‘The main reason we have a high enrollment of German students,’ said Dr. Henk Boer, Director of Education in the Department of Psychology, ‘is the German system has a limited number of places for psychology study which are only available to top students. But this isn’t the only reason. People are also looking for a broader education and appreciate the positive aspects of the Dutch university system.’
‘Something that surprised me that I really liked,’ said Pia Hunger, who recently graduated with a Master of Science in Psychology from the UT, ‘was the close relationship between teachers and students. You can simply call or visit professors in their offices. In Germany such relationships are more formal. There is more of a hierarchy, and you have to address your professor with Sie’.
Hunger, 25, comes from Münster, but chose to study at the UT, ‘because there is not a quota here — yet! I always wanted to help people. My mother, who is a teacher, encouraged me to consider psychology. When I started my studies in 2004, there were about 30 German students. It did surprise me as more and more Germans enrolled every year since then.’
‘German students are very serious,’ noted Boer. ‘They are dedicated and endeavor to learn Dutch. Many see this as a golden opportunity to study their first-choice subject. German students are well-mannered and strongly motivated, and, on average, achieve good results.’
‘Learning Dutch was not a problem for me,’ said Hunger, ‘especially since I live here. It is a little bit like German and the grammar is easier.’ Hunger was also Secretary of a committee within Dimensie, a student association for Psychology, Educational Science, and Educational Science and Technology students. A part of Dimensie’s goal is to help German psychology students integrate. ‘Germans tend to study harder and spend less time on social activities,’ she said. ‘Dimensie tries to encourage them to participate and integrate into Dutch life.’
‘Dutch language skills do vary among the German students,’ admitted Boer. ‘Academic writing in Dutch can be a challenge for them. It really depends on how much they immerse themselves in Dutch society. For example, Dutch language comes quicker for those Germans who live together with Dutch students rather than at home in Germany.’
The Department of Psychology at the UT opened its doors in 2002 and is one of 11 universities in the Netherlands to offer a degree in psychology. Not only has the number of German students studying psychology at the UT grown through the years, but also the number of Dutch students. ‘Out of the 11 psychology studies, the UT is the smallest,’ said Boer, a psychologist whose research has focused on HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa, mostly in Ethiopia and South Africa. ‘Last year, we had 220 first-year students. We want to try to keep the teacher/student ratio constant as well as the balance of 50% German/Dutch. Otherwise, the need for integration would diminish.’
German interest in Dutch university education is not just limited to the UT Department of Psychology. More than 800 German students attend Saxion University of Applied Sciences and the University of Groningen’s Psychology Department is also well-attended by Germans.
For more information about Dimensie, go to www.dimensie.utwente.nl.
 |
| Pia Hunger advises incoming psychology students: ‘Decide right away what you want to specialize in and try to obtain some work experience in that field.’ (Photo: Gijs van Ouwerkerk) |
 |
| Henk Boer, 56, who has worked at the UT for 25 years, joined the Psychology Department as Director of Education on 1 March. (Photo: Gijs van Ouwerkerk) |
