development by providing training and education to their mid-career staff members. The NFP are funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the budget for development cooperation. More information about NFP More information about NFP, including the application forms, is available at Netherlands embassies and consulates or from Nuffic’s website: www.nuffic.nl/nfp. In all cases, applicants are advised to contact the Netherlands embassy or consulate. HSP Huygens Programme HSP Huygens Programme is open to students from all countries of the world. It is aimed at talented students who want to come to the Netherlands in the final phase of their bachelor’s studies. Study can include research and/or practical training. The Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science has made four million euros available for international students coming to the Netherlands under the HSP HuygensProgramme. There is no fixed number of available scholarships, but the actual number is determined by the total cost of the variable components of the scholarships. The minister has reserved part of the total budget for students following programmes in Dutch studies. More information: www.nuffic.nl/hsp The Tempus programme The Tempus programme enables universities in a number of countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the Mediterranean region to establish partnerships in the European Union that help them to restructure their higher education systems. The programme allows universities to offer scholarships for student exchanges only within those partnerships. For information about existing partnerships (and related scholarships) please contact your own university. For more detailed information please visit: http://europa.eu.int/tempus The STUNED Programme The Dutch Government through the Netherlands Education Centre (NEC) offers young talented Indonesian professionals full scholarships for postgraduate studies in Holland. Between 2000 and 2003 some 450 young Indonesians have been awarded a STUNED scholarship. Read more at: www.nec.or.id/Layout3/nec_jakarta/Scholarships/STUNED.htm Alban Programme Programme Alban aims at the reinforcement of the European Union-Latin America co-operation in the area of Higher Education and covers studies for postgraduates as well as higher level training for Latin American professionals/future decision-makers, in institutions or centres in the European Union. Further to opening-up of the European Higher Education Area to Latin Americans, Alban scholarships will contribute to improve employability skills and career opportunities for Latin American postgraduates and professionals in their own countries. Education and training in the European Union will take place in the context of mobility projects involving universities, higher education Institutions and centres and other organisations, including enterprises interested in the training or upgrading of their staff. Eligible countries in LA: Argentine, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. For more information please check: www.programalban.org United Nations and other fellowship programmes Many United Nations organisations and other international organisations offer fellowships to enable people from certain countries or areas to attend one of the courses mentioned in this catalogue. For information one could address the local representative of the respective organisation, or the educational institute in Holland.// Saxion Universities

Holland: Employers urge for better education

AMSTERDAM – Give teachers better prospects during the course of their career. They should be able to continue to develop and have the promise of a better salary, even if they do not choose to move into management positions. This will help keep good teachers in the education system. This is one of the recommendations that employers' organisation VNO-NCW and the association for small and medium-sized businesses MKB-Nederland have submitted to the committee that the cabinet has charged with drawing up an action plan for education. The quality of education must be significantly improved, say the employers in their "quality agenda for education" presented today. National quality standards must be adhered to more strictly and schools must not be able to opt out of standardised tests, says chairman of the VNO –NCW Bernard Wientjes. He is arguing for better pay for teachers who are hard to find or perform well. Teachers who want to earn more in the current system generally have to take on a management position. "We have enough managers in education, it is teachers we have to hold on to," Wientjes says. But he does not think a general salary increase is a good idea. The transmission of knowledge must become the focus once again, the employers say. There has been too much attention on social skills over the past few years. "Skills like reading, writing, math, language, they've all fallen behind," Wientjes says. Employers also think that the standardised CITO test should be compulsory. They also want spot check introduced to monitor the quality of school inspections in secondary education.//Expatica News + ANP 2007

