A place filled with astounding natural beauty, majestic architecture and wonderful people, there is no shortage of things to love about the Netherlands. It’s also not surprising that this country is popular among international students. Boasting highly-ranked, prestigious universities and a welcoming attitude towards international students, the country is one of the best places for you to pursue your study abroad education.
But what are some of the best creative subjects you should consider studying? We’ve summed them up for you here.
Fashion
Milan, Paris and New York aren’t the only cities well-known for their clothing lines. The Netherlands has many successful international brands such as Sandwich, JustB and G-Star. These stores can be found in many countries around the world, reflecting the popularity and internationalisation of Dutch fashion.
Architecture
Blending old and new in unique and interesting ways, the Dutch are heralded as one of the leaders in the architecture field. Various home-grown companies have been sought after all over the world to build well-known projects, such as Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and architectural firm West8. Universities with strong architectural programmes include Delft and Eindhoven.
Dutch design is a term used to describe the quirk, out-of-the-box thinking displayed in Dutch products, seamlessly incorporating creativity together with innovative technology. This can be seen in anything that the Dutch design, from cars to furniture, fashion and daily appliances. Many local companies get chosen to design products from all across the globe. Professionals in this field have also made a name for themselves internationally, such as illustrator Dick Bruna and fashion designers, Viktor & Rolf.
Online gaming
According to the Dutch government website Holland Trade and Invest, the country’s online gaming industry has expanded considerably. The online gaming industry annually contributes EUR 300 million to the Dutch economy, with a total of 575 companies.
Dutch universities have created various courses and curriculum to meet the demand of this burgeoning industry. NHTV Breda offers a Bachelor of Arts in International Games Architecture and Design (IGAD) with specialisations in Visual Art, Programming, Design and Production and Indie Game Development. The institute is also Sony’s official partner and a member of the PlayStation First Academic Partnership Programme. This means that their students get to develop games for the different PlayStation platforms, how cool is that! Spil Games is the largest online game platform, and many other Dutch companies are dominating this global industry.
Taking a degree in any of these fields means you’re well-prepared to launch your career in the Netherlands. Most university programmes in the country come with a compulsory industry placement module, so this guarantees you a valuable opportunity to get first-hand industry experience and form contacts that might lead to your first job! A Dutch degree is also recognised globally.
Furthermore, Dutch companies emphasize employee engagement, many expats working in the country have likened their working culture as that of a group of friends having fun, managers are approachable, and your ideas are heard.
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