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The article presents information on the Second Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association, EPSA09, held in VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2009. This was reportedly in tradition of organizing biennial meetings to discuss philosophy of science. Individuals contributed papers and also symposia were also programmed. Three invited speakers from different countries and different subfields also gave plenary lectures.

International engagement enriches a student's college experience, broadens thinking, enhances cultural intelligence and makes students attractive to employers. Concurrently, higher education institutions have been under significant pressure to internationalize their business and management curricula in response to the needs of both industry and accrediting organizations. Fittingly, American universities that create and offer students international experiences are becoming the norm. However, still too few college students are in a position to participate in an international experience because of costs, time commitment, or personal concerns. In response, many business schools have implemented a variety of tactics to internationalize. The authors developed multiple innovative international learning projects. The evolving effort encourages students, faculty, and industry professionals from Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States to meet in multiple modes, network, and learn together. This paper describes the history of the innovative projects, report how it has worked and evolved, and its benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a strong need in long-term care for scientific research, so older people and their families, health care professionals, policy makers, and educators can benefit from new advancements and best available evidence in every day care practice. This paper presents the model of a sustainable and successful interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, care providers and educators in long-term care: the "Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care" by Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Its mission is to contribute with scientific research to improving i) quality of life of older people and their families; ii) quality of care and iii) quality of work of those working in long-term care. Key working mechanisms are the Linking Pins and interdisciplinary partnership using a team science approach, with great scientific and societal impact. A blueprint for the model is discussed, describing its business model and challenges in getting the model operational and sustainable are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a tradition in the Netherlands to publish an annual ranking of economic and business researchers working in Dutch universities. The most recent such ranking, published in 2013, emphasizes research quantity over research quality. We propose an alternative ranking based on quality. Important information about a researcher's quality and impact is lost when moulding it to fit a template of numbers. Our ranking is no exception. Nevertheless, we argue and demonstrate that our ranking fits international consensus on research prominence and that the 2013 ranking does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are policies to increase women’s share among university professors effective? The importance of gender equality on the labor market has been well established, but our understanding of what kind of policy is effective to increase the share of women is still unclear. Three sets of factors explain women’s low shares at higher job levels, notably individual, cultural, and structural or institutional perspectives, and policies to increase the proportion of women therefore should address these factors. This paper aims to investigate if they do so and if they are effective. We investigated the efficacy of gender equality policy measures in all 14 universities in the Netherlands, implemented between 2000 and 2007. Based on documents and interviews, 19 measures were identified that could be classified according to the three perspectives. The university with the most measures applied four times more measures than the one with the least measures. The more measures a university applied in the cultural perspective, the more likely it also applied measures in the other two perspectives. Whereas the HR managers and policy makers at universities reported skepticism and lack of evaluations, our study reveals a positive relationship between policy measures and the reduction of the glass ceiling and between policies in the cultural perspective and the increase of the proportion of women among professors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this research is to show that upward mobility of female academics in regular selection procedures is evolving extremely slowly, especially in The Netherlands. This paper aims at a more profound understanding of professorial recruitment and selection procedures in relation to gender differences at Dutch universities. Design/methodology/approach -- This paper explores the recruitment of university professors as a gendered process and is mainly based on the analysis of reflection committee reports between 1999-2003 from six large Dutch universities (n = 682). Findings -- The research findings give a clear indication of gender differences in selection and recruitment procedures. Although not in all disciplines, the paper observes a disparity in the percentages of male and female applicants who were successful in the selection procedure. There is no confirmation of the predicted relationship with the nature of the procedure (open/closed), but there is a correlation with the number of women on the committee. Research limitations/implications -- As it was not possible to make any pronouncements about the quality of the applicants, a strict measurement of gender bias is not possible. Practical implications -- The results show that academic disciplines are gendered in a different way, requiring different measures at the institutional and individual levels. Originality/value -- This is the first paper on recruitment and selection procedures that takes into account disciplinary differences and factors such