Holland: Naturalisation requests up in 2006

The number of applications for Dutch nationality rose by nearly 7,000 to 28,200 last year, according to the immigration service IND annual report published on Wednesday. The long waiting list for residency permits has almost disappeared and the number of complaints about the IND fell by 25 pro cent to just under 10,000, the report said. In 2005, the government's audit office was highly critical of the IND's level of service, saying foreign students and workers were having to wait far too long for their residency applications to be dealt with. In total the IND granted 250,000 permits last year. Of these 66,000 went to people with permanent residency cards. Meanwhile the Volkskrant reports that the number of people coming to the Netherlands to get married fell by 20 pro cent to 23,000 last year according to the IND report. The decrease follows the introduction in March last year of the integration test which non-Western immigrants have to pass in their home country before being allowed to live in the Netherlands. The paper also reports that the number of asylum seekers whose first port of call was the Netherlands rose from 4,550 to 5,850. Some 2,450 failed asylum seekers were deported.//DutchNews.nl

The Euro*MBA has gained Association of MBA accreditation

Maastricht, March 16, 2007. The Euro*MBA has gained Association of MBA (Amba) accreditation so joining the select club of the less than 1% of business education providers worldwide to hold the three major international quality accreditations (Amba, Equis and AACSB). Launched by a consortium of European management schools in 1996, the Euro*MBA already holds Equis and AACSB accreditation via its consortium members Audencia Nantes School of Management, EADA Barcelona, IAE Aix-en-Provence, LKAEM Warsaw and Universiteit Maastricht Business School. The programme, one of the first to combine e-learning with residential modules, runs over a two-year period. Participants cover 70% of their coursework via distance-learning modules and attend a residential week every four months in a different European city. Of the 68 executives currently enrolled on the programme, 12% are from North America, 10% form central and eastern Europe, 6% from Africa, 4% from Asia and the remainder from western Europe. Since 1967, the Association of MBAs has strived to promote Masters level education and to ensure a high standard of future business leaders. Its accreditation process was put in place to achieve these aims. The Euro*MBA programme of the Euro*MBA consortium is positioned amongst the top 15 Distance Learning programmes worldwide (Which MBA Guide, The Economist 2006) and celebrated its 10 th anniversary in 2006. //Euro*MBA

Holland: Young women better educated

AMSTERDAM – Women in the age bracket 25 to 34 are more educated these days than their male counterparts. More women are enrolled in higher education and now women are also in the majority among alumni. This has emerged from figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on Wednesday. In the 2005/06 academic year 56 percent of graduates from universities of applied sciences (HBO) were women. That figure was 53 percent among graduates of academic universities (WO). Women also tend to complete their study in a shorter period of time and are on average a year younger than men at graduation. Only 17 percent of women between 55 and 64 have completed higher education, compared to 29 percent of men. But the percentage of women between the ages of 25 and 34 that have completed higher education has risen to 36 percent, while the percentage of men has remained more or less stable at 32 percent. //Expatica News + ANP 2007

Holland: Boost cultural citizenship says Arts Council

The government should be stimulating people to become cultural citizens, at home in the many languages and cultures surrounding them, said the Arts Council in its latest recommendations published on Tuesday. Enjoyment of the arts and culture should not be an expensive luxury or a hobby but seen as a social necessity in a well-functioning multicultural society, the council said. The council wants the government to boost spending on arts education, both inside and outside schools. There should be more recognition for amateur arts and the arts and culture sector should have a role in the government's strategy for innovation, the council said. In particular, emergency action needs to be taken to stimulate the role of Dutch literature in education, the council said. It also called for the setting up of two new city-based theatre companies in Maastricht and Utrecht. Art is not a commodity. It should be judged on its 'quality and impact' rather than on visitor numbers or viewing figures, the council said. The new government plans to cut spending on the arts by 50m euro as part of a shift towards a more profit-orientated arts policy. The arts and culture budget will also have to accept its share of a 250m euro package of cuts across the government's entire subsidy package. The performing arts sector has said the subsidy cuts will lead to a further increase in prices. It claims ticket prices rose 136 percentage between 1996 and 2004. Culture minister Ronald Plasterk said in today’s Volksrant that the upper gallery or 'gods' should make a comeback in the Dutch theatre. 'Make the Friday night black-tie events a lot more expensive because people who attend those can afford it,' the minister said. 'Then hold a cheaper concert for students on a Wednesday afternoon.' //DutchNews.nl

