WHY ACTUALLY STUDY DUTCH?

Dutch is the official language and cultural language in two countries of the European Union, Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands. With 22 million speakers, the Netherlands and Flanders form a coherent linguistic and cultural area that is one of the most economically and culturally dynamic regions in Europe.

Taken together, the Netherlands and Belgium form the largest economic area for German foreign trade, ahead of France and Great Britain. From the perspective of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia as an immediate neighbour, the importance of economic and cultural relations increases many times over. NRW and the Benelux countries are linked by an excellent transport infrastructure, a close network of economic cooperation and cooperation in the fields of business, culture, media, environmental protection, labour and social affairs, science, and education. The aim of the close cooperation with the western neighbours is to bundle the potential for a large European region, the "Euro-Rhine Region".

DUTCH STUDIES

In the subject "Dutch Studies" you deal with the culture, literature, and language of the Dutch-speaking world.

•     Country studies: You acquire knowledge about the society and economy, politics and culture of the Netherlands and Belgium as well as the Rhine-Meuse region.
•     Literature: You will familiarise yourself with authors and works of Dutch literature from the Middle Ages to the present day and learn how to analyse literature.
•     Language: You will deal with the structure and use of Dutch in history and the present.
•     You will acquire oral and written language skills in Dutch, with a focus on practical relevance.

This combination will qualify you for such professional fields in which broadly oriented and internationally oriented expertise in the economic and cultural fields are required, such as in companies at home and abroad, in administration, in social organisations and associations, as well as in the fields of media and culture. The close cooperation with the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen and the Chair of Regional History at the University of Duisburg-Essen is also an advantage.

INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING

The Department of Dutch Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen works closely with Dutch Studies at the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Seminars are regularly offered by Dutch lecturers in Essen. There is also a student exchange programme that enables German students to study in Nijmegen for one or two semesters.

HOW DO I GET A PLACE AT UNIVERSITY?

Applications should be sent to the Student Administration Office of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen Campus.

The deadline for applications is 15 July each year.