Information Guide for International Students 2015-2016 Welcome at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences Introduction 1 Dear student, Welcome at Zuyd University of Applied Please feel free to look at the information Sciences and a thank you for choosing us you will find on the following pages and as a stepping stone for your academic and should you have any questions about professional careers. We feel proud to Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, life in host you. the Netherlands in general or anything whatsoever, remember that the Zuyd Inter- In addition we welcome you to the national Office will always do the utmost Netherlands and, more specifically, to the to assist. South of Limburg. A part of the Netherlands tucked between Belgium and Germany; Zuyd International Office the EU Region. Sinnika Kroese In this information booklet you can find Tamara Nkhata information concerning your new lives as Nicole Lemmens Zuyd University students. What to expect when you arrive in the Netherlands and what to know, from the most basic of infor- mation to more detailed in’s-and-out’s. International Information Booklet 2 Table of contents 1 Europe Carnaval 21 General Information 5 Bruis Festival 21 Conversion Table 5 National bank holidays 2015-2016 21 Facts 5 4 Money matters 2 The Netherlands Currency 23 The Netherlands in General 7 Bank cards 23 Holland or the Netherlands? 7 Daily expenses 23 Economy 8 Food 23 Cultural and historic background 8 Supermarkets 24 Practicial information 9 Student discounts 24 Transportation 11 Opening a bank account 25 Getting to Zuyd 12 ABN AMRO 25 Rabobank 25 3 Maastricht, Heerlen & Sittard Requirements to open your own Maastricht 14 banking account 25 Maastricht in general 15 ING 25 Student in Maastricht 15 Restaurants 16 5 Accommodation Shopping 17 Accommodation in Maastricht 27 The art of Maastricht 17 Short stay 27 Heerlen 17 Avantgarde residence 27 Heerlen in general 17 SSH M building 27 Student Associations 18 Long stay 28 Shopping 18 Accommodation in Heerlen 28 Sittard-Geleen 19 Accommodation in Sittard-Geleen 28 Sittard-Geleen in general 19 Students in Sittard-Geleen 19 6 Working in the Netherlands Student Associations 19 Which countries are eligible 31 Events in the southern part of Work permit application 31 the Netherlands 20 Health insurance during work 31 Pinkpop 20 Social security number 31 Orlando Festival 20 Taxes 31 Limburg Festival 20 Cultura Nova 20 Sinterklaas 21 International Information Booklet 3 7 Safety Sittard-Geleen 41 Identification card 33 General practitioners 41 Do’s and don’ts 33 Heerlen 41 Alcohol 33 Sittard-Geleen 41 Drugs 33 Smoking 33 Some not too serious facts about Dutch people 33 8 Zuyd University student facilities and services Student counselors 35 Student Information Centre 35 Library 35 Study books 35 Second-hand books 35 ICT 35 Notebook 35 Audiovisual equipment 36 Photocopies 36 Restaurants 36 Transport and parking facilities 36 Visa en permits 36 9 General Information Dentist 39 Electricity 39 General recommendations 39 Useful websites 39 Helpful phrases 39 Emergency & Health Important telephone numbers 40 Medical care 40 Hospitals and Emergency Rooms 40 Heerlen 40 1 Europe Europe 5 General Information Conversion Table The Netherlands is located in Europe, Europe consisting of 51 countries. 28 independent Europe USA member states belong to the European € 1,- (Euro) = $ 1,38 (Dollar) Union, an economic and political union. 20° Celsius = 68° Fahrenheit The EU operates through a hybrid system of 1 Meter = 3.28 Feet / supranational inde pendent institutions and 39.36 Inch intergovernmental decisions negotiated by 1 Kilogram = 2.2 Pounds the member states. Important institutions 1 Liter = 0.26 Gallon of the EU include the European Commis- 1 Km/hour = 0.62 Miles/hour sion, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice, the European Central Bank and the European Parliament. Belgium Germany The China USA Netherlands Inhabitants 11 million 81.8 million 16.7 million 1.351 billion 313.9 million Foreigner 9% mainly from 8% mainly from 5% mainly from population Italy, Morocco, Turkey, Italy, Turkey, Germany, France and Poland, Greece Poland & Turkey & Croatia Morocco Political Federal state, a Federal Constitutional Single party Federal situation constitutional parliamentary, monarchy with democratic parliamentary and parliamen- representative a parliamentary centralism democracy tary monarchy democratic system republic Size 30, 528 km² 357,021 km² 41,528 km² 9,596,960 km² 9,629,091 km² Capital Brussels Berlin Amsterdam Beijing Washington Languages French, Dutch, German Dutch Chinese English spoken German 6 Wilhelmus van Nassouwe ben ik, van Duitsen bloed, den Vaderland getrouwe blijf ik tot in den dood. Een prinse van Oranje ben ik, vrij onverveerd, den Koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd. 2 The Netherlands The Netherlands 7 The Netherlands in General The Netherlands, officially the Kingdom of Important emergency the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy telephone number in with a parliamentary system. King Willem- the Netherlands: Alexander is the Dutch Head of State. Together with the Ministers, he forms the Police / Ambulance / Dutch Government. Prime Minister Mark Urgency anywhere in Rutte is head of the Cabinet (Ministers and Europe State Secretaries). The Netherlands has a multiparty system. 