The mission of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is "to provide people with opportunities to discover, develop, and exploit their talents". The Ministry makes policies, draws up legislation, and spends public money on their behalf. It serves 3.5 million pupils, students, and their parents, as well as artists, curators, and teachers. And it serves everyone else in the Netherlands affected by the activities in its remit - from primary schools to higher education, from libraries to research, and from radio and television to the performing arts.

www.onderwijsraad.nl

The Education Council has been assigned three tasks. First of all, the council advises - whether requested to or not - the government and both chambers of the states general on the main features of policy and legislation. The Minister can request recommendations on policy documents or important bills. These kinds of recommendations are of a policy-reactive nature. Other recommendations are geared to developing policy, meaning that a ready-made bill does not yet exist on which the minister needs recommendations. In that case, the council operates as a sort of think tank that analyses issues and offers solutions for the problems in question.

The second advisory task entails recommendations on the application of acts, general administrative orders and ministerial regulations. In these cases the Minister requests recommendations when he has to take a decision on an individual case. Such cases may concern, for example, a school which for practical reasons or reasons of principle wants to deviate from an act or regulation.

Lastly, local authorities can also ask the council for recommendations on certain aspects of local education policy, namely accommodation, policies on educationally disadvantaged pupils, non-Dutch modern languages education and school advisory services. Local authorities can call on the Education Council if they have a dispute with a school board that is directly or indirectly related to the freedom of education.

The aim of the European Platform for Dutch Education is to enforce the European dimension and promote the internationalisation in Dutch education. The European Platform is intensively involved in a lot of activities to stimulate language education.

The target groups are primarily education, secondary education en tertiary education, adult education and teacher education.

www.hbo-raad.nl

The Association of Universities of Professional Education [HBO-raad] brings together all government-funded universities of professional education (UPEs) in the Netherlands. The aim of the Association is to develop higher professional education in relation to social developments and to promote the collective interests of all its affiliated members. As an employers' organisation, the Association of UPEs is responsible for concluding collective labour agreements (CAO’s) with the educational trade unions in higher professional education (HPE). The core tasks of the office of the Association of UPEs are:

• Promotion of interests aimed at the (material) conditions under which UPEs are required to perform.

• Promotion of interest as the UPE’s employers’ organisation.

• Promotion of interests aimed at specific aspects/facets of HPE.

• Promotion of mutual consultation and administrative co-ordination between UPEs.

www.vsnu.nl

The VSNU or Association of Universities in the Netherlands is an organisation that represents the interests of the fourteen Dutch universities. The principal goal of the VSNU is to strengthen the position of university education and research in society.

The VSNU represents the interests of the universities vis-à-vis political, governmental and community organisations.

The VSNU is an employers’ organisation that negotiates with the government and with employees’ organisations regarding working conditions of university employees.

The VSNU develops activities to provide services to its members.

www.iso.nl

The DNSA or ISO (Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg) is the national representation and spokesman of students in the Netherlands at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, VSNU (Association of Universities in the Netherlands), Association of Higher Professional Education, IB-Groep, etc.

The purpose of DNSA is to improve the quality of higher education, protection of students' interests and representation of 160.000 students in higher education.

The DNSA has 24 member organisations in different student-cities across the Netherlands and 5 convenants: LKvV (the national representation of social clubs or fraternities); NSSS (the national representation of student sport unions); Integrand (national organisation which is occupied with internships and practical training); AIESEC Nederland (international organisation which promotes cultural exchange and offers international traineeships) and ESN (European organisation which supports and develops student exchange).

One of the most important points of focus of the DNSA this year is the implementation of the bachelors/masters degree structure following the results of Bologna 1999 and the recent approval of the 'bachelor-master' bill. Also, accreditation of educational programmes and improvement of possibilities for students to study abroad are important points of concern at the moment.

www.lsvb.nl

The mission of the LSVb is to fight for the rights of students. The union wants to make sure that good higher education is available for everyone. It follows the developments that occur in the Dutch higher education world, like the introduction of the bachelor/master system or the start of a new system of quality-approval for schools. The LSVb tries to keep education accessible, regardless of people's financial situation, physical capabilities or background.

To turn the lofty ideal of high-quality education for everyone into a reality the LSVb has regular meetings with the Minister of Education, representatives of the political parties and other people and organisations that are involved in higher education to discuss how to make education better. There’s regular contact with press and other media.

Nuffic is a non-profit, professional organisation aimed at making education accessible all over the world, especially in countries where educational infrastructure is lagging behind. Education is crucial for fostering global socio-economic development, improving the quality of life, and increasing intercultural understanding. Nuffic strives to be the intermediary between the education community of the Netherlands and the international community. Nuffic’s main areas of activity are:

• Development co-operation. Nuffic helps to strengthen teaching and research infrastructure in the South by facilitating international co-operation between higher education institutions. It supports national strategies for human capacity-building by administrating fellowship programmes for study in the North.

• Internationalisation of higher education. Nuffic fosters the internationalisation of higher education, with special emphasis on programmes for international student and staff mobility and on the internationalisation of curricula that prepare students for professional and academic careers.

• International credential evaluation. Nuffic facilitates access to national and international education and labour markets by helping to eliminate problems related to the international evaluation and recognition of diplomas and degrees.

• Marketing of Dutch higher education. Nuffic provides accurate, up-to-date information about Dutch higher education, which it disseminates abroad. It promotes foreign participation in Dutch higher education and helps Dutch higher education institutions to compete on the world education market.

www.utwente.nl/cheps/

CHEPS produces and disseminates knowledge with respect to higher education policy, especially at the system and institutional levels. CHEPS contributes to the advancement of the study of higher education as well as to the development of theory grounded in the disciplines as a means of increasing our understanding of institutional, national and international issues that bear upon higher education. CHEPS meets this objective by conducting research, both fundamental and applied, and by undertaking activities in education, training and consultancy that meets the needs of those concerned with the development of higher education.
CHEPS has a five year research programme, that guides its activities. The research programme for the period 2000 — 2005 carries the title The Stakeholders Society. It evolves around the notion that present day higher education institutions are forced to be in constant dialogue with their stakeholders in society

CHEPS strives to be relevant to societal needs and issues in its research and consulting activities. We contribute to the advancement of the study of higher education as well as the development of theory grounded in the disciplines. In doing so we help increase the understanding of institutional, national and international issues that are generated by higher education.

www.publiek-politiek.nl

The Instituut voor Publiek en Politiek, the Dutch Centre for Political Participation is an organisation with no party affiliations whose object is to promote political and social participation. It aims to combat inequalities between sections of the population in their real opportunities to exert political influence.

It is commissioned by government agencies and non-governmental organisations to carry out activities designed to directly involve citizens and their organisations in policy-making, including schemes supporting the democratisation process at home and abroad, in particular in Central and Eastern Europe.

The IPP encourages, organises and devises debates, meetings and working conferences on topical political and social issues Projects and approaches to encourage citizens to become more involved in political decision-making (particularly at local level) New forms of communication between citizens, politicians and civil servants Courses, seminars, educational material and a European political education network It produces its own books, magazines and on-line information to foster understanding of political and social issues and how the democratic system works. It pays special attention to young people and newcomers, women and socio-economically deprived groups.

The IPP's partners are organisations and institutions in the Netherlands and other countries, government bodies at local, provincial and national level, and citizens wishing, either individually or in organised groups, to work towards a democratic society.