Arnhem Business School: Master of International Business

The Master of International Business (MIB) programme of Arnhem Business School is the affordable step towards a successful career in international business. The Master of International Business is a fully recognized 12-15 month full-time postgraduate programme, consisting of two taught semesters and a dissertation. Students who successfully complete all courses on the programme will be awarded a (professional) Master’s degree of International Business (MIB). The programme starts at the beginning of September in Arnhem. Courses The MIB is recognised worldwide (accredited nationally & internationally) as a leading master programme and offers you a well balanced mix theoretical and practical knowlegde. The programme consists of two semesters (lectures & exams) that reflect the international environment in which many businesses operate. Students will also write a dissertation. The dissertation should be carried out within a real company and which should underpin the theory and practice gained during the taught semesters. All knowledge and skills acquired during the MIB-programme are needed to successfully write the dissertation (duration: 3-6 months). In order to obtain the Master’s degree of International Business, students need to obtain 90 EC’s*. The courses are: • Preparing for the Global / Local Arena • Networks and Finance • Skills for the Modern World • Supportive Courses International experience and career prospects Beneft from the expertise that Dutch and international teachers have acquired. Learn from interesting guest lecturers and expand your professional network. The MIB supplies a rock solid programme that enhances career prospects of students in the international business market. To ensure the learning environment for students is both relevant and international, the senior lecturers all have international experience. Furthermore, guest lecturers from industry and partner institutions (in particular the Fachhochschule Gelsenkirchen in Germany) contribute to the programme. Recruitment for the programme is also international. Students can - and will - experience all the benefits of a multi-cultural learning environment. Both teaching and learning in the MIB programme are based on the practical application of The Master of International Business (MIB) programme is the affordable step towards a succesfull career in international business. The MIB is recognised worldwide as a leading master programme. It offers you a well balanced mix of theoretical and practical knowledge. Benefit from the expertise that Dutch and international teachers have acquired. Learn from interesting guest lecturers and expand your professional network. You become part of a select group of participants with senior lecturers as your personal coach and consultant.heory and concepts; therefore students work in teams on real-world projects and case studies. Admission requirements All applicants must be motivated and able to study and function at a post-graduate level. Candidates will be admitted to the programme by a decision of the Board of Admission that ensures all requirements are met and also advises when a potential student’s background is not sufficient. In the latter case ABS offers a bridging / pre-master course. Direct enrolment for students with: • a bachelor degree in a business-related discipline of 240 EC’s* • a thorough command of written and spoken English, demonstrated by an IELTS score of 7.0 or more or a TOEFL score of 250 (computer based) or more • taken a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT, our institution code: 5096) • a minimum age of 21 years • relevant work experience of at least 1 year is possible provided the Board of Admission decides the applicant is a suitable MIB candidate. A selection interview will take place after the complete application package has been reviewed by our Board of Admission. Costs The total programme costs 9750 euro ,-(including literature). We recommend that students also budget for approximately 600 euro per month living expenses including accommodation, food, local transport, entertainment and learning materials. //Arnhem Business School

Holland will face a shortage of workers by 2050

There is nothing wrong with planning for all eventualities or with making predictions about the future. But it is rather mind boggling that research group SEO can conclude that the Netherlands will face a shortage of 274,000 workers by 2050. Not 275,000 workers or 273,000 workers but a nice, round 274,000. The Netherlands, the SEO concludes, is going to need 1.5 million new workers to make up for the shortfalls as the population gets older. And, it estimates, we will be pretty lucky compared to some countries - like the UK, Holland will be able to attract enough immigrants to fill 80% of the surplus jobs. There are an awful lot of variables in this equation, which the SEO, as an expert in its field, has doubtless considered. And perhaps, at some point over the next 43 years, a political party will really dare to challenge the right to early retirement so the greying population won't be an issue anyway. The debate has been rumbling on for years. Now the new government plans a little extra tax for rich pensioners. And we have the prospect of an unholy alliance between the right-wing Liberals and the Socialists to block the legislation, if it ever sees the light of day, that is. All things considered, given the length of time it takes to get anything important done, the SEO is probably right to make predictions after all.// Dutchnews.nl

