European, Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development 

Central government stipulates the framework within which the institutions operate but the administration of each institution is ultimately responsible for developing courses within this framework. The choices made with regard to the syllabus and examinations are set out in the teaching and examination regulations.

Europe and the European Union are not compulsory subjects in higher education. However, depending on the course, they may be included as themes, while institutions are expected to deal with the international dimension of each subject area.

Partnerships and Networks 

Educational networks for internationalisation

Institutions in Higher Education can opt for guidance in international cooperation by one of the following networks:

• Consulation of Institutions for Higher Education in International Relations (in Dutch only) (Hogescholenoverleg Internationale Betrekkingen) is a network for staff of HBO institutions responsible for internationalisation. Members exchange information, knowledge and experience. The secretariat is run by the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences.
• Cospa (in Dutch only): Cospa (Coordinating Office for Student Placement Abroad) is a network of work experience placement coordinators and staff members of the International Office of Dutch and Flemish higher education institutions. The secretariat is run by Nuffic.
• Neth-Er: The Netherlands House for Education and Research (Neth-ER) aims to increase the influence of Dutch education and research institutions in Europe and represent the Dutch education sector in Brussels. Neth-ER offers work experience placements for HBO and university students.
• International Strategic Consultations (SOI; Strategisch Overleg Internationalisering) between higher education institutions, government authorities, umbrella and support organisations. The secretariat is run by Nuffic.

In higher education, the European dimension is reflected in student and staff exchanges, though the percentage of the student population involved is relatively small. For more information see: Mapping Mobility 2012: International Mobility in Dutch Higher Education'.   Many students stay in the Netherlands for their entire degree course. In their internationalisation policies, many higher education institutions focus not only on mobility, but also on curriculum content, language of instruction and the training and orientation of their teaching staff (‘international classrooms’, programmes with components in English or another modern language, international online education, subject modules such as ‘intercultural communication and/or competencies’, joint and double degree programmes, transnational education and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Another form of internationalisation is inter-regional cooperation between various European institutions located close together.

French-Dutch cooperation

On 1 January 2014 Nuffic launched the Franco-Dutch Network (NFN) (Dutch-French Network only in Dutch available) to take over some of the activities of the Franco-Dutch Academy (FNA), which has since been disbanded. The aim of the NFN is to step up cooperation between knowledge institutions in the Netherlands and France, working with its French counterpart, the Réseau Franco-Néerlandais (RFN). Together they organise the following activities.

Meeting days Each year, a meeting day is organised for French and Dutch teachers, researchers, administrators, policymakers and students, at a venue in either France or the Netherlands. In the past few years, the meetings have covered the following subjects:

• PhDs without borders
• higher education and the private sector
• joint PhDs
• evaluation of diplomas
• the Bologna process
• intellectual property
• free movers

Jeunes Talents On the initiative of the Dutch-French Cooperation Council and the Dutch and French Ministries of Foreign Affairs, NFN organises a Jeunes Talents conference every two years. The conferences bring together talented young people (up to 36 years of age) from the world of politics, the media, the private sector and academia for an interactive, solution-driven programme focusing on a European theme and resulting in recommendations for the two governments.

Scholarships The bilateral network is also involved in implementing a number of scholarship programmes. Nuffic now manages the Van Gogh Programme. The RFN manages the Eole scholarship programme, which is intended for French undergraduate and postgraduate students who wish to study or gain work experience in the Netherlands.

Information and advice The bilateral network also provides general information and advice on higher education and research in the two countries, with the NFN providing information and advice on the Netherlands and the RFN on France.

Flemish-Dutch cooperation

An example of Flemish-Dutch cooperation is the GENT-wide (Geheel Nederlandse Taalgebied = entire Dutch language area) action programme. In October 2003, the sixth agreement was reached with Flanders (GENT-6) on enhancing cooperation in all education sectors. GENT-6 focuses on:

• policy exchanges in all areas where the two ministries consider this to be important;
• mobility between the two countries and internationally;
• where possible, joint preparation of positions in multilateral bodies (EU, OECD);
• the establishment of joint institutions and the sharing of facilities.

Each year, workshops are held for the Flemish and Dutch higher education sectors to exchange experiences of internationalisation in practice. They are organised by the Erasmus University’s International Institute of Social Studies, in cooperation with Nuffic and the Flanders Knowledge Area (formerly Flamenco).

The framework of reference at these workshops is formed by the quality criteria for internationalisation devised by the Netherlands-Flanders Accreditation Organisation (NVAO). Based on five standards (vision, learning outcomes, teaching and learning, staff, and students), these quality criteria are a useful framework for internationalisation in higher education institutions. By meeting these standards, institutions may be eligible for the special NVAO internationalisation hallmark.

Fullbright center

The  Fullbright Program is a worldwide programme for bilateral exchanges between the US and the partner country (in this case the Netherlands). It operates in 155 countries.

The scholarships awarded within this programme are for students wishing to study at graduate level at a leading university in the US. The programme also provides financial support to start work on a PhD at an American university or to do research for a dissertation in the US. The scholarships for academics are intended for teaching.

Germany Institute

The Germany Institute in Amsterdam (Duitsland Instituut Amsterdam (DIA)) is the national knowledge centre on present-day Germany, focusing on the interface between education, science and society and the European context. DIA initiates and encourages Dutch-German networks and exchanges.

Dutch higher education is very popular among German students and many Dutch and German universities and knowledge institutions work closely together on a frequent basis. The European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), for instance, emerged from an international partnership between eleven universities in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

The Netherlands and Germany work closely together in the border region, in particular through the Cross-border Partnership Programme (GROS), which aims to address the problems encountered by members of the public and companies in the fields of, for example, work, education and care. Five EU regions are active on either side of the Dutch-German border.