New financial university planned

SCHIPHOL – A new high level business and finance school is being planned in the Netherlands. A number of large businesses are working to establish a new university close to Schiphol, called the Duisenberg School of Finance. They hope it will be one of the best in Europe. The Duisenberg School should cooperate with other Dutch universities and will be funded by the business sector. The university is an initiative of the new Holland Financial Centre foundation, in which ministries and prominent figures from the financial world are working together. Docters van Leeuwen, formerly of regulatory agency AFM, will head the organisation.//Expatica News 2007

Law research scores 4.5 out of 5

The visitation committee Vanistendael is of the opinion that Leiden’s legal research is of good quality and the programmes offer many stimulating challenges. Director of Research, Wim Voermans: ‘This evaluation is even better than we had hoped. What also makes us strong is the breadth of our research. Exciting research environment Prof. Wim Voermans, director of the E.M. Meijers Institute, which is responsible for all the research of the Leiden Law Faculty, is very pleased with the positive image given by the visitation committee regarding Leiden's law research. Voermans: ‘Our faculty also received a visitation in 2000. That visitation related to the period 1995-2000, and the results were published in 2002. The evaluation of the Ten Cate committee, which carried out the visitation at the time, was a bit disappointing, especially because we had higher research ambitions. The criticism mainly pertained to the purported lack of cohesion of the research programmes. This is not particularly surprising since the faculty only began to organise its research into programmes in 1996. Prior to this time, research at our Faculty was predominantly individual. Now, more than ten years later, our programmes are clearly cohesive. I would go further and say that we have the feeling we are working in an exciting research environment. But does the outside world share this view? It was of great importance to us to have this conviction verified by a strong external committee. Good to excellent The legal research carried out at the E.M. Meijers Institute was given an average mark of 4.5 on a scale of 5. The Meijers Institute has six research programmes:

Constitutionalisation, Transnationalisation and the Coherence of Private Law Limits of Tax Sovereignty Dispute settlement Social Cohesion and the Law Security and law Securing the Rule of Law in a World of Multilevel Jurisdiction

What is it that makes the research so good? Voermans says that in addition to its appreciation of the internal cohesion of the programmes, the quality and the productivity, the committee was impressed by the fact that current social issues are central to each of the six research programmes. In drawing up the programmes, the faculty took as its departure point the available in-house expertise and clustered it into six research programmes with current and relevant research questions. In addition, the quality of Leiden legal research is not only the result of the quality of the individual researchers, but also of the breadth of the in-house expertise; this makes it possible to consider complex research questions from different perspectives and disciplines. This breadth of research also has a positive influence on the quality of legal education. The committee was also very positive about the functioning and the management of the Meijers Institute. Securing the Rule of Law The programme ‘Securing the Rule of Law in a World of Multilevel Jurisdiction’ was judged ‘excellent’ in its entirety, and scored a 5. The MLJ programme assumes that the law of individual countries no longer suffices in today’s world. Due to social and technological changes, legal problems arise which can only be solved by creating laws which surpass national states. This is true for various fields of law: international law, international economic traffic, the relation between individual states and the European Union and the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals. Voermans explains: ‘In the last few years, new laws have been created in various international circles. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has been developing the fundamental rights for the inhabitants of the 47 member states, but the European Union itself has also been involved in the creation of law. All this new supranational legislation occasionally meets with resistance. The question which this raises is: how does the law respond to these developments? One cannot simply introduce a new law. National and international legal rules and principles set frameworks for and limitations to the possibility of creating international law. These frameworks and limitations are, in turn, subject to developments, for instance in the context of political discussions of the kind that has recently taken place in the Netherlands around the issue of the European ‘Constitution’. Research into these developments and the search for answers to these questions poses a tremendous challenge which will keep us busy for many years. This programme requires a vast breadth of expertise, which we are fortunate to have at our disposal within the Faculty. //Leiden University

