For the first time since 2019 we were able to visit a university in the Netherlands in person so what better way than to start with a brand new initiative?
Haarlem Campus will welcome its first students in October 2022 but it is a joint venture between two well-established higher education institutions, the Global School 4 Entrepreneurship and SRH University of Applied Sciences. GS4E is a Dutch innovator in higher education with a strong focus on developing the skills needed in start-ups and creative industries and SRH is one of the biggest private providers of higher education in Germany. This new venture has been designed to provide Haarlem with a high-quality, internationally-minded University of Applied Sciences. It is likely that the name of Haarlem Campus will be changed to reflect this in the near future.
Upon arrival in Haarlem, about 30 minutes by direct bus from Schiphol airport or less than 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal, the campus is remarkably easy to find. Over the years, we have visited many universities in repurposed locations, from factories to monasteries or military bases, but this is the first time we have visited a university in a former prison, specifically one built as a panopticon. The building has been very well redeveloped by the city of Haarlem, who own the location, and on the surrounding land, accommodation for students is being built and will be ready for the first students this October. This places Haarlem Campus in an excellent position to address one of the biggest problems with Dutch higher education today – cities with too many students and not enough accommodation options. First-year students will be guaranteed a room at Haarlem Campus and the city itself is keen to welcome more students.
The central building (de Koepel in Dutch) not only hosts Haarlem Campus. In the basement, there is a multi-screen cinema that is open to the public every day along with a bar and snack food options. Within the large, central space of the ‘Koepel’, the university has its classrooms and study spaces. The rest of the space is given over to local businesses with the top floor dedicated primarily to local start-ups. The philosophy of Haarlem Campus is that students learn by doing and it is certainly the intention that students will find work, internship and project opportunities with the companies based in the building. There is enough space within the building for Haarlem Campus to accommodate around 750 full-time students but it will take a few years before it reaches those numbers. While the campus has a very self-contained feel, students are only a very short walk from the centre of the city and minutes away from the beach by public transport or bicycle.
Haarlem Campus will start its operations this year with three Bachelor of Science programmes. They will not offer a degree in business itself, but it is certainly fair to say that business underpins all three of the degrees. Digital Transformation Management is a degree with a strong focus on Information and Communication Technology and the role of data in business development. Creative Media focuses more on communications and media. The final degree, Business Psychology, has been very popular in Germany and is now offered in the Netherlands for the first time. It concentrates on the role played by psychology in business organisation, marketing and decision-making. All three degrees are practical in nature and encourage students to seek the real-world application of the skills they are developing. There are no plans for the degrees to be delivered virtually as the connection between student and teacher is seen as fundamental to the educational model. However, online learning would be offered in the event of further pandemic-related closures.
The curriculum is delivered in five-week blocks. This means that students will dedicate themselves to one module at a time and will complete their study and assessment within this period, before moving on to the next module. The first 90 days of all three degrees are identical, giving students the opportunity to work together with their peers on the other programmes. All degrees are 4 years in length and contain a mandatory internship in the final year.
Haarlem Campus is a private university of applied sciences which means that some things are different in comparison with public universities. There is no difference in terms of entry requirements but the application process and deadlines can be more flexible. Aside from the guaranteed accommodation, which is otherwise only offered at some University Colleges in the Netherlands, the biggest difference is financial. Tuition fees are not subsidised by the Dutch government, meaning that EU students will pay €6,750 per year (loans are available) and international students will pay €9,900 per year. The international fees compare favourably with those charged by public universities so British and other non-EU nationals would not be at a financial disadvantage.
As a brand-new university, Haarlem Campus has perhaps more of a start-up feel than a typical university. This is likely to appeal to those students who possess an entrepreneurial mindset. Haarlem as a destination has a lot to offer students looking to be near Amsterdam but without the expense of actually living in the city itself. In conclusion, Haarlem Campus offers something new and different within Dutch higher education and is worth investigating as an additional option.
Key reasons for considering Haarlem Campus:
- The educational concept which prioritises learning by doing, in close connection with industry partners
- Small class sizes and close contact with professors and lecturers
- Innovative programmes not offered elsewhere in the Netherlands
- Guaranteed accommodation for international students
- Proximity to Amsterdam without being overwhelmed with the size and expense of studying in a global city
British Student Mobility 