Netherlands Worldwide Students ( nl, Nederlandse Wereldwijde Studenten), NWS for short, is a Dutch student organisation NWS forms a worldwide

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

of Dutch students currently, formerly and prospectively enrolled at foreign

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

professional schools Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive ...

. It offers a platform for joint activities and bridges the gap to the government, private sector, academic sector and society of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Most importantly, NWS tries to maintain a strong connection between Dutch students abroad and the Netherlands, and vice versa. Integral to this mission is making sure that the voices of Dutch students abroad are being heard in policy debates and that the value of studying abroad is appreciated from an individual, economic and societal perspective. NWS Clubs form an integral part of the NWS network, offering local activities, seminars, ''borrels'' and Dutch ''gezelligheid'' at universities outside of the Netherlands. NWS Clubs are active at

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and

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, amongst others. In addition, NWS maintains an online

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of Dutch students currently or formerly enrolled at foreign universities. This network provides its participants access to local contacts, knowledge and advice in any sector or country to facilitate studying abroad or returning to the Netherlands. NWS also has its own

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-based site, for user-generated information on studying abroad, foreign universities, financial aid and such. NWS was founded in 2007 by and for students and is completely run by volunteers. It is registered as a charity and receives support from

Nuffic Nuffic is the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. It is an independent, non-profit organisation based in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its most important contract partners are the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science ...

, the IB-Group, as well as several Dutch multinationals through sponsorship for events. As part of their activities, NWS conducts research on studying abroad through surveys among its members. The findings are presented in the "NWS-onderzoek" research report, which is published every other year. After publicatiosen, the report is presented to a representative of the Dutch government. Previous representatives to receive the report include Sybrand Haersma Buma and former State Secretary of Education

Halbe Zijlstra Halbe Zijlstra (; born 21 January 1969) is a retired Dutch politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 26 October 2017 to 13 February 2018 in the Third Rutte cabinet. He is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( ...

. In past years, the research report has focused on obstacles for Dutch students in going abroad and returning to the Netherlands. Over the past few years, NWS has increasingly become involved in informing Dutch secondary school and university students about the opportunities for studying abroad.

External links

NWS Website
(in Dutch)
Nuffic's main website
Student societies in the Netherlands Dutch social networking websites {{edu-org-stub