The Dutch government has granted 69 Ghanaians scholarships to study in the Netherlands in various disciplines.
[contextly_sidebar id=”KBtEOks9OiTIBSYjJibG8sWpAvNhcylv”]42 of the candidates will be pursuing Masters Degree programs, in various disciplines such as Water Resources Management, Public Health, Rural Development, Food Security, among others.
24 of the 69 students would also be pursuing short courses in Climate Change Management, Food Security, Urban Management and Development, through the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP).
Speaking at a pre-departure briefing for the 69 new students, an annual event organized by the Netherlands Alumni Association in Ghana (NAAG), Hans Docter, the Dutch Ambassador to Ghana stated that “From 2011 to 2014, the Dutch government spent in total of GH¢26,000,000.00(€6 million) on NUFFIC NFP scholarships for Ghanaian students.”
He explained that was part of their “plans to ensure continuous improvements in the bilateral relations between the two countries” which to him “have been more pronounced in the trade sector with over 100 from Netherlands operating in Ghana.”
The NFP is a scholarship program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for individuals and aims to help increase the supply of skilled labour in Ghana and strengthen the various organizations these students currently work with. Half of the available scholarships are allocated to women and candidates who live in disadvantaged regions.
Besides, the Netherlands Fellowship Program (NFP) scholarship programme for individuals, the Dutch government continues to support education in Ghana through;
The Tailor Made Training (TMT),which promotes capacity by providing training for professionals on the request of a specific organization, and The Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education(NICHE) and Vocational Training, whose focus is on the country and policy priorities identified in the Dutch bilateral cooperation programme.
In line with the current development policy of the Netherlands, the program focuses on Water and Sanitation, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Agriculture.
The NFP programs are initiated and fully funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the budget for development cooperation.
For his part the President of the Netherlands Alumni Association of Ghana (NAAG) Francis Bbongte Avura advised the students to be “time conscious and take their studies serious“ and added that they ‘have made the right choice to study in the Netherlands, Europe’s center of excellence in education.”
The Netherlands was the first non-English speaking country in Europe to offer courses taught in English.
The educational system in Holland is known for its high quality in education, science and development research and it’s internationally friendly study environment which offer 1,462 international study programs and courses of which 1,455 are taught entirely in English.
There are 76,750 international students who study in Holland. Thus, Holland retains its enviable position as the leader in English-language higher education in Europe.
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By: Raymond Acquah/citifmonline.com/ Ghana