Friesland’s capital of Leeuwarden is a true regional education hub. The city is home to several universities and vocational education institutions, with more than 30,000 students. Around 2,000 of them are international students from all around the world, including 9% from China. Many of these Chinese students attend NHL Stenden (website in Chinese), a university with a great variety of programmes, from IT and marketing to international business and tourism.

The Frisian institutes have elaborate international networks and are involved in various partnerships and alliances. They are important drivers of innovation, particularly in some of Friesland’s key sectors. Combined with a focus on practical applications, this ensures a steady flow of well-educated staff, entrepreneurs and researchers for the future.