Dutch population feels a little safer
May 22, 2006 Leave a Comment
At the beginning of 2006, fewer people in the Netherlands did not feel safe than twelve months previously. People living in Zeeland felt safest. The number of crimes people experienced was also down, although the percentage of people falling victim to frequently occurring crimes remained more or less stable. The percentage of victims was highest [...]
US tries to make English “national” language
May 22, 2006 Leave a Comment
When state Representative Jack Hoogendyk introduced his bill to make English the official language of Michigan, he spoke to his fellow lawmakers in Dutch.
Hoogendyk’s bilingual banter in a House committee was designed to make his point that in Michigan, people have a better chance at being understood - fitting in and making more money - [...]
Dutch Jewish Weekly undergoes extreme makeover
May 22, 2006 Leave a Comment
The Dutch Jewish Weekly has undergone a complete redesign, changing from a newspaper to a magazine in an attempt to capture a younger audience.
The publication is also be available online in PDF format. Established in 1865, the ‘Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad’ (NIW) or Dutch Jewish Weekly is the oldest still-functioning weekly newspaper and the only Jewish [...]
Maastricht initiates city panel
May 21, 2006 Leave a Comment
A representative panel of 1000 inhabitants is being set up to help the city council of Maastricht formulate its future policy. In cooperation with research centre Flycatcher, the city council will ask the “Maastricht Panel” to express views on current topics at least eight times per year via online questionaires.
Maastricht hopes that the initiative [...]
DSM collaborates with Maastricht Academic Hospital
May 21, 2006 Leave a Comment
DSM wants to collaborate with the Maastricht Academic Hospital (AZM) to develop biomedical implants.
The collaboration will also help the Netherlands to play an important part in the field of biomedical research and development.
A biomedical implant can for instance help patients with weak knees to need artificial knees later in life by replacing knee cartilage by [...]
The Dutch bike more often
May 21, 2006 Leave a Comment
Dutch people are riding their bicycle more often, especially for short distances. More than a third of the Dutch ride their bicycle for distances up to 7,5 kms.
The trend has been increasing since 2002, after several years of stagnation.
The number of kilometers has also increased. Last year, the Dutch covered 14,4 billion kms [...]
Detective series in Maastricht
May 21, 2006 Leave a Comment
Dutch television station Tros plans to create a new detective series in Maastricht. “Flikken Maastricht” (meaning Cops Maastricht) will not be a remake of the Belgian detective series “Flikken”, but an original series with its own plots and characters.
Tros wants to start filming in early 2007. One of the main characters will be played [...]
Highschool students to visit Japan
May 20, 2006 Leave a Comment
A group of 14 students from Groenewald Highschool in Stein will be travelling to Japan in July. They will visit a Japanese highschool as well as the university and campus of Osaka. Their study programme will also include a visit to the cities of Kyoto and Nara.
Source: Dagblad De Limburger, 16 May 2006
Girl with a Pearl Earring: most beautiful painting
May 20, 2006 Leave a Comment
Maastricht dermatologist wins German scientific prize
May 20, 2006 Leave a Comment
Dr Maurice van Steensel, a dermatologist at the Maastricht Academic Hospital (AZM) will today receive a prize for his scientific publications in Berlin. The Stiftung Dermatology prize is granted every two years to young researchers who have distingued themselves in the field of dermatology. Van Steensel plans to use the EUR 10,000 prize for medical [...]
28 June- 1 July: UM Conference: Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education
May 20, 2006 Leave a Comment
As a consequence of rapid change in higher education, universities are finding themselves increasingly engaged in competition for both students and staff. Competition is stimulating universities to offer programmes in other languages (especially English), and in many cases, successfully. However, as the implementation of multilingual programmes grows, so do the challenges universities face in offering [...]
Comprehensive overview of tourism in the Netherlands on Daysout.nl
May 20, 2006 Leave a Comment
Very interesting PR Newswire announcement:
From now on all English-speaking tourists and expatriates in the Netherlands will be able to plan their day out or touristic visit in the Netherlands much more efficiently.
The popular Dutch site for leisure activities ‘DagjeWeg.NL’ has been fully translated into English. Under the name www.daysout.nl this site is now available [...]
27-28 May: weekend Festival in Stadspark Maastricht
May 19, 2006 Leave a Comment
More than 10,000 visitors are expected in Stadspark Maastricht for the two-day music and film festival on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May.
Organised by the Jetto festival, Cinema Luna and Dancetour, the festival will include a whole range of musical performances and workshops, outdoor film projections, dance shows and a food and fun market.
Source: [...]
New system mooted for knowledge migrants
May 19, 2006 Leave a Comment
The cabinet on Friday discussed the introduction of a points system for knowledge migrants to compensate for the impending shortage of university trained workers in the Netherlands.
The proposal was tabled by Immigration and Integration Minister Rita Verdonk at the weekly meeting of ministers. Potential migrants will be judged on a points system and account will [...]
Dutch oppose Turkish EU membership
May 19, 2006 1 Comment
An online opinion survey conducted by the Dutch government shows that nearly 70 percent of the population is against Turkey gaining admission to the European Union. A smaller majority opposes the entry of Balkan and Eastern European countries.
Nearly 100,000 Dutch citizens took part in the survey on the website The Netherlands in Europe. More than [...]
The Netherlands: Open and Tolerant
May 19, 2006 Leave a Comment
In today’s edition of the Washington Post, the answer of the Dutch ambassador to the US to yesterday’s harsh editorial:
I was surprised to read the May 18 editorial that described my country as “Intolerant Netherlands.” Like the United States, the Netherlands is a free, democratic society. We discuss fundamental issues in open, public debates [...]
