THE NETHERLANDS. Secundary education in the Netherlands offers three options:

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1 THE NETHERLANDS 1. Secundary education in the Netherlands Secundary education in the Netherlands offers three options: 1.1. VWO (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs) or pre-university education Duration: 6 years. Age: years HAVO (Hoger Algemeen Vormend Onderwijs) or Senior General Secundary Education Duration: 5 years. Age: years MBO (Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs) or Vocational Training Duration: 4 years. Age: years. 2. Higher education in the Netherlands Higher education in the Netherlands links up with the final level of secundary education and consists of: * HBO (Hoger Beroepsonderwijs) or Vocational Higher Training * WO (Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs) or University Education * Open Hoger Afstandsonderwijs or Open University (courses by correspondence/television/radio) All studies in higher education are registered by the so-called Central Register Trainings Higher Education. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in the city of Zoetermeer is in charge of starting up, managing and publishing the register, and providing information about it. 3. Dutch institutions with engineering studies In the Netherlands engineers are educated at two kinds of institutions: * universities; * HBO institutes or technical universities (TU). 4. Universities There are 13 universities in the Netherlands. They provide scientific education and scientific research. There are * nine state universities: Delft, Eindhoven, Twente, Groningen, Wageningen, Leiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam and Utrecht; Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 1

2 * three special universities: Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Tilburg; * one municipal university: Amsterdam. Education is full-time as well as part-time. Scientific Education (i.e. at universities) offers a range of 200 disciplines. The maximum duration is six years. Every SE discipline consists of a propeadeutic phase (i.e. the candidatures) and is concluded by a final examination (master). Dutch universities also have two categories of advanced studies, i.e. the first degree teachers training and the postdoctoral vocational studies. Graduates having successfully passed the doctorate examination have the right to carry one of the following titles: * engineer (ir): for graduates of the TU's (universities of technology) and the Agricultural University (see below) * master (mr): for graduates in law; * doctorandus (drs): for all other graduates Which universities educate engineers? Of the thirteen universities five educate engineers at university level. Those five are: * three technical universities (TU's): Delft (the oldest), Eindhoven and Twente (Enschede); * two "special" universities (those are not TU's): Wageningen (agricultural university): bio-process technology and food technology; Groningen: applied chemics, applied physics and applied mechanics. The final examination leads to the degree and title of engineer for the above-mentioned universities. The title for this kind of engineer is abbreviated to "ir". Only a VWO, or pre-university, education gives access to university The "ir" education in the Netherlands (MSc) In the international context the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science compares the title of engineer (ir) to "Master of Science in Engineering". This is a must for the Dutch "ir's" in order to take a doctor's degree. The duration of studies for the university degree of engineer has been changed a couple of times in the past years. Before 1982 the normal prescribed period was five to six years. Considering the typically Dutch system of taking exams, the real duration for most students was between 5,5 years and 7,5 years. Financial reasons forced the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to reduce engineering studies (ir's) uniformly to 4 years from 1982 onwards. After many discussions and under the pressure of industry, and also in view of the internationalisation of higher education, the duration was uniformly brought to 5 years as per academic year It is not unimportant to mention that the Ministry of Education accepted the new regulation only after the acceptance by the TU's of non-technical courses in their curriculum. Courses as economy and ethics of technology are an example. Furthermore the education provided more time for the so-called Master's thesis (final project). Henceforth the new curriculum of the Dutch ir's contains the preparation of the Master's thesis (period of six to ten months). For most faculties a period of practical training of some weeks in industry is obligatory. Since 1991 the number of undergraduate registrations at the TU's has diminished. For the academic year there were Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 2