112 Every four years, a new Parliament is chosen. The Parliament consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The latter and the Cabinet develop laws and monitor the Holland or the Netherlands? implementation, while the Senate monitors Holland or the Netherlands? What is the the House of Representatives. difference between these two? The Nether lands is often referred as Holland. At the moment the Dutch Cabinet is Neverthe less, the official name of the comprised of two parties: the Liberal party country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. (VVD) and the Social Democrats (PvdA). The Netherlands consists out of twelve provinces. Two of them, North and South The country has twelve provinces. A Dutch Holland, are the two provinces that to- province fulfils responsibilities of regional gether make up Holland. importance and is the connection between the national government and the local Due to the maritime and economic power municipalities. The Netherlands largest city, of these provinces in the 17th century, the and capital, is Amsterdam. Netherlands became known worldwide as Holland. Holland is also the brand that is The Netherlands covers an area of 41,528 km² used to promote business and leisure trips and has a moderate marine climate. With to the Netherlands. It stands for all our 16.7 million inhabitants, it is the most country’s positive elements, the elements populous member state and the 4th largest that attract foreign leisure and business economy in the European Union. It is one of travellers. the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in To make matters even more confusing the many fields. inhabitants of the Netherlands are called: “the Dutch.” The Netherlands 8 The country ranked as the 18th largest economy in the world in 2013. It is regarded as the fifth largest exporter of goods. The service sector contributes 72,6% of the total GDP, industry 24,9%, and agriculture 2,5%. The average national unemployment rate in 2013 was about 8,7%. The Netherlands was a founding member From a very early age milk is of the European Community in 1957, which a main part of a Dutch break- became the EU in 1993. It is part of the fast, several researchers claim Schengen Area (25 European countries this is why the Dutch are without internal borders) and since 1999 so tall, it also leads to them a member of the Eurozone. Maastricht is having the lowest incidence actually the birthplace of Euro as a currency of lactose intolerance of any with the signing of the treaty of Maastricht country in the world (<1% of in 1992. The Netherlands is a member of the the population). United Nations, NATO, the OECD and the Council of Europe and took a non-perma- nent seat on the UN Security Council for the 1999 - 2000. Economy Cultural and historic background The Netherlands is known as a politically The history of the Netherlands is the history stable country with a sound financial policy. of a seafaring people thriving on a watery The Netherlands is one of the most open lowland river delta on the North Sea. Forced economies in the world, it remains to this day by nature to work together, over the centu- one of the world’s largest exporters, proudly ries they built and maintained a network of having a place in the top 5 world ranking list. polders and dikes that kept out the sea and the floods, in the process transforming their Three quarters of the professional popula- desolate landscape into a highly productive tion work in the tertiary sector, one quarter garden-state, emerging out of the struggle in the industrial sector and only 4% in agri- as one of the most urban and enterprising culture. Despite these figures, the Nether- nations in Europe. Famous naval heroes lands is a big exporter of agricultural and such as Piet Heyn, Maarten Tromp and horticultural products. Michiel de Ruyter are revered for their roles in history to this day.. Well known Dutch conglomerates include: Shell, Unilever, Akzo Nobel, Philips, Aegon, In addition, wars of religion have shaped ING Group, Rabobank, Heineken, TNT and Dutch history and culture. Under Charles Randstad. V the Netherlands became part of the Catholic Spanish empire. The Protestant International Information Booklet 9 Practical information Tipping nized languages, beautiful and poetic as Service charge is not included in the price. they may sound. Several Southern provinces Usually people give 5% - 10% of the bill as want their dialect to become an officially tipping, depending on the quality of the recognized language but alas, this has not, service.