Corus to offer scholarships for materials science students

Corus Research, Development & Technology (Corus RD&T) is one of the most important employers in the Netherlands for materials science students. Starting next academic year, Corus RD&T will be offering five scholarships for Materials Science and Engineering master’s students. Corus RD&T is hoping that the scholarships will generate interest in this degree programme, while strengthening links between the company and the TU Delft Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The application period closes on 15 July 2007. Under the scheme, Corus RD&T will pay the tuition fees for the two-year master’s programme for five selected students each year. To qualify for the scholarship, students must come from one of the European Union countries. Students will be preselected on their CVs and transcripts, and the final decision will be made by a selection committee made up of Corus and TU Delft representatives. //TU Delft

The TU/e offers scholarships for top students

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) offers a considerable number of full-cost scholarships to talented international students to participate in a Master's program at the TU/e. The scholarships will be available for courses starting in September of each academic year. The Technische Universiteit Eindhoven is an international university operating at the highest level in the international academic and scientific world. The TU/e's international excellence is confirmed by its high ranking in citation impact scores: it is ranked third in Europe. It is also located in the research-intensive region, which acccommodates over 350 international companies, including Philips that recently built a new research campus for about 10,000 researchers. All international students (non-EEA nationals) who submit a complete application package for a TU/e Master's program before 1 March 2007, and who are subsequently admitted to a TU/e Master's program, will automatically enter the selection process for the TU/e and Royal Dutch/Sell Centenary Scholarships. The scholarships cover most of the study and living costs for two years. Please download TUe Scholarships.pdf for scholarships in detail Please go to www.tue.nl/masterprograms for a complete overview of the TU/e Master's programs.

Nuffic to open Moscow offices

This summer, Nuffic will open its new Bangkok and Moscow offices. Their job will be to raise awareness in Thailand and Russia of what Dutch higher education has to offer. Nuffic already has Netherlands Education Support Offices (NESOs) in Beijing, Taipei, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Mexico City. The new NESOs will have prestigious locations. The Library for Foreign Literature in Moscow will be Nuffic’s Russian home, and is already a well-known address for internationally-oriented Muscovites. The remodelling and decoration work is already in full swing. The Dutch embassy in Bangkok will be our Thailand base. The exact opening dates of both offices will be announced in due course. //Nuffic

Opportunities for foreign graduates in Holland

International students who graduate in the Netherlands will be given more opportunities to look for work after completing their studies. The government is to give them 12 months to look for work following graduation, rather than the current three months. The minimum qualifying starting salary will also be lowered to 25,000 euro. The admission procedures will be simplified too. These changes were announced by the Dutch government on 15 June. They are designed to help non-EU nationals, as EU citizens are already free to look for work and take up residence in any other EU member state. //Nuffic

Nyenrode’s Executive Education program 45th in the world

Breukelen, May 16, 2007 – Nyenrode is the only Dutch business school listed on the Financial Times’ annually-published international ranking of open-enrolment programs for managers and entrepreneurs. According to the FT, Nyenrode ranks 44th on this international list. Nyenrode is also listed on the ranking of business schools offering custom programs for companies. The FT evaluates according to the following criteria: the structure of the program; teaching materials; faculty; new skills and knowledge; targets reached; results and various aspects of internationalization. The FT ranks Nyenrode’s partner institute, the Chicago-based Kellogg School of Management, among the world’s top-ten business schools. Nyenrode offers a number of open-enrolment programs for managers and entrepreneurs, including the Young Management Program, the Foundations of Management Program, the Advanced Management Program and the Part-time MBA. Nyenrode also provides in-company programs for various listed companies, SMEs and government institutions. Both students and educational institutions regard the FT Executive Education ranking as one of the most significant indicators for post-graduation opportunities. In addition to the open-enrolment program, Nyenrode’s International MBA program ranks among the global top 100 institutions offering an MBA, the FT announced earlier this year. //Nyenrode Business University