Tilburg University:Quality PhD thesis still vulnerable

The new PhD procedure is a more effective guarantee of the quality of PhD theses. Nevertheless, a group of prominent professors has pointed out a number of weak points. This is the outcome of a Univers survey on the new Tilburg University PhD regulation, which became effective on 1 January. Supervisors who repeatedly perform poorly can be sidelined sooner. The new PhD procedure also provides a 'moment of reflection' before the definitive evaluation: problematic PhD theses will be 'pre-examined' by the committee of professors who will also make the final decision on the PhD. It is this PhD committee that forms a risk factor, in the opinion of some prominent Tilburg University professors, who filled out a Univers questionnaire. That the promoter himself selects the committee members is considered a threat to an accurate judgement. "The committee is completely under the supervision of the promotor", one of the professors remarked. The professors believe that the quality of external PhD candidates is also vulnerable. They are still not sufficiently embedded in the academic surroundings. //SD/transl.YV Univers

Tilburg University: English test for everybody

As of this year all Tilburg University lecturers, students, policy advisors, service desk personnel, administrative personnel, and secretaries will be required to take an English-language test. This was decided on Thursday 1 February, when the University Council adopted the action plan 'Towards an International Campus'. Of Tilburg University's 1,800 employees, 1,000 will be required to take a test. The Language Centre, which is responsible for both the English-language courses and the examinations, plays a central role in these plans. On Thursday 15 February the Centre opened six new multimedia classrooms on the fifth and sixth floors of the Simon building, marking the occasion with a symposium on the 'bilingual campus'. "Internationalization has become part of the very essence of the university", said Guust Meijers, head of the Language Centre, in opening the symposium. Robert Wilkinson, senior lecturer in English at the Maastricht University Language Centre, subsequently discussed the pros and cons of internationalization. He argued that any institution of higher education should go about introducing instruction in English very carefully. Maastricht University has some twenty years' experience with English-taught programmes. Almost all of the bachelor's programmes at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration are taught in English. "Introducing English-taught programmes changes everything", Wilkinson noted. "One of the risks is that good students may not be able to keep up because their English skills are not sufficient." Wilkinson warned that increased internationalization entails more than teaching in English. The course material, the composition of staff and students, and university policy and culture changes as well. As a consequence, the university may become alienated from the local community that surrounds it. Despite these risks, Hans-Georg van Liempd, head of the International Office at Tilburg University, expects that internationalization will only increase at Tilburg University. "But how far should we take this? Should we become like universities in Canada, with English and French as official languages, or Swiss universities, which are also completely bilingual in French and German?" //Dennis Nuiten Univers

3 Dutch business schools in Top 100 MBA programmes

Recently the Financial Times presented a list of full-time MBA-programmes of 2007. Last year, the Dutch business school TiasNimbas ranked #12 in the 2006 Financial Times Executive MBA (EMBA); only two positions away from the global top 10. The list concerns full-time MBA programmes. On it, TiasNimbas ranked #70 worldwide and #18 in Europe. It is the only business school on the list offering an MBA programme in Germany. Other Dutch business schools ranked are Nyenrode Business Universiteit ranked #85 and RSM Erasmus University at #30. Global presence TiasNimbas operates in Europe, the United States and Asia with partner schools University of Bradford and Purdue University. This results in a great symbiosis of globally present knowledge. Dean Philippe Naert of TiasNimbas, "This listing by the Financial Times is very important. It is an excellent indicator of our worldwide status." Director of MBA Programmes Bie De Graeve, "We are doing very well in the field of international MBA programmes. This is partly due to the fact that we offer great value for money. Our programme generally results in a fast payback for our students." About TiasNimbas. TiasNimbas is the ambitious combination of two leading Dutch Business Schools that joined forces to develop a position amongst the first division of business schools in Europe. TiasNimbas has grown substantially in the past 10 years under the dynamic leadership of dean Prof. dr. ir. Philippe Naert. Within this period sales have grown from 2.5 million euro to 20 millioneuro. Former dean of INSEAD, Naert has led a number of renowned European business schools. Under his leadership TiasNimbas has now developed a world-ranked MBA and company-specific programmes, with leading national and international companies and organisations in both the private and public sector. For more information please visit http://www.tiasnimbas.edu/