as the number of applicants for each professorship and the recruitment potential by gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays many schools in higher education implement problem-based learning to foster active learning processes by students. In some schools with a number of years of experience with this approach, phenomena can be observed which indicate signs of wear. The implementation of a large-scale innovation such as problem-based learning (PBL) seems to provoke different activities and attitudes in those actors who are most involved. Students and staff members seem to behave in a way which could be counterproductive to the development of self-directed learning. In the first part of this paper, we briefly describe the cognitive psychological background of PBL. In the second part various adjustments observed in problem-based curricula and their effects on students’ learning are analyzed. Arguments are presented about adverse effects on the implementation of this educational innovation. Special attention is given to teachers’ concerns. In the third part suggestions are made about ways to revitalize PBL processes as well as suggestions about effecting educational innovations on a more solid basis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - In this paper the concept of knowledge production is used as a framework to study Dutch corporate universities. Knowledge production serves not simply as a desirable aim of corporate universities, as the concept also offers guidelines for the design of corporate universities. The purpose is to clarify the extent to which corporate universities fulfil this aim of knowledge production and the way they produce new knowledge. Design/methodology/approach - From different theoretical perspectives 11 design characteristics have been extracted that help corporate universities to be knowledge-productive. Two empirical studies were carried out to find out to what extent corporate universities meet those features required for knowledge production. The first study implies an exploration of opinions of key actors within 12 Dutch corporate universities, in which data were gathered through interviews and analysis of documents. The second study can be characterised as a case study of a concrete training practice within one corporate university. Data were gathered by interviews, evaluative questionnaires, and observation. Findings - Results reveal that knowledge production is viewed as important, but that concrete measures to stimulate it are often absent. Moreover, corporate universities need to pay more attention to the working environment of their employees in order to achieve their own goals. Originality/value - Analysing the corporate university from the perspective of knowledge production may stimulate corporate universities to rethink their own goals as well as their position within the organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching by subjects and contents where students passively receive knowledge is increasingly obsolete. Universities are opting for teaching strategies supporting skills development to face the labor, social, environmental, and economic conditions afflicting us. Employers demand increasingly complex skills; universities have identified experiential learning as giving access to real situations and learning by doing. One of the most advanced strategies is Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). Through real problem situations, faculty and students collaborate to solve an established challenge, with or without external stakeholders. This educational advancement has been global and is developing graduates with international skills, which ensures a world-class standard. Here we report a global study carried out in universities from three different continents, and we analyze the implementations of CBL in educational programs through cases in Mexico, The Netherlands, Ireland, and China. Developing skills and competencies is evident, and CBL is a viable way to ensure the success of Higher Education graduates. Obstacles in the transformation of faculty towards CBL are a similar fence in all cases. For CBL, the path needs to be explored, as it is on the frontline of educational developments that can be most helpful for developing a new paradigm in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutes, including research universities and universities of applied sciences, face the challenge of developing effective internationalisation practices to prepare students for the demands of a globalising world. Researchers reporting on studies that are focused on universities' internationalisation practices show that few practices are effective to develop students' intercultural sensitivity. Broadly speaking, intercultural sensitivity means the ability to distinguish between real differences in values and behaviours across cultures, as well as the appreciation of values and behaviours even if they differ from one's own. Interestingly, across the board researchers do not provide an explanation of what drives intercultural sensitivity development. This study reports on the impact of a new learning intervention that effectively developed local Dutch students' intercultural sensitivity in the Netherlands, and it provides an explanation of this impact. For the intervention the theory of the Creative Action Methodology pedagogy (CAM) was used as a heuristic tool. CAM is a pedagogical approach that focuses on developing critical, analytical, and creative skills by having students break away from a culture of the truth. Results in this mixed-methods study, using the Intercultural Development Inventory and interviews, reveal that students significantly developed their intercultural sensitivity as they became empowered to break away from a culture of the truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the use of the problem-based learning (PBL) approach at the University of Maastricht (UM) in the Netherlands. It cites several features of the approach such as its focus on students, tutorial groups conducted by students and group processes. It says that PBL helps the students in developing research skills, selecting related sources and analysis of the literature. It adds that the scheme is directed by a steering board, under the university's vice chancellor.