Nyenrode MBA most desired

According to Dutch magazine Management Team (issue 18, May 2007), Nyenrode’s MBA program is the most desired among the respondents of the regular MT readers’ panel. “For managers, the quality of the program and the reputation of the institution are the main criteria for choosing an MBA. Almost half of all the respondents is thinking about doing an MBA in the future to gain more knowledge and understanding of general management, strategy, financial management and marketing. Of the respondents wishing to do an MBA, the majority named Nyenrode as their preferred institution (28 percent), followed by Rotterdam School of Management (23 percent) and TiasNimbas, the school jointly run by the universities of Tilburg and Eindhoven (10 percent).” //Nyenrode Business University

Univers: How to communicate with foreigners

Everybody at Tilburg University needs to have intercultural skills. For this reason, the university aims to introduce a special course in 'Intercultural Effectivity' for students and scientific and supporting staff, both Dutch and international. Imagine the following situation: an Iranian student participates in an important university project, but has failed to show up three times. You - the teacher - meet him to talk about this. Your Iranian student finally shows up, half an hour late. Iranian student Naziar: "My alarm clock didn't go off." Guust Meijers, head of the Language Centre, the teacher: "Oh, but it's half past ten already. Did you have a party?" Naziar: "I find it difficult to get up lately." Teacher: "Well, but you're here now. I have the feeling things aren't going very well. Why didn't you show up to your workgroup meeting?" Naziar: "I'd rather not talk about my private matters. " A small group of supporting staff sits together in the 'Villa, Vier Jaargetijden', in the centre of Tilburg. In a distinguished room with a giant chandelier, a richly decorated mirror, and golden ceiling, they interact in a role-playing game with an Iranian actor to learn more about intercultural communication. This course in 'Intercultural Effectivity' is part of the International Campus project. The language tests for both students and employees are also part of this plan. To see if the 'Intercultural Effectivity' training is successful, last week and this week there were three pilots; for scientific staff, students, and supporting staff. If this programme is successful, it will be introduced throughout the whole university, sometime next academic year. After the evaluation of the training course, the Executive Board will decide how to launch this new course. "Making it compulsory for everybody is a step too far," according to Hans-Georg van Liempd, head of the International Office. "But I can imagine that it would be good to make it a part of English courses. In an international classroom, students of different cultures have to work together. So they should learn how to talk and listen to each other." Roos Ruijpers, who took part in the pilot training course, is international marketing officer at the International Office. She regularly has to deal with various intercultural problems. "In my former job as study advisor I had to tell a Chinese student that she couldn't enrol in a course. She kept saying, 'yes' with a smile. I thought she didn't understand what I was saying. Afterwards I learnt that she kept saying 'yes' out of politeness." At the training course, Ruijpers learnt how to deal with such problems. "It is best to let the student repeat what you just said and also to write it in an e-mail afterwards. This way the student can read it again. Maybe with a dictionary," Ruijpers says. The role-playing game with the Iranian student also sketches a situation that happens in real life. Ruijpers recognises it: "One time a foreign student was crying his eyes out with me, but wouldn't tell me what was going on. In his culture it was not common to talk about your problems." Trainer Yvonne Fijneman, of the company Fijneman & Willemsen, explains that foreign students should be approached differently in some respects. "You especially need time to win the confidence of the students. But I realise that time isn't always available." One candidate wonders if this is not also a problem with Dutch students. "No," says Nicole Fouchier, managing director of the faculty of Economics, "Dutch students come right out with their problems." Several subjects were dealt with in the training course. For instance, which psychological processes play an important role in intercultural contact? What qualities and skills do you need to be interculturally competent? And what causes miscommunication? "How people react to you, " Fijneman explains, "is dependent on different factors: the person, the situation, but also the culture and the political and economic circumstances." The training course does not give all the answers about how to deal with Chinese, Polish, or French people. It aims to make people more conscious. "And that's useful," thinks Ruijpers. "If someone acts in a strange way, you know it's not always personal. For instance, when I'm doing business I act typically Dutch. I'm very direct. That scares off some people. And I'm not always aware of that." Ruijpers would like to see this training course introduced as a compulsory subject for the whole university. "Everybody should be aware of cultural differences. Plus, the university wants to be international. Everybody within the organisation should be prepared for that." //Univers