French Parliament greenlights contested immigration law
May 18, 2006 Leave a Comment
The French National Assembly on Wednesday approved a controversial new immigration law which is intended to tilt the system in favour of qualified foreign workers.
Drawn up by Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy who says he wants France to “choose” rather “undergo” the process of immigration, the law has prompted a strong hostile reaction from the left-wing [...]
Dutch, Young Imams draw Muslims to Rotterdam mosque
May 18, 2006 Leave a Comment
Read on Islam Online.net:
The use of the Dutch language and young home-grown imams are magnetizing Muslims from diverse ethnic backgrounds to the Darul Hijra Mosque in Rotterdam.
“Delivering religious sermons in Dutch is the best way to reach out all worshipers,” Abdul-Naser Youssef, the mosque’s caretaker, told IslamOnline.net on Wednesday, May 17.
Hailed the “Dutch Mosque”, it [...]
Dutch aide under fire over Islam critic ruling
May 18, 2006 Leave a Comment
The Dutch immigration minister’s decision to cancel the citizenship of a Somali-born Dutch legislator has set off a political storm in the country, with the Parliament demanding that the move be revoked.
The center of the storm is Ayaan Hirsi Ali, 36, who gained fame - and death threats - while campaigning against radical Islam and [...]
“Intolerant Netherlands”: harsh words from the foreign press
May 18, 2006 4 Comments
A critical editorial published in the 18 May edition of the Washington Post. Read also the reply from the Dutch ambassador to the US on 19 May:
Intolerant Netherlands
Is it possible to condemn Muslim extremism and still live among the Dutch? Maybe not.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Muslim woman who sought asylum in the Netherlands [...]
Dutch Integration and Immigration Minister Verdonk on Hirsi Ali’s asylum procedure
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
Answers by Dutch Integration and Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk to the questions posed by MP Hilbrand Nawijn (Groep Nawijn) on Hirsi Ali’s asylum procedure (Letter dated 15 May 2006, no. 2050613400).
Question no. 1:
Have you taken note of the television programme Zembla of 11 May 2006 that broadcast a documentary about MP Hirsi Ali´s [...]
Verdonk forced to reconsider Hirsi Ali decision
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
The Lower House has forced Aliens Affairs Minister Rita Verdonk to reconsider her decision to withdraw Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Dutch nationality. A new decision will be made within six weeks. After that, Verdonk’s position will still remain uncertain.
In an emergency debate running on deep into the night, Verdonk was accused by all parties of two [...]
Slow progress on EU education targets
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
A new report published by the European Commission on Tuesday (16 May) shows that progress in Europe’s education and training systems is not enough to reach the ambitious goals set by member states six years ago.
The report notes that although some positive trends were achieved in certain sectors, overall progress is insufficient.
In 2000, [...]
Netherlands is hot tourist destination
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
The Netherlands attracted a record number of students last year, according to the Tourist Board (NBTC). Some 10.1 million tourists came to the country in 2005, 4 percent more than in 2004. The NBTC said the figures in the last quarter of 2005 were particularly strong. It expects 2006 to be another record year.
Source: [...]
Rivalry between Dutch and German fans warms up
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
“I want my bicycle back,” taunts the German slogan on a Dutch fan’s T-shirt, making light of Nazi plundering of the Netherlands while stirring up one of the most bitter rivalries in international soccer.
Dutch-German encounters bristle with pride and emotion as the legacy of World War Two has fused with the memories of 32 years’ [...]
Reinventing delftware in Netherlands
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
With designer plates, mosaic inlayed mirrors or even plain white bathroom sinks, the town of Delft known since the 17th century for its blue pottery, is trying to shake off its stuffy image.
Even if the shop windows in the old town of Delft, which lies between The Hague and Rotterdam, are still mainly stocked [...]
Dutch government boosting girls’ education in Ethiopia
May 17, 2006 Leave a Comment
Girls education activities in 7 regions of Ethiopia will receive $US 12 Million in support over 3 years from the Netherlands Government after an agreement was signed between UNICEF and the Royal Netherlands Government Embassy in Addis Ababa today.
The 7 regions are Afar, Somali, Amhara, Oromia, Benishangul, Gambella and SNNPR.
In signing the agreement, [...]
Law will get Spaniards speaking foreign languages
May 16, 2006 Leave a Comment
It is not just the British who are hopeless with foreign languages – more than half of Spaniards only speak their mother tongue
But a new law is about to change this, introducing English into classrooms at an earlier age.
The Organic Law of Education, passed by parliament earlier this year, will mean children aged between 3 [...]
Elite Paris lycee embraces affirmative action
May 16, 2006 Leave a Comment
One of the most prestigious French secondary schools — the Henry IV lycée in the Latin Quarter of Paris — is to open a class for under-privileged students to prepare them for entry into the elite universities or grandes écoles, school authorities said Monday.
“We shall choose them from among young people who have all the [...]
Hirsi Ali question plunges Conservative Party VVD into crisis
May 16, 2006 Leave a Comment
The Ayaan Hirsi Ali question has plunged the conservatives (VVD) into a deep crisis. The pivot is VVD Integration Minister Rita Verdonk, who has decided that the Somalia-born VVD MP and world famous Islam-critic is not a Dutch citizen.
Verdonk surprised friend and foe on Monday evening by announcing that Hirsi Ali “has not received Dutch [...]
