On October 23rd, 2014, Holland Day, an educational exhibition co-hosted by Peking University (PKU) and Leiden University, took place at the Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center. This event attracted several famous Dutch universities, including Maastricht University, Radboud University, University of Amsterdam, University of Groningen, Erasmus University Rotterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Tilburg University, SISU University, to join the exhibition, with the aim to promote Dutch higher education to Chinese students.
Dr. Li Yansong, Vice President of Peking University and Mr. David Pho, Science Attaché from Dutch Embassy to China, opened the event. In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Li Yansong reviewed PKU’s collaboration history with Dutch universities and spoke highly of the event as a channel for Chinese students to know about Holland and higher education in Holland, offering them more opportunities to study in Holland.
Then Mr. David Pho introduced the higher education system in Holland, in which he mentioned that Dutch universities are highly internationalized, with half of the students coming from abroad. He said, “Holland is open to all the students from all over the world.”
Afterwards, the eight participating universities provided students with informative materials, answered the students’questions and exchanged opinions with them on a wide range of issues. The organizer of Leiden University remarked that it was a good idea to organize all the Dutch universities to visit Peking University students together. She hoped this event would introduce Netherlands to more Chinese students and encouraged more students to go abroad to study.
The ceremony was followed by a seminar about Holland in the Starlight Hall. Several students who had previously studied in Holland enlightened the other guests about Dutch culture.
On top of that, Mr Richard T. Griffiths, Emeritus Professor of Economic and Social History and Professor of International Studies at Leiden University gave a lecture called “The Merchant and The Missionary” in the Starlight Hall. He envisaged mutual trade between Holland and China, and referred to Holland’s policy making towards China.
Written by: Wang Runjian
Edited by: Jessica Benjamin