Amsterdam 25th most expensive city

AMSTELVEEN – Amsterdam comes in 25th this year on the Cost of Living Survey from Mercer Human Resource Consulting. It has moved up 16 places since last year. Moscow has topped the list for the second year in a row, followed by London. Other expensive European cities include Copenhagen, Geneva and Zurich. Oslo remains in 10th place. Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the most inexpensive European city to live in at 108th on the list. The Cost of Living Survey looks at 143 cities on six continents. The study compares the cost of more than 200 items in each city, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household products and entertainment.// Expatica News + ANP 2007

Holland: Lowest unemployment in 4 yrs

AMSTERDAM – The Dutch unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in the March-May period, its lowest level in four years. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) announced this on Tuesday. This is the first time in the last four years that unemployment has dipped below 5 percent. On average 347,000 people were unemployed in the period from March to May, 7,000 fewer than in the February to April period. The figures without correction for seasonal fluctuations showed 353,000 people out of work, 77,000 fewer than in the same period last year. This shows a decrease of almost 20 percent in a year's time. Unemployment fell among both men and women, CBS reported. More than half of the decrease was due to men finding jobs however. Unemployment among men fell to 3.8 percent; while 5.8 percent of the female working population was without jobs. The lowest unemployment rate is for men in the 25 to 44 age bracket. Only 2.8 percent of the working population in this age group was unemployed. This is still higher than in mid 2001, when only 1.4 percent of the male working population aged 25 to 44 was unemployed.//Expatica News 2007

Amsterdam Business School: career prospects

Typical applicants will expect to embark on a career in areas where a thorough understanding of the complexities of international business is essential, such as multinationals, international consultancy firms, international financial institutions and banks. Amsterdam Business School helps students in making a sound career choice through our tailor made career services. Its dedicated career services include a training programme to improve cover letter writing, guidance in preparing professional curriculum vitae, and interviewing techniques. Amsterdam Business School will provide assistance in seeking out and securing a suitable summer internship or consultancy project, and in co-ordinating job and internship leads offered by companies and institutions. Regularly Amsterdam Business School organises company presentations and visits, and haves on campus interviews with firms and executive search agencies. The alumni are very helpful in assisting the students to get leads, interviews and good contacts. Last but not least, for those of you planning to stay in the Netherlands after graduation, the Dutch government has relaxed work permit regulations for graduates from Dutch universities (regardless of nationality). This means that each graduate of The Amsterdam MBA can stay and work in The Netherlands for up to 5 years after graduation, without needing a work permit. There are a few conditions (minimum salary, kind of company), but these are normally easily met by the students.// Amsterdam Business School

Amsterdam Business School: new MBA tracks

The Amsterdam MBA has been enriched with some new specialisations: Corporate Social Responsibility Track, Finance Track and Entrepeneurship track. The Corporate Social Responsibility Track includes targeted courses such Corporate Governance, Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility and Business & Sustainability. To complete this track you will also do your consultancy project in the field of CSR and write your thesis on a CSR-related topic. Upon graduation you will receive a Master of Business Administration diploma from the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The Finance Track includes targeted courses such as Investments and International Finance. To complete this track you will also do your consultancy project in the field of Finance and write your thesis on a Finance-related topic. Upon graduation you will receive a Master of Business Administration diploma from the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The Entrepeneurship track includes targeted courses, as well as a thesis and a consultancy project on entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurship track covers new venture entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship and offers courses such as International Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Finance. The courses include case studies, guest presentations by entrepreneurs and investors and business planning. To complete this track you will need to do your consultancy project in this area and write your MBA thesis on an entrepreneurship related topic. Upon graduation you will receive an MBA diploma from the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The Real Estate track includes targeted courses on this subject. To complete this track you will also do your consultancy project in the field of Real Estate and write your thesis on a Real Estate-related topic. Upon graduation you will receive a Master of Business Administration diploma from the Universiteit van Amsterdam.//Amsterdam Business School