Why is the introduction for international students separate?

If you’ve experienced Dutch student culture at all, you more than likely know of the divide between Dutch and international students. As discussed on DUB before, there is often a degree of social segregation between Dutch and international students.

There are a few student associations that provide an equal space to both internationals and Dutch students, but many do not, favouring only Dutch students. Similarly, many parties feature almost entirely Dutch students or almost entirely internationals. 

One aspect often overlooked in this is how students are introduced to the university.  When I arrived in the Netherlands, I took part in Welcome Week. The week was full of activities, new information, and parties. I remember meeting dozens of people in the span of a few days.

But I did have one thought during this. “Almost everyone I’m meeting is international. Where are the Dutch students?”

As I later found out, Dutch students have essentially their own version of Welcome Week, two weeks earlier, called UitWeek. This is Utrecht University’s version of a Welcome Week for (mostly) Dutch students.

I myself can say I’m quite lucky to have made Dutch friends. I participated in a variety of student associations during my first semester, including the Debate Society and ESN. In the coming academic year, I will also serve on the board of one of the organisations whose events I attended, BuddyGoDutch.. I also bartended at Cambridge Bar, a student bar located at Science Park, where I used to live, and I took a language course to learn Dutch.

Being actively involved, pushing myself to be more social, and showing that I was trying to learn the language helped me make many friends and acquaintances, both Dutch and international.

However, for every story like mine, there are many international students, especially those on exchange, who never truly make Dutch friends. For some, their time in the Netherlands is quite lonely. For others, they are able to form their own social groups full of other internationals.

I always found it quite strange how, whenever I said to Dutch people I was learning the language, it came as a genuine surprise to them. Similarly, several internationals were surprised that I had made Dutch friends.

The reason for this aspect of student culture in the Netherlands is complex and multifaceted, with no simple solution. UU (and most Dutch universities) strive to promote themselves as international institutions that are open and welcoming to all. Still, the university's policy of separating Dutch and international students does, in a way, set the tone for what you can often expect.

Universities should challenge students by fostering real integration. Running separate introduction weeks enables Dutch students and internationals to avoid each other, preventing honest, diverse first impressions of university life.

If UU wishes to truly foster a global environment, its introduction weeks should reflect that and combine Dutch and international students, putting them in mixed groups. There should be a possibility for Dutch mentors and peer leaders to match with international students, and for international mentors and peer leaders to match with Dutch students. 

While combining these weeks won’t suddenly end all problems with integration and pose logistical challenges, it would offer a significant benefit to student life.

During these weeks, many students are coming to Utrecht for the first time. They’re in a new place, more open, and more willing to socialise. Many students form their closest friendships during university. Why not create an environment where it’s possible for this to occur between Dutch and internationals early in their time here?

Similarly, by having parties and events during this week that include both Dutch and internationals, everyone feels welcome to come and you have students getting to know each other on a more personal level.

If you have Dutch classmates, you only get to know them so much. Real connections form when students have the chance to socialise, meet up, have drinks, and forge genuine bonds in the real world. 

To truly support an international environment and bridge divides, UU should take concrete action. Combining Welcome Week and UitWeek would foster early, meaningful connections between Dutch and international students, making students' first university experiences more inclusive and reflective of the diverse community they will be part of.