Not only were there greater numbers of international students in the Netherlands in 2007, but Dutch higher education institutions will also be offering even more international study programmes over the coming academic year. In 2009-2010, higher education institutions throughout the Netherlands will offer as many as 1,391 international programmes, 1,376 of which will be given entirely in English. This means that Holland retains its position as the leader in English-language higher education on the European continent.

The range of 1,391 programmes is extremely diverse and offers a wide variety of courses in academic and higher professional education, from archaeology and industrial design to software engineering and tourism management. Higher education in Holland also offers a large number of specialized short courses intended for specialists who have already completed a higher education programme.

Guaranteed quality

The quality of the range of courses available is guaranteed by the “Code of conduct with respect to international students in Dutch higher education” (Gedragscode internationale student in het hoger onderwijs), in which participating institutions make promises regarding both the level of the actual instruction and the reception of students in Holland. Signing this code of conduct is a requirement for participation in Nuffic’s Study in Holland campaign, which promotes studying in Holland on behalf of the Dutch government.

Study in Holland: Open to international minds

Since 2008, Dutch institutions of higher education have been orienting themselves clearly and as a group towards the international education market with a new logo and associated slogan, ”Study in Holland: Open to international minds.” The logo represents the high quality of education offered in Holland, as well as the international setting in which it takes place. Only institutions that have signed the code of conduct may use the logo on their international promotion materials.

The purpose of the Study in Holland campaign by Nuffic (the Netherlands organization for international cooperation in higher education) is to generate worldwide attention for the range of study opportunities available in the Netherlands. The internet plays a supporting role in this campaign, in particular the website  www.studyin.nl.

All information about studying in Holland can be found at  www.studyin.nl. Further details about the code of conduct can be found at  www.internationalstudy.nl.