3 6.150 first year engineering students. For the academic year : In 1995 about 10% of the graduates proceeded to their doctor's degree. 5. "HBO-institutions" in the Netherlands There are sixty institutes of Higher Vocational Training in the Netherlands. They provide theoretical and practical education in preparation of professional practice. Twenty-six institutions educate engineers (ing). The studies can be full-time or parttime. A technical university provides several kinds of education. The HBO offers seven sectors: 1. higher technical education 2. higher agrarian education 3. higher pedagogic education 4. higher health care education 5. higher economic education 6. higher social-agogic education 7. higher art education Within those sectors there are approx. 400 possibilities. In order to be accepted by the HBO one has to have a VWO, HAVO or MBO diploma. HBO institutions were founded a couple of years ago after the fusion of different schools. The duration of studies is four years. The maximal period for a full-time education is six years, of which maximum two years in the propaedeutic phase, i.e. the first part of the studies. The studies are completed after passing the final examinations at the end of the fourth year. There are also preliminary examinations, the so-called "tentamens". Graduates in technology, agriculture and natural environment obtain the title of engineer after having successfully passed the examinations. This title is abbreviated to "ing". Graduates of the other HBO institutions have the title baccalaureus (bc). As per academic year students could no longer register directly. There is an identical registration procedure at a university, i.e. through a system of central application and assignments by lot. When it is evident that the interest in a discipline exceeds the educational capacity, a decision is taken by lot The engineering education at the HBO Twenty-nine HBO institutes train engineers. The title is abbreviated to "ing". The duration of studies is four years. Those HBO institutes are also known as "technische hogescholen" (Technical Universities). These "Technical Universities" originated from the recent fusion of "higher technical schools" (HTS). The origin of the HTS goes back to "secundary technical schools" (MTS). The first MTS was created in the city of Utrecht in 1910 with government subsidies, at that time the government attached much importance to the education of schooled technicians. The creation of the first MTS was not that self-evident. Also, the Dutch know what a discussion is. The creation of the first MTS in Utrecht was preceeded by ten years of discussions! At the beginning of the seventies most "MTS"'s were rebaptised into "HTS". More recently there was, as mentioned previ- Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 3

4 ously, the fusion within a new structure of the HBO. In the Netherlands, the industry still is not fully familiar with the new name. "HBO" engineers are still called "HTS" engineers. The number of students in engineering (HBO) has risen from 50,000 ( ) to 56,000 ( ). About 8% of them were part-time students. The number of graduated engineers has risen from 7,400 ( ) to 9,600 ( ). In Flanders approximately 2,000 industrieel ingenieurs graduate per year. The number of students in engineering at Dutch universities amounts to ± half the number of HBO students in engineering. The universities counted ± 25,000 ir-students in , a number that dropped to ± 22,600 in Comparison of the education of "ing" in the Netherlands and in Flanders First of all we wish to point out that it is not our intention to print a detailed study with regards to the number of hours, programmes, etc. The HBO engineering studies (title: ing) 4 years. As an example we discuss the studies of electrotechnical engineer at the TU of Amsterdam. The TU of Amsterdam was created in 1993 out of a fusion of a similar HBO institution (in short HvA) and the "Algemene Hogeschool Amsterdam". The new "university" of Amsterdam (HvA) has five faculties and ± 17,000 students. The faculties are: * faculty Economy and Informatics; * faculty Health Care; * faculty Education * faculty Social Agogic Services; * Technical and Maritime faculty. Each faculty consists of departments which in their turn consist of a number of disciplines. As an example of such a discipline we take Electrotechnics, which leads to the degree of Engineer in Electrotechnics (ing). This discipline belongs to the Technical and Maritime Faculty (TMF). Together with the Higher Informatics Education (HIO) it forms the department Electrotechnics and Informatics (E&I). The studies of Electrotechnics and Higher Informatics are equally large and together had about 830 students in The studies of Electrotechnics has a 1,5 year basic programme (core programme) after which three specialisations (main subjects) can be chosen: * Energy Technology (ET); * Information Technology (IT) * Technical Computer Science There is a traineeship at the beginning of the third year which lasts five months. After that the student can opt for a specialisation in business administration. Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 4

5 For students with an MTS background there is the possibility to complete the studies of Electrotechnics in three years. All parts of the discipline in the faculty of Electrotechnics are dealt with in one block (± 10 weeks, in reality eight weeks). The periods of "blocks" was as follows in One year = 4 blocks. Block Period Number of weeks Sept. '95-6 Nov. '95 6 Nov. '95-15 Jan. '96 15 Jan. '96-25 March '96 9 April '96-3 June '96 8 weeks 8 weeks 8 weeks 8 weeks Christmas holidays = 2 weeks Easter holidays = 2 weeks 8 July '96 = start of Summer holidays General structure of regular studies propaedeuse main phase year 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 traineeship final project basic programme specialisation Propaedeuse (Gr), propaideuoo = "I give preparatory training" = preparatory studies for the main phase studies. Blocks year 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 COMMON ET TRAI- ET FINAL PROGRAMME IT NEE- IT PROJECT TCK SHIP TCK basic programme specialisation Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 5

