Sino-Dutch Educational Cooperation
Jun 29, 2009
In February 2001 Mr. L.M.L.H.A.Hermans, Minister of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands has paid an official visit to China, meeting the his Chinese counterpart Mme Chen Zhili. The main content of the meeting’s summary was the establishment of the DELTA Scholarship Programme and of Strategic Scientific Alliances. The first enables a group of students from foreign nationalities to study in the Netherlands, in the latter, Chinese research institutes are coordinated to participate in the program. Nowadays the total amount of Chinese students studying in the Netherlands is now adding up to 8000. Apart from China’s economic growth and the upcoming Olympic Games, China has also been drawing the attention when it comes to education. In May this year, the Vice-Minister of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands, Mr. Marc Rutte paid an official visit to China, followed by Minister herself, Mrs. Maria van der Hoeve, who came to China not even a month later. The fruitful results of these visits include a mutual understanding thanks to which the diplomas of secondary education in both countries now are mutually recognised. This will facilitate the option of following a higher education in China or the Netherlands for Dutch or Chinese students respectively. Many Chinese and Dutch institutions have close ties and exchange both students and scientists.