Background: Dutch breastfeeding rates are below World Health Organization's recommendations and targets despite the benefits for individuals and society. Increasing the rates is complex due to multiple breastfeeding determinants, of which maternal education and employment are dominant. This study aimed to identify the perceptions and experiences of mothers employed at Dutch universities regarding barriers and enablers to workplace breastfeeding and pumping. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive, qualitative research design. Thirteen semi-structured online interviews, underpinned by the Social Ecological Model, were conducted in 2020 with three experts and ten academic employees from five universities who had breastfed or pumped at work within the past five years. Qualitative data were examined through a thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes were identified: physical work environment, social support, work culture and organisation, policies and legal rights. Most mothers had more negative than positive experiences combining breastfeeding with work. They were unable to exercise their rights as a breastfeeding employee due to inappropriate and inaccessible lactation rooms, a lack of communication and information-provision, other people's lack of awareness, inflexible working hours and unadjusted workloads, especially for teaching positions. All participants found the duration of Dutch maternity leave too short. Conclusions: Universities need to increase institutional efforts at multiple levels and meet their legal obligations to support breastfeeding employees. Workplace interventions should be combined with more political commitment to normalise breastfeeding, monitor compliance with maternity protection provisions at work and prolong parental leave to encourage breastfeeding continuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore the expectations of academic staff to learning analytics services from an ideal as well as a realistic perspective. This mixed-method study focused on a cross-case analysis of staff from Higher Education Institutions from four European universities (Spain, Estonia, Netherlands, UK). While there are some differences between the countries as well as between ideal and predicted expectations, the overarching results indicate that academic staff sees learning analytics as a tool to understand the learning activities and possibility to provide feedback for the students and adapt the curriculum to meet learners' needs. However, one of the findings from the study across cases is the generally consistently low expectation and desire for academic staff to be obligated to act based on data that shows students being at risk of failing or under-performing. • Academic staff perceives LA as a tool to provide students feedback but do not feel obligated to act based on LA data. • LA has potential in supporting learning and teaching but academics are not convinced that ideal expectations are realized. • There is a need to engage teaching staff in LA processes – strategy/policy formation, embedding LA into teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of providing free fruit and snack vegetables at a university on students' fruit intake, snack vegetable intake and total vegetable intake.Design: Free fruit and raw snack vegetables (e.g. bite-sized tomatoes) were provided in a stand in the form of a miniature wooden house located in the central hall of the university's main building, which students regularly pass through on their way to lectures and the cafeteria. Three interventions tested with a pre-test/post-test design were performed. In these three interventions, small changes to the appearance of the stand were made, such as placing potted plants around it. Demographic characteristics and fruit and vegetable intakes were assessed with questionnaires.Setting: A Dutch university of applied science.Participants: Intervention 1 included 124 students; Intervention 2 included ninety-two students; Intervention 3 included 237 students.Results: Longitudinal linear regression analyses showed that post-test snack vegetable intake was consistently higher compared with pre-test. In the three interventions, post-test snack vegetable intakes were between 11 and 14 g/d higher than at the pre-test, which is comparable to three bite-sized tomatoes. No differences in fruit intake or total vegetable intake were found. Subgroup analyses showed that, in all three interventions, students with the lowest pre-test fruit intake and total vegetable intake reported the largest increase in fruit intake and snack vegetable intake after the interventions.Conclusions: Providing free fruit and vegetables to students at their university might be beneficial for those with low habitual intakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides information on two conferences on argumentation and rhetoric. The Third International Conference on Argumentation of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands from June 21-24, 1994. The aim of the conference is to draw together scholars from different countries and a variety of disciplines who are working in the field of argumentation theory. The members of the planning committee are: J. Anthony Blair of University of Windsor, Canada; Frans H. van Eemeren of University of Amsterdam; Rob Grootendorst of University of Amsterdam; and, Charles A. Willard of University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. Meanwhile, Plenary speakers Shirley Brice Heath, Susan Miller, and John Swales, and other featured speakers including Thomas B. Farrell, Cheryl Geisier, Patricia Harkin, Joseph Harris, and George Myerson will be among the participants at the 13th annual Pennsylvania State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition to be held July 13-16, 1994 in State College, Pennsylvania. Scholars, researchers, and teachers of rhetoric and writing are invited to propose papers, demonstrations, panels, or workshops on any current topic in rhetoric and composition.

