The knowledge hub

Dutch educational institutions head to the Middle East as the region shows great potential to becoming a centre for higher education.

Dutch higher education is setting its sights on the countries of the Arabian Gulf region. Earlier this year, Nuffic (the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education) signed an agreement with Dubai Knowledge Village.

A few years ago CHN University of Professional Education, which is based in the northern city of Leeuwarden, opened a campus in Doha, Qatar, to offer high-level study programmes in tourism and hotel management. By the same token, an increasing number of students from the Arabian Peninsula are finding their way to higher education institutions in the Netherlands. What they like is the well-known Anglo-Saxon, bachelor-master system and the constantly growing offering of study programmes (taught in English), which already numbers 1,300.

These courses cover the entire spectrum of university and higher professional education, from music and economics to geo-information and business studies, and from social sciences to biotechnology. Many courses lead to a bachelor's or a master's degree. Dutch higher education also offers a large number of highly specialised short courses designed for specialists. The number of foreign researchers studying for a PhD in Dutch universities is also rising, particularly in science faculties. The Netherlands has over half-a-million students, out of a population of 16 million.

High quality education

The quality of the courses on offer is guaranteed by the code of conduct with respect to international students in higher education, whereby signatory institutions make certain commitments regarding the standard of education and the support students will receive in the Netherlands. Institutions must sign the code in order to participate in Nuffic's 'Study in Holland' campaign, commissioned by the Dutch government to promote studying in the Netherlands. Only students who enrol with a participating institution are granted a residence permit to study there.

Students can find out all they need to know about studying in the Netherlands on www.studyin.nl. For more information on the code of conduct, visit www.internationalstudy.nl. What does this mean for the countries in the Gulf region? Dr Ayub Kazim, Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village, said, "Collaboration with Nuffic will move us closer to our goal of establishing quality education institutions in the region.

Eleven of the top 200 universities in the world are based in the Netherlands, and we are keen to embrace their knowledge and experience as an opportunity to explore and discover an education system so highly regarded around the world."

Dr Jos Walenkamp, Nuffic's Director of Knowledge and Innovation said: "Dubai shows great potential to become a hub for higher education not only at the international level, but also at a standard that signifies respect and quality. We are confident that partnering with Dubai Knowledge Village in this educational project will be a rewarding experience for both parties."

Walenkamp's remarks about Dubai Knowledge Village apply to the entire Gulf region. Higher education institutions that want to compete internationally can simply not afford to ignore this part of the world.

Cementing old ties

The revival of interest in the Middle East is in keeping with longstanding Dutch traditions. Leiden University, the oldest seat of learning in the Netherlands has been teaching Arabic language and culture for centuries. And the Netherlands has always endeavoured to maintain good relations with the Middle East countries. The wealth that was enjoyed in the Golden Age — the time of Rembrandt and other great painters — was partly earned through trade with the Middle East. It was in the Arabian Peninsula that Dutch merchants first tasted coffee, now an irreplaceable part of the Dutch diet. And the late King Ibn Saud enjoyed a lively correspondence with the then Dutch monarch, Queen Wilhelmina, often about the modernisations that the King wanted to introduce. Close relations were also achieved with the UAE, where many Dutch businesses have now been established.

The Netherlands advocates a two-track policy. The first track is about informing students from the Middle East about study opportunities in the Netherlands. The Netherlands profiles itself as a knowledge economy. The high level of prosperity can only be maintained through constant innovation, and this relies on a high-quality system of higher education institutions.

In a speech given at the opening of the academic year at Wageningen University, Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, said: "Knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship are the building blocks for our future. But you can't build anything with just stone. For a solid building, you need cement. The cement for our building is ambition — the ambition to work hard, innovate and excel." And international students can benefit greatly from this high standard.

Building partnerships

The second track is about partnerships between Dutch institutions and institutions in the Gulf. Partnerships can come in a variety of forms: joint research or curriculum development, establishing programmes or campuses, or conducting consultancy. The Doha campus of CHN University of Professional Education is a textbook example of good practice.
Similarly, the agreement between Nuffic and Dubai Knowledge Village points in the same direction. The best form of cooperation for a given academic discipline will depend on the circumstances at the time. The key criterion is to ensure that the interests of the parties fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

— Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC).