.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
Students ride bicycles on the campus of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The university is one of 13 Dutch higher education institutions participating in the Orange Tulip Scholarship for Korean students. |
Dutch universities seek to attract more Koreans with scholarship
By Bahk Eun-ji
.jpg) |
| Willemijn van Os, director of Nuffic NESO Korea |
"Consider the rich heritage of a European country such as the Netherlands to optimize your skills and knowledge in a vibrant and culturally diverse environment," Willemijn van Os, the director of Nuffic Netherlands Education Support Office (NESO) Korea, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
Nuffic NESO Korea, a nonprofit organization, was founded by the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic). It arranges the Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) sponsored by Dutch universities and Heineken.
"Earning a high quality degree and gaining European experience will increase future career prospects and offer an international network for life," van Os said.
She said the Netherlands welcomes international students having different cultural and social backgrounds, adding that the country has been the economic and cultural center of the world since 16th century.
She stressed that her country is adamant in attracting foreign students to higher educational institutions by offering scholarship programs, saying that Korean students are a main part of them.
Nuffic provides OTS for talented and motivated Korean students. Thirteen Dutch universities and one company, Heineken Korea, wait to give them this excellent opportunity.
.jpg) |
Students attend a lecture at Leiden University in the city of Leiden, the Netherlands. / Courtesy of Leiden University |
This year, 31 students benefited from the OTS, valued at 490 million won, which is the largest ever. The scholarship was founded five years ago and since then has given Korean students the chance to study in the Netherlands.
Many world renowned universities such as the University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, the University Groningen and the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University have participated in the program and welcome Korean students who want to take an active part in the international arena.
Van Os said she realized that many students want to go to the U.S. because it is a well-known study destination and maybe family and friends have studied there as well.
"However, do not choose there because so many have done it before you," she said.
She noted innovation and creativity by definition can only be nurtured in an environment where people ask critical questions and go beyond everything that has been created so far.
A recipient of the scholarship said she chose the Netherlands because the European country is more open for foreigners and more international than other countries.
"Because of their interest in other cultures, many Dutch people speak English fluently and international students are able to take courses in English," said Cho Ah-ra, who is attending the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University, under the scholarship program.
Cho said the unique atmosphere made by many international students in her school will definitely help her future plan to enter into international organizations.
"More than 1,800 programs in the Netherlands are offered in English, which means that you can basically study any field you want in the Netherlands, without having to learn Dutch. It is education of a high standard with reasonable fees," van Os said.
Dutch higher education stands out by its very high quality (12 universities are ranked in the top 200 of the Times higher education ranking, eight of them received a ranking in the top 100), she added.
The following is an excerpt from an interview with van Os.
(Q) Could you compare the education of schools in the Netherlands with that of U.S. schools?
(A) The U.S. is a large country with almost 4,500 universities and colleges. It is impossible to make any quality comparison with all of them as there are huge differences between all those institutions. Yes, there are very good schools in the U.S. And yes there are also bad schools in the U.S.
In the Netherlands the quality of overall higher education is protected by a code of conduct. This means that an overall high level of education is guaranteed in all 14 research universities and 38 universities of Applied Sciences.
Both types of universities educate in a bachelor/master structure. A research university has a more theoretical focus, a university of applied sciences has a more practical focus.
In the University of Applied Sciences, internships are an integral part of your education and you will spend at least two semesters in a company or organization for work-experience or applied research assignments.
(Q) Do you think teaching style offered by schools in the Netherlands is different from that of other countries?
(A) The teaching style in Dutch institutions stands out by a low level of hierarchy between professors and students and a high level of interaction. Equality is important in Dutch society and you will experience this in the universities.
You will be stimulated to question and debate, which means you will also not always agree with your professor or fellow students. This teaching style will stimulate you to develop yourself to the best of your personal abilities.
(Q) What does it take Korean students to be successful to get the degrees in the Netherlands?
(A) What is very important when studying in the Netherlands is a critical mind. You will be asked to fully participate in classes. To ask questions and to not be satisfied with just any answer. You will work together in groups a lot and contribute with your specific qualities. You do not have to possess all these qualities from the start, but you will need an open mind as well as an eagerness to learn and to develop yourself.
(Q) What do you value the most when you choose students to offer the scholarship?
(A) Besides requirements such as GMAT and TOEFL or IELTS test scores, your motivation is extremely important. Nuffic NESO Korea and the university of your choice, really want to know why you choose a specific study field and a specific institution.
You can share any information with us you want about your past and present situation and decisions, as well as your future ambitions. Key is that the motivation is personal.
Those that have received the OTS in the past years stand out because of their qualities as a student, as well as their clear ambitions for the future.
I have met many of them and what strikes me every time is their pleasant personality, their clear and strategic planning and their level of personal development.
(Q) In which way the scholarship is special for Korean students?
(A) The OTS is for Korean students only. This means competition is limited as compared to other worldwide scholarship programs and your chances are very reasonable to get one of the 31 scholarships available.
Also, it means the university is specifically interested in receiving smart, motivated and talented Korean students. Dutch institutions know that Korean students are very eager to learn and are a great asset in the international classroom.
