Wittenborg’s Summer School Introduces International Students to the Netherlands

03.08.2023

New Programme Offers Multiple Educational and Fun Activities to Participants

With the goal of introducing international students to life and education in the Netherlands, Wittenborg launched a brand-new programme, the Summer School. Between 17 and 28 July, a group of nine students from China, USA, Pakistan, India and Iran took part in various activities and courses.

Among other topics, the students attended lectures and workshops on effective leadership and performance management, Dutch culture and society, intercultural communication and teamwork. The activities also addressed how to use English in an academic context, techniques of summarising and storytelling and how to create short stop-motion videos – the latter being conducted at the famous CODA Museum. Additionally, the students were taken on guided tours through the city centre of Apeldoorn and the iconic Het Loo palace and had the opportunity of a steam train tour through Veluwe National Park.

During the programme, the participants were required to engage in practical exercises including group presentations. At the end of the Summer School, the students delivered self-reflection reports detailing what they had learned, in the form of video presentations or PowerPoint slides.

Wittenborg EU project manager Aydan Holtrigter explained that this is the programme’s pilot edition.

“The Summer School allows international students to experience Apeldoorn and the Netherlands, get in touch with a new culture and ‘taste’ what it is like to live and study abroad,” she said. “The goals and benefits are many – it introduces students to a multicultural environment and helps them develop new skills, such as communication, working in an international setting, improving their English and presentation skills. In general, they become better prepared for academic and professional life in the future. We also expect that this experience will enrich them from the point of view of personal development.”

Holtrigter added that the programme is linked to the availability of some of the school’s new accommodation studios at Ruyterstraat 5. “This allows Wittenborg to manage its facilities in a smart and sustainable way, while offering Summer School participants accommodation, which is a big challenge for students in the Netherlands.”

Discovering the Netherlands

High-school student Li Man Ho, 17, from Hong Kong, said that this is his first time in the Netherlands, adding that he really enjoys the country’s “comfortable and leisurely atmosphere”.

“I decided to participate in the Summer School for three reasons: firstly, because I wanted to appreciate the Netherlands’ landscapes and seascapes. In addition to that, I really want to improve my English-speaking skills, so I came here to practise by speaking and interacting with other people. And the third reason is that I wanted to experience what it’s like to study on university-level courses. The programme gave me the opportunity to meet many people from different countries, practise my English and make new friends.”

US student Monica Lopez, 18, pointed out that she is interested in Wittenborg’s bachelor’s programmes and wanted to have an experience of what education is like in the Netherlands, as well as a better understanding of Dutch culture. “It is a good opportunity to learn more and make new friends, experience the culture and to be able to just fit right into college level and understand what will be expected of you. I really like it here in the Netherlands; people are very welcoming and the country is beautiful, and Wittenborg is an amazing school.”