NEWS & EVENTS

Dordt College News

Dordt College, Gereformeerde Hogeschool, renew agreement

April 28, 2003

Dordt students will continue to be offered a semester abroad in Zwolle, the Netherlands, with the signing of a new five-year contract between Dordt College and the Gereformeerde Hogeschool, a Reformed University of Professional Education there.

Dutch officials were on the Dordt College campus April 28 to arrange the extension of the cooperative program named N-SPICE, Netherlandic Study Program in Contemporary Europe. The program allows 20-30 students each year to travel to the Netherlands, where they live with Dutch families, attend college classes and have the opportunity to go on European excursions. Agreement Renewed

“This is a celebration of the good relationship that we’ve had for the past three years,” said Ken Bussema, director of the N-SPICE program. “The student response has always been positive … there's already a list of several students eager to participate in N-SPICE 2004,” he added. Bussema travels to Zwolle a couple times each year to oversee N-SPICE, for which Dordt College carries the overall and final educational responsibility.

The role of the Gereformeerde Hogeschool is oversight of day-to-day affairs and assuring the quality expected of the courses, which include Dutch art, architecture, culture, society and history.

Some of the primary objectives of the N-SPICE program are to help students develop an awareness of the variety of peoples and cultural traditions in Europe; to understand the contemporary political, economic, religious and social structures of the region; and to develop skill and sensitivity in cross-cultural communication.

N-SPICE was organized in April, 2000, and is also offered to students at other institutions that are members of the Coalition of Christian College and Universities

Bookmark and Share

Media Access: Download Word Version