Bilateral agreements

Worldwide partnership programmes

The European Platform for Internationalisation in Education, CINOP and Nuffic are intermediary organisations serving as a link between educational institutions, central government and international organisations in the field of internationalisation, international cooperation and capacity building. Their main functions are:

• to provide national and international information and documentation and promote education;
• to implement national, bilateral and international programmes;
• to advise central government on policy implementation;
• to advise institutions, using their expertise in the fields of internationalisation, international cooperation and capacity building. Nuffic focuses on eight themes: Europe, recognition, mobility, international cooperation, internationalisation strategies, international education markets, scholarship and grant programmes and the labour market;
• to represent government on the management committees of international programmes;
• to support educational institutions with project applications and fund raising.

Bilateral cooperation tends to be channelled through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), in which the signatory countries lay down how cooperation will be organised and what common objectives they aim to achieve.

In the Netherlands’ 15 development cooperation partner countries, there are bilateral programmes focusing on food security, security, water, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Cooperation and participation in worldwide programmes and organisations

Multilateral partnership programmes

Dutch Language Union In the Dutch Language Union, the Netherlands, Flanders and Suriname work together on Dutch language issues. The Language Union promotes Dutch language education, literature and reading.

The Dutch Language Union’s tasks are as follows:

• laying down the spelling of words for the government and the education sector. These official spellings are listed in a set of guidelines and in the Dutch Language Word List;
• encouraging the three countries to work together to produce dictionaries and grammar books, for example;
• giving advice on language on the website taaladvies.net and answering emails with questions about language;
• carrying out studies into reading habits and the role books play in present-day society;
• providing information and documentation on Dutch literature.

Programmes implemented by the Netherlands in developing countries In implementing development policy in the field of education, the Dutch government works with various partners, including the business community, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and knowledge institutions.

There are various programmes and funds for cooperation with civil society organisations and NGOs, including the Cofinancing Programme (MFS). Under the Cofinancing System II (MFS II) 67 Dutch development organisations, including Cordaid, Hivos, ICCO and Oxfam Novib, receive grants from the government. These organisations work through MFS II with 4,000 partner organisations in developing countries. In their turn, these partner organisations are in contact with 30,000 to 100,000 local initiatives, so that ultimately around 65 million people can be reached through MFS II.

Development organisations have forged a total of 20 alliances working largely together on themes ranging from education and health care to democratisation, good governance and human rights.

Education is important. High-quality higher and vocational education helps countries to build up a skilled and professional workforce. Through the Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE) programme the Netherlands is working to strengthen higher and vocational education in developing countries, which often face shortages of the kind of skilled workers needed by companies and organisations to function properly. The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) likewise aim to raise levels of training in developing countries.  

NICHE The NICHE programme is funded by the Dutch government and implemented by Nuffic. The programme aims to strengthen training capacity in developing countries in a sustainable way. High-quality higher and vocational education helps countries to build up a skilled and professional workforce. NICHE makes use of the knowledge and expertise of Dutch universities and HBO institutions.

Various organisations In the partner countries, such as higher education institutions, ministries, national committees and NGOs, may receive support. NICHE is demand-driven and focuses on ownership. Partner countries themselves indicate where support is needed. In the long run, they will be able to provide their own training and manpower.

NICHE focuses on strengthening educational institutions in the Netherlands’ 15 development cooperation partner countries. These are institutions for higher and vocational education, not primary education. NICHE projects may:

• train staff from partner countries;
• develop new syllabuses;
• introduce vocationally-oriented training;
• organise exchanges of staff with colleagues from the Netherlands or countries in the region.

NFP Developing countries face huge shortages of skilled workers needed by companies and organisations to function properly. This is why the Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) were launched to raise levels of training within organisations in developing countries.

The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) provide scholarships for professionals with at least two years’ work experience with a view to furthering the development of the 50 participant countries. Employers nominate potential fellows. Nuffic manages the programme for the Netherlands. The NFP provides scholarships for:

• PhD places and PhD studies;
• participation in selected master’s degree courses;
• refresher training and other short courses;
• short, tailor-made training courses for groups from a single organisation or sector.