The need for systematic research into African problems was, in the Netherlands as elsewhere, increasingly felt after World War II, when the non- industrial world began to grow in importance. As a result, the interdisciplinary Africa Study Centre was founded in Leiden in 1947; it became a national foundation in 1958. The aims of the Study Centre are: (a) to promote the study of Africa, especially in the field of the humanities; (b) to promote the co-operation of all Dutch institutions engaged in the study of Africa; and (c) to promote the spread of academic knowledge about Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background: Acquiring the theoretical and practical knowhow of conducting patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is not part of the traditional curriculum of researchers. Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Huis voor de Zorg, a regional umbrella patient organization, therefore started a 1.5‐year coaching programme. Objective: To establish a community of practice by developing a PPI coaching programme for senior and junior health services researchers of Zuyd University. The context consisted of research projects conducted by the participants. Methods: A participatory action research methodology. Data were collected from reports of thematic group meetings and individual sessions with participants, field notes and regular reflection meetings with the project team. Data were analysed by reflexive deliberation. Findings: The programme comprised a kick‐off meeting (52 attendees), followed by 7 group meetings with 11 junior and 9 senior researchers. The project team constructed a serious game based on the concept of the participation ladder. Questions and concerns differed for junior and senior researchers, and separate tailored meetings were organized for both groups. Between group meetings, participants received individual assignments. Group meetings were accompanied by individual coaching sessions to provide tailor‐made feedback. The programme concluded with a combined meeting with all stakeholders. Conclusion: Building a community of PPI practice through action research facilitates the development of a coaching programme that fosters social learning, empowerment and the development of a shared identity concerning PPI. The role and responsibilities of senior researchers should be distinguished from those of junior researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sitting too much has been associated with negative health outcomes. 'The End of Sitting' is a newly developed office landscape that moves away from the traditional chair-desk setup. The landscape aims to reduce sitting time by offering a variety of (supported) standing positions. The aim of this study was to determine the usage of the landscape after being placed in the main entrance hall of the VU University in Amsterdam.Methods: We observed the number of spontaneous visitors as well as the duration of visits, changes to another location within the landscape, and adopted postures. Using questionnaires reasons (not) to visit the landscape, perceived affordances of the landscape and associations with long-term use were determined.Results: Observed numbers of visitors were relatively low and duration of visits were short, which seemed to indicate visitors were trying out the landscape. The majority of visitors were in an upright position, reflecting the designers' intentions. Visitors indicated that long-term use would be pleasant to them.Conclusion: 'The End of Sitting' landscape received positive reactions but number of visits were limited in the few months that it was placed in the university main entrance hall. The landscape might be better suited for designated working or study spaces, for which it was originally intended. It might also be worth to explore the landscapes suitability for short stay environments, such as waiting rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have seen a sharp increase in the number of female PhD graduates in the Netherlands. Currently, the share of females among newly graduated PhDs is almost on par with that of males. A considerable body of scientific studies has investigated the role of gender in the academic workplace. However, the role of gender in the careers of all PhD graduates, including those outside academia, has been studied less. In this study, we investigate gender differences in type of job, occupation, career perception and research performance of recent PhDs. The study is based on a survey of persons who obtained a PhD from one of five Dutch universities between 2008 and early 2012. We show that gender differences in post-PhD careers are non-existent in some aspects studied, but there are small differences in other aspects, such as sector of employment, type of contract, involvement in teaching and management, and career perception. In contrast, male and female PhDs differ sharply on two factors. The first is field of PhD, females being heavily underrepresented in engineering and the natural sciences. The second is part-time employment, females being much more likely to work part-time than males, especially if they work in the Netherlands. In later career stages, the combination of the small and large differences can be presumed to affect the career progression of female PhDs through cumulative disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine how the classic elements of affect, cognition, and behaviour combine to form within-person trajectories of organizational commitment. We test several key features of this 'dynamic microstructure' of commitment in an experience sampling setting (25 weekly measurements) among 72 organizational entrants and 23 exiters. We find support for the idea that within-person change in affect is slower than within-person change in cognition and behaviour. We find no support for the notion that affect would influence cognition and behaviour at the within-person level. In fact, we have strong indications that the episodes of committing (organizational entry) and uncommitting (organizational exit) are mainly cognition driven. We discuss the implications of our study for tripartite attitude theory and commitment theory. Practitioner points Organizational commitment can generally best be fostered via rational appeals. If a long-term investment and sustained commitment is called for, emotional appeals work best., Alumni officers may suffice with focusing purely on emotive appeals in upholding residual commitments of their alumni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents updates on sociological studies as of October 1951. Appointment of the Reverend Raymond E. Bernard at the magazine "Social Order"; Details of the Third International Conference on the Sociology of Religion held in Breda, the Netherlands in March; Information on the visit of several Japanese religious leaders to Loyola University in the U.S.

