Wittenborg Offers More Housing for International Students in Former Office Building in Apeldoorn
Good news! WUAS is making more student housing available for its international students in the Netherlands after renovating a former office building in the heart of Apeldoorn and transforming it into spacious student accommodation.
Student Numbers Set to Top 700
Student numbers at Wittenborg are set to rise to more than 700 in the next year – the university has locations in Apeldoorn, Amsterdam and Vienna, Austria.
Unlike many institutions in the Netherlands, Wittenborg provides all its international students with accommodation for the first few months upon arrival to make sure they are not stranded.
On Wednesday, Wittenborg announced the purchasing and renovation of a former office building in De Ruyterstraat, in the heart of Apeldoorn city. The development was also reported in de Stentor newspaper on Wednesday.
According to Wittenborg CEO, Maggie Feng, the building can accommodate 34 students. Wittenborg acquired the property in partnership with Van der Leij Vastgoed, a project developer specialising in re-purposing office space into living quarters.
Given the growth in the number of students over the past few years, the demand for housing has outstripped supply and the school had to consider acquiring more living quarters for its incoming students, Feng said. The university is one of the most international in the Netherlands, boasting more than 80 different nationalities among students. The diversity is also reflected in its staff component.
With the new acquisition Wittenborg now offers housing for around 70 students. “Even so, there is still a shortage,” Feng told de Stentor. “The past few years we have steadily grown by around 15% from around 350 students to more than 600.”
In the meantime, the first students have started to move into De Ruyterstraat building just before the new academic year. More are expected to move in by October this year. Wittenborg is renowned for its flexible starting dates – offering students 6 entrée dates per year to start their studies and to graduate.
“International students arrive throughout the year,” Feng added.
WUP 16/9/2017
by Anesca Smith
©WUAS Press