6 In the first year the subjects are roughly subdivided into 4 groups. 1. Theoretical courses: mathematics and electric networks; 2. Technical courses: electronics, digital technology and programming; 3. Occupational preparation:linguistic skills, technical English, workshop and projects; 4. Practicals: each technical course is supported by a practical, two practicals are given per block. 7. Working methods The following working methods are observed: 1. h = formal lecture, whereby the oneway information from lecturer to student is accentuated; 2. w = tutorial, where the students work on projects under the supervision of a lecturer. 3. p = practical = laboratory work; 4. g = group work = working in small project groups with task division. A group consists of ten to fifteen students. Formal lectures are offered to four groups of students simultaneously. Tutorials are offered to two groups of students at the same time. Practicals: to one or two groups. Projects: six to eight students. Lectures/tutorials = one hour (of 45 minutes) of formal lecture and two hours of tutorial. At a formal lecture the theory is explained by the lecturer. At a tutorial the students practise with the subject matter. Practica are part of the technical subjects. There is an attendance duty. "Period": stands for a period of 45 minutes. The periods are usually scheduled in the form of double periods of 1,5 hours. 8. Traineeship and final project Traineeship and final project together take one full year of studies (25% of the education). The traineeship starts at the beginning of the third year and lasts 100 working days (5 months). After the traineeship the knowledge of the specialisation is subject to further in-depth study. The final project requires 100 working days and is realised in a company. A written report is established and an oral presentation given. A final traineeship differs from an in-service training. The latter allows a combination of various activities without working on one specific project while the final project needs to be a clearly defined unit. At a standard study rhythm the final period can begin after period 14, i.e. after period 2 of the fourth year. The graduating students must find a company for their final project on their own. The student receives a file with company names and contacts. The final project is judged by: 1. the practical realisation; 2. the oral presentation; 3. the final report. Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 6

7 Traineeship renumeration: (not obligatory). Usually the students receive a renumeration by the company between HFL 250,- and HFL 500,- per month (BEF 4,500,- to BEF 9,000,-/month). 9. The education of "industrieel ingenieurs" in Belgium The education of industrieel ingenieurs (ing) is provided by a technical university. Since the fusion of TU's (in 1995) it is done by departments (called faculties in the Netherlands). Per TU there are on average 3,200 students. The education of industrieel ingenieurs takes place at the department of Industrial Sciences and Technology (IWT). 9.1 Organisation chart In Belgium education is organised as follows: Preschool education Primary education Secundary education Higher education 4 levels 0 University: academic education 0 Higher education of 2 cycles: academic level * Commercial science and business administration - Licentiaat and handelsingenieur * Industrial science and technology - Industrieel ingenieur (* Nautical Science - Licentiaat) * Architecture - Architect and Interior Designer * Biotechnology - Industrieel ingenieur * Applied linguistics - Licentiaat * Product development - Licentiaat * Music and drama - Master * Audiovisual and visual arts - Master 0 Higher education of 1 cycle Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 7

8 9.2. Education of industrieel ingenieur Conditions for admission: diploma of secundary education. Duration of studies: four years. 1st and 2nd year: polyvalent studies leading to the degree of kandidaat-industrieel ingenieur. 3rd and 4th year: studies leading ot the degree of industrieel ingenieur in... Including: business contacts, final project Study time Per week a minimum of 27 hours of 60 minutes are organised. An academic year counts 28 effective weeks of 756 hours (formal lectures, laboratoria, tutorials) of 60 minutes. In order to follow an academic year a student must participate in all educational activities Business contacts and final project During the studies a number of company visits are organised. Furthermore during the summer holidays there is a traineeship in a company, a laboratory, an engineering firm or a public service. The purpose of this contact is to familiarise the student with the reality of business in the specialisation of his choice. During this period the basis is usually laid for a thesis to be proposed to a jury consisting of members of industry. The thesis is realised by the graduating student under the supervision of a tutor from the academic institution or from industry. 10. Compar ison of ing between the Netherlands and Belgium 1. Hours 1st year (60 min.) 2nd year 3rd year 4th year ING. Netherlands (e.g. HvA) ING. Flanders Total 1,782 3, Traineeship 100 working days min. 4 weeks 3. Final project 100 working days 10 credits* (realisation in the course of the 4th year) * 1 credit is equivalent to hours. This chart shows that the number of lecture hours for industrieel ingenieur is considerably higher than for the HBO engineer (3,100 compared to 1,780). A comparison of both types of engineer as to their education therefore will not do. Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 8

9 The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science compares its HBO engineering studies to Bachelor of Science in Engineering. But the industrieel ingenieur has the same abbreviated title as the HBO engineer. Although the duration of studies (expressed in years) is the same for both types of engineers, the "contents" and the scientific approach of the studies differ enormously. The education of HBO engineers can be compared to the valuable schooling of the one-term education (technisch graduaat) in Flanders. The education level of the Flemish industrieel ingenieurs is higher than that of BSc in Engineering (the equivalent of the HBO engineer). Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 THE NETHERLANDS - page 9