This experimental study concerned the effects of repeated students’ evaluations of teaching coupled with collaborative consultation on professors’ instructional skills. Twenty-five psychology professors from a Dutch university were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. During their course, students evaluated them four times immediately after a lecture (class meeting in which lecturing was the teaching format) by completing the Instructional Skills Questionnaire (ISQ). Within 2 or 3 days after each rated lecture, the professors in the experimental group were informed of the ISQ-results and received consultation. Each consultation, three in total, resulted in a plan to improve their teaching for the next lectures. Controls received neither their ISQ-results nor consultation during their course. Multilevel regression analyses showed significant differences in ISQ-ratings in the experimental group compared to the control group, specifically on the instructional dimensions Explication, Comprehension and Activation. In addition, the impact of each of the three consultations plus differences between targeted versus non targeted dimensions were analyzed. This study complements recent non-experimental research on a collaborative consultation approach with experimental results in order to provide evidence-based guidelines for faculty development practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This explorative study examines personal and neighbourhood characteristics associated with short-distance trips made by car, bicycle or walking in order to identify target groups for future interventions. Methods: Data were derived from ‘Mobility Research Netherlands (2004–2009; MON)’, a dataset including information regarding trips made by household members (n = ±53,000 respondents annually). Using postal codes of household addresses, MON data were enriched with data on neighbourhood typologies. Multilevel logistic modelling was used to calculate odds ratio (OR) of active transport versus car use associated with four different trip purposes (shopping (reference), commuting, taking or bringing persons or sports). A total of 277,292 short distance trips made by 102,885 persons were included in analyses. Results: Compared to women shopping, women less often take active transport to sports clubs (OR = 0.88) and men less often take active transport for shopping (OR = 0.92), or for bringing or taking persons (OR = 0.76). Those aged 25–34 years (OR = 0.83) and 35–44 years (OR = 0.96) were more likely to use active transport for taking or bringing persons than persons belonging to the other age groups (relative to trips made for shopping by those 65 years or over). A higher use of active transport modes by persons with an university or college degree was found and particularly persons living in urban-centre neighbourhoods were likely to use active transport modes. Conclusion: In developing policies promoting a mode shift special attention should be given to the following groups: a) men making short distance trips for taking or bringing persons, b) women making short distance trips to sport facilities, c) persons belonging to the age groups of 25–44 years of age, d) Persons with a primary school or lower general secondary education degree and persons with a high school or secondary school degree and e) persons living in rural or urban-green neighbourhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Dirk Spengler, a "Nature" author who is writing up his Doctor of Philosophy thesis in structural geology at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The aspects of the PhD research he enjoys most are fieldwork collecting samples, laboratory time analyzing data and the chance to do some teaching.

