PRESS RELEASE

This morning, Minister Bussemaker awarded the first 40 Holland Scholarships to Dutch and international students. She did this during an extensive breakfast at Schiphol Airport, which was also attended by VSNU (Association of Universities in the Netherlands) President Karl Dittrich, amongst others. The Holland Scholarship is the new national grant programme for Dutch and international students. Karl Dittrich explains, "In order to boost the quality of higher education, which is becoming increasingly internationalised, it is of vital importance that more international students come to our country. Conversely, it is also important that more Dutch students complete part of their studies abroad."

1,536 grants
The Holland Scholarship has been made available by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with Dutch higher education institutions. Each academic year, they offer 1,536 grants, divided equally between Dutch and international students.

Breakfast
During a breakfast at Schiphol, Minister Bussemaker and directors of various higher education institutions spoke to students who have received a grant this year. These included both Dutch students who were heading abroad and international students who were coming to study in the Netherlands.

Bussemaker: "It's wonderful to see how ambitious the students are to make a success of their studies. Thanks to the collaboration with the educational institutions, the Holland Scholarship has become a truly national grant programme."

Erik-Jan van der Wal, a student at NHL university of applied sciences, talked enthusiastically about his impending trip to Guangzhou in China: "I have always wanted to see the world and I'm looking forward to learning Chinese. I also hope to gain insight into how Chinese people approach logistic problems, as this ties in perfectly with my studies in the Netherlands."

Rita González Ortega hails from Mexico and is going to study Creative Industries at Radboud University: "This is an ideal opportunity to begin a new chapter in my life. I have noticed that Dutch people speak very good English and are open and friendly. I'm really looking forward to my time here."

The photo was taken this morning at Schiphol by photographer Yuki Kho, and can be used free of royalties. For more information, contact Guus Staats (spokesman for EP-Nuffic).

Holland Scholarship
The Holland Scholarship is a grant made available by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with 48 Dutch universities. The grant is intended to give Dutch students the chance to take a study programme, complete an internship or conduct research outside the European Economic Area (EEA). It is also a powerful promotional instrument for Dutch higher education, intended to attract talented international students from outside the EEA to come and study in the Netherlands.
EP-Nuffic will play an advisory role in the conduct of the new grant programme. Its duties will include promotion and provision of information, coordination of the alumni network and organisation of events within the scope of the grant programme.