The matter was quickly settled during Wednesday’s Uraad meeting: international first-year master’s students enrolling in one of the nine programmes included in the new Beethoven framework will be offered accommodation by the UT. However, they must accept the offer as it is — declining it means forfeiting the privilege. Additionally, the offer is only temporary: after one year, students must vacate the accommodation to make room for a new cohort. In this way, the UT hopes to make it more attractive for international students to come to Enschede for a chip-related degree.
The policy also has implications for new UT staff members and short-term visitors. They will no longer be guaranteed housing. However, the university will continue to offer them support in the form of information and guidance to help them find accommodation independently.
Housing will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. For now, the policy focuses on master’s students, but the UT intends to explore whether it should also be extended to bachelor’s programmes at a later stage.
Chip tech region
The rationale behind this preferential policy lies in Twente’s strategic focus on chip technology, through which the region aims to gain international prominence. In a previous interview with U-Today, Leontien Kalverda, UT's Beethoven coordinator, already elaborated on this ambition.
Beethoven master’s programmes
The nine Beethoven master’s programmes covered by the new housing policy are:
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Applied Physics
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Computer Science
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Electrical Engineering
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Embedded Systems
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Industrial Design Engineering
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Mechanical Engineering
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Nanotechnology
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Robotics
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Sustainable Energy Technology