The number of contact hours, one of the important institutional context factors, was examined and compared between Dutch and Vietnamese higher education at institute and student levels in Psychology and Business and/or Economics specializations. The quantity of contact hours per credit point given by institutions was investigated in a number of Dutch and Vietnamese universities. Additionally, 104 students in Groningen, the Netherlands, and 140 students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, participated in the survey with a self-reported and self-assessed questionnaire on their study time allocation. Beside contact hours, other learning process related factors such as study activities, motivation, quality of instruction, and generic skills were examined to provide a better insight into these two systems. Results showed that Vietnamese students had significantly higher number of contact hours than Dutch students while their generic skills, motivation and time spent on independent study were a lot lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We highlight the progress on NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers achieved through fruitful collaboration between SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. This includes the best receiver noise temperatures of 700 K at 1.63 THz using a twin-slot antenna mixer and 1050 K at 2.84 THz using a spiral antenna coupled HEB mixer. The mixers are based on thin NbN films on Si and fabricated with a new contact-process and—structure. By reducing their areas HEB mixers have shown an LO power requirement as low as 30 nW. Those small HEB mixers have demonstrated equivalent sensitivity as those with large areas provided the direct detection effect due to broadband radiation is removed. To manifest that a HEB based heterodyne receiver can in practice be used at arbitrary frequencies above 2 THz, we demonstrate a 2.8 THz receiver using a THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) as local oscillator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1982 the duration of university education in the Netherlands was reduced from five to four years. This institutional reform is here used to estimate the causal effect of one year of university education on wages. I find that the fifth year of university education increased wages by 7%–9%. This differential is found by comparing wages of cohorts of graduates enrolling five years before and five years after the reform in a difference-in-differences approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holland’s theory of vocational preferences provides a powerful framework for studying students’ college experiences. A basic proposition of Holland’s theory is that individuals actively seek out and select environments that are congruent with their personality types. Although studies consistently support the self-selection proposition, they have not examined the processes underlying students’ selections. It seems reasonable to presume that many students select academic majors because they believe or expect that the academic environments will be congruent with their personalities. Using data from 631 entering students, this research examined the possibility that self-selection is related to students’ college expectations. Results provided support for the role of expectations in the selection of academic majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the major issues and character of internationalization of curricula in higher education institutions in recent years in three non-English-speaking countries – China, Japan and The Netherlands. By making a comparative analysis of curricula provided for international students and curricula with international subjects, perspectives or approach offered in both English and the local language, the author examines development and character of internationalized curricula in the three countries, describes the similarities and different aspects of how the three countries internationalized their university curricula and met the needs of different regions and social, economic and higher education systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have focused on self-regulated student learning. However, little attention has been given to the self-regulation processes in teacher learning. In this study, we focus on the work-related learning processes reported by experienced higher education teachers. The aim of this study was to discover whether teachers actively self-regulate their learning experiences (as their students are expected to do) and to examine how this regulation takes place in the workplace. We tested some generally held assumptions and conceptions regarding teacher learning. Fifteen experienced college teachers, from three different colleges in The Netherlands, participated. Two semi-structured interviews and a (digital) diary study were used as the primary data collection methods. We collected 86 examples of teacher learning episodes. These were analysed using a phenomenographic method. The results show that our teachers’ learning experiences are not as self-regulated, planned, reflective, or spiral as some assume. Sometimes, the teachers’ learning was planned (self-regulated), but mostly it occurred in a non-linear (both external and self-regulated) or spontaneous (externally regulated) way. We conclude that our teachers do not always self-regulate their learning, but they mostly do self-regulate their teaching practice (with learning as a result). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the development of a collaborative learning method in two master's level courses given as part of a logistics track within an international business degree program. Information on the three-way interaction method; Discussion of collaborative learning; Details of the problem based learning method followed at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands

The article focuses on the European Commission's EUROPROF project, which have been exploring possibilities for international co-operation for the education of vocational education and training (VET) professionals. These developments occur particularly across borders in regions which have traditionally had close links. However, despite historic cross-border regional collaboration there still remain different traditions and institutional arrangements which need to be explored and overcome if collaborative developments are to be sustained. There have been a series of meetings between the Department of Education at Groningen University in the Netherlands and the Institut Technik und Bildung at Bremen University in Germany. Germany and the Institut Technik und Bildung in Bremen are interesting for several reasons, including that the neighboring countries are closely related in language and culture. Traditionally, there have always been close, influential relationships between the two countries, particularly at the level of the elite.