The Netherlands: New business centre for scientists

AMSTERDAM – Scientists who want to start a business can now get help from the Centre for Enterprise and Innovation (CvOI) in Utrecht. Students and business owners looking for scientists or information can also turn to the centre, the University of Utrecht announced. A spokesperson for the university said it was a unique initiative to bring science, business and study together. "Small and medium-sized businesses can come to the CvOI with questions for knowledge institutes." "Students and scientists can take advantage of business areas, financing and assistance in drawing up a business plan," the spokesperson said. The CvOI will also be organising the "Start impulse Utrecht" project, to track down and provide guidance to students and researchers with entrepreneurial talent. The centre also offers 50 workstations for starting entrepreneurs. The centre is a collaboration between the university, college of applied science, municipality, province and the University Medical Centre of Utrecht and is part of the Science Park Utrecht, the new name of the university's De Uithof campus.// Expatica News + ANP 2007

Holland came out on top of childern's well-being

A study of wealthy countries ranks the Netherlands and the Nordic countries on top, whereas the UK and the US get the worst average ranking in terms of childrens' well-being. A United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) study measuring and comparing child well-being in the OECD countries gives top position to the Netherlands. Also, the small Nordic countries rank in the top five, whereas the UK and US find themselves in the bottom third of rankings for most of the different indicators reviewed. The study, published on 14 February 2007, compared six different criteria - material well-being, health and safety, education, relationships, behaviours and risks, and young people's sense of their own well-being - in 21 countries. The scope of the study is, however, limited as not enough internationally comparable data exist. Furthermore, key areas such as mental and emotional health, child neglect and abuse are omitted. "OECD countries find themselves with widely differing rankings for different criteria," said Marta Santos Pais, director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, and the report stresses that no strong relationship between GDP per capita and child well-being exists. The study's findings prompted the president of the Party of European Socialists, Poul Nyrup Rasmusses, to praise the "Nordic social model as the best for children with regard health and poverty". The Nordic countries' scores in family and peer relationships or in subjective well-being of young people, however, are not very positive, and Italy wins in the category of "best relationships". //EurActiv.com

Diversity: a student association in Leiden University

Diversity. This is the name of the new multicultural student association which is in the process of being founded. The association is for all students, and is particularly intended to help those who do not have a Dutch background to feel at home. Here the students can find both a sociable atmosphere as well as study support. For further information look Leiden University

Survey: How satisfied are CHN’s international students?

On the 7th of February Mrs Nannette Ripmeester of the international research group I Graduate presented the overall results of the survey that took place among our international students throughout the year 2006. The research evaluated the experience of international students at CHN looking at three levels: Learning, Living and Support. This evaluation was benchmarked with over 40 top universities worldwide. Our international students were surveyed three times during the year: in spring, summer and autumn. In each survey over 200 of our international students participated, providing the CHN with a profound insight in the students’ experience and subsequently the strengths and weaknesses of the CHN compared to other universities. In short the following conclusions were shown: The CHN scores remarkably high compared to the other universities with respect to providing the student with a real multicultural environment; a place where students can easily make friends from all over the world. The students are also very satisfied about the learning spaces and the technology provided by the university. Leeuwarden is perceived as a safe and comfortable student city. Students are less satisfied with the quality and service of accommodation and the lack of opportunities for earning money. Students also expressed a need for career provision; meaning more advice and guidance on career paths and choices. In general students consider the internet access, employability, course content and expert lecturers to be most important. When compared to other universities the CHN scores high at the first aspect (internet access) but the other three aspects leave room for improvement. We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the international students who participated in one or more of the waves of the ISB questionnaire. It has provided us with valuable information and inspired us to find ways for improvement in order to make it really your home away from home!//CHN Newspaper