In December 1989, the newly-appointed Minister of Education and Science announced that he wanted to introduce more teaching in the English language in Dutch universities. Members of the Lower House of all political persuasions rushed to attack the minister. Did he think that universities in the Netherlands ought to start using English as their official language? Did he not believe that the Dutch language had an essential place in Dutch culture, or that education in particular played a crucial role in passing on cultural values? Or was there not the danger that the minister's position might lead to the population of the Netherlands gradually acquiring a cultural elite which would no longer primarily use the language of the land? The minister attempted to calm the commotion by pointing out that he had no wish to introduce English as an official language or as the only official language in the universities of the Netherlands. He also believed that the use of a foreign language must not be allowed to lead to the loss of the national language. Subsequently, the topic of 'English in the Dutch universities' was subjected to extensive criticism in all the daily and weekly newspapers. Most commentators found it a ridiculous idea. After an enquiry into the question by an official committee, the Lower House decided to make use of the Dutch language a legal obligation in Dutch education. However, there remains the question of how far educational policy directs the extent to which education in the Netherlands becomes internationalised. It is entirely possible that it is not the supply of internationally oriented education, but rather the demand expressed by pupils, students and parents for such education, which determines the degree of internationalisation. In that case, all the commotion about statements made by ministers is unjustified. If the internationalisation of Dutch education is a demand-driven development, attention should be focused on the emergence of this... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified Martian class theory is applied in an analysis of changes in the market situation of the Dutch student, as well as in his work and status situations during recent decades. On the basis of this analysis, five hypotheses are formulated as regards the determinants of student support for the union movement in Dutch universities. These hypotheses are tested; the analysis of results of local student-council elections and a secondary analysis of survey data corroborate these hypotheses. Student unionism appears to flourish particularly among students who (1) are of middle- or lower-class origin, (2) receive government assistance, (3) attend the larger universities, (4) do not belong to the traditionally prestigious student associations, or (5) belong to but do not participate intensively in such associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extramuralisation in healthcare has influenced medical and nursing curricula internationally with the incorporation of themes related to primary/ community care. Despite this, students do not easily change their career preferences. The hospital is still favourite, leading to labour market shortages in extramural care. This study investigates how baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of community care and placement preferences develop over time in a more 'community-care-oriented' curriculum, to gain insights on which curriculum elements potentially influence career choices. Methods: A nursing student cohort of a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands (n = 273) underwent a new four-year curriculum containing extended elements of community care. The primary outcome was assessed with the Scale on Community Care Perceptions (SCOPE). Data were collected each year of study. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate students' placement preferences and perceptions, and linear mixed model techniques (LMMs) for measuring how students' perceptions develop over time. Patterns of placement preferences at individual level were visualised. Results: Students' perceptions of community care, as measured with SCOPE, show a slight decrease between year 1 and 4, while items mutually differ substantially. In contrast, the preference of community care for a placement increases from 2.6% in year 1 tot 8.2% in year 4. The hospital is favourite in year 1 (79.8%), and remains most popular. At individual level, students often change placement preferences, although a preference for the hospital is more consistent. The LMMs indicates that, at the four time-points, the estimated marginal means of students' perceptions fluctuate between 6 and 7 (range 1–10). A placement in community care did not positively influence students' perceptions, and an intensive 1 week theoretical programme was only temporarily influential. Conclusions: Although interest for placement in community care increased substantially, it was not clear which curriculum elements stimulated this, nor did the curriculum positively influence students' perceptions. As most students do not look forward to the high responsibility of the field, other curricula with educational tracks for more mature students/ nurses with a vocational training may be an alternative contribution to solving the labour market problems in community care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that immunologist Hidde Ploegh's career was helped along by a little bit of luck. As an undergraduate at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, he was awarded a travel grant to work in Jack Strominger's lab at Harvard University. Ploegh's graduate years at Harvard set him firmly on his career path and exposed him to the latest technology. Since then, he has been guided by his interest in biochemistry and immunology seizing every available opportunity to pursue his research. This has allowed him to grapple with a wide range of issues from unraveling the intricacies of immune responses to foreign cells, to discovering how viruses manage to evade their host's defense mechanism.