Netherlands opens up to east-European workers

The Netherlands is to open its borders to workers from Poland and other central European states that joined the EU in 2004, but leave Bulgarian and Romanian workers outside. Social Affairs Minister Henk van Hoof recommends opening Dutch borders to workers from central Europe. In a recent letter to the parliament, he wrote: "The situation on the Dutch labour market is such that free movement of workers from the new member states is desirable." So far, only eight member states from the 'old' EU-15 - the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain - have lifted restrictions on migrant workers from the ten countries that joined the EU in 2004. Other countries, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France and Luxembourg are, however, gradually opening up their labour markets. The Dutch labour-market opening will not involve workers from Bulgaria and Romania, the two member states that joined in 2007. The parliament's upper chamber is to vote on the opening of the labour market on 27 February 2007.//EurActiv.com

Holland welcomes skilled migrants

he Netherlands must open its arms to highly-educated migrants and introduce a point system to make it much easier for them to live and work here, according to the government's top advisory body SER, the Volkskrant reports on Friday. 'Scarce talent is a benefit to the economy,' SER chairman Alexander Rinnooy Kan told the paper. 'In the battle for brains, the Netherlands must turn itself into a hospitable, cosmopolitan environment.' The Dutch has a reputation for having a tough immigration policy and this is damaging the country's international position when it comes to developing a high-value knowledge-based economy, SER said. 'If we want to compete [with the US and UK] we will have to drastically alter our admission procedures. It should be a question of 'yes subject to' rather than 'no unless',' Rinnooy Kan told the Volkskrant. The new rules would apply to a few thousand people a year, the Volkskrant said. SER, which is made up of trade unions, employers and crown appointees, also said that the current restrictive immigration policy for non-EU nationals should continue to apply to low-skilled workers. The organisation also advised the social affairs, justice and economic affairs ministries to create a single office where both employers and migrants can deal with the paperwork in one go, the Volkskrant reported. The immigration service, which has been subject to a barrage of complaints over service, should rule on a work permit within two weeks, the SER said.

Tilburg University: better English required to enrol

n the future, foreign students will need better English skills. To enrol in an English-language bachelor's or master's, they must attain a minimum level in writing, speaking, listening, and reading. This proposal from the Executive Board will be discussed by the University Council on 1 February. The prerequisites for starting an international bachelor's or master's will become stricter: students from abroad who enrol in an English-language bachelor's must score six points on the nine-point scale of the IELTS test. For master's students, 6.5 points will become the minimum. In addition to the above, foreign students will have to perform well in all four language skills that are tested: writing, speaking, listening and reading. "Up till now the average IELTS score counted. So a Chinese student who scored badly in speaking could compensate for this with a high score for writing. But obviously that doesn't work in the classroom, where you have to interact a lot", states Riet Bettonviel, coordinator for English at the Language Centre. The minimum level for each skill will be 5.5 for the bachelor's and 6.0 for the master's. Dutch students will also have to be better prepared. Now, all students who take a Dutch bachelor's in Tilburg can enrol in an international Tilburg master's without a requirement to fulfil language conditions. The Executive Board wishes to make a language test compulsory for all students choosing a programme in English. If they fail the test, they will have to take an extra language course. This is too late, according to Jan Bolle, chairman of ECCO, the student faction at the Faculty of Economics. He suggests offering the courses much earlier, as part of the Dutch bachelor's. "A lot of these students are very eager to improve their English, but the courses fill up very quickly." To counter this problem, the Board aims to enlarge the budget for these courses on a modest scale. [SD]//Univers of Tilburg University