![[Translate to English:] Hester Somsen, Botschafterin Seiner Majestät des Königs der Niederlande in Berlin, sitzt vor dem Goldenen Buch, einen Stift in der Hand.](/fileadmin/_processed_/7/7/csm_2025_Niederlande_Botschafterin_CH5_9663b_UL_15b7812d4d.jpg "Hester Somsen, His Majesty the King of the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Berlin, signed Leipzig University’s Golden Book on Monday, 26 May. Photo: Christian Hüller")
“Our relationships with partner institutions in the Netherlands are wide-ranging and close. We were, of course, very pleased by the Ambassador’s keen interest in an in-depth discussion on the subject,” said Professor Middell afterwards.
Leipzig University has eight agreements with Dutch universities under the Erasmus+ programme and offers a joint master’s degree in Sustainable Development with Utrecht University. There is also academic cooperation with Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen within the bachelor’s programme in Sports Management.
Leipzig students regularly spend a semester abroad in the Netherlands, while Dutch students come to study at Leipzig University. Currently, 24 Dutch nationals are enrolled in regular degree programmes at Leipzig University.
“It is also very pleasing that, like Utrecht University, we are a member of the Utrecht Network – a European university network comprising 29 member institutions across 26 countries,” says Vice-Rector Matthias Middell. The network promotes the internationalisation of higher education, focusing on key areas such as student and staff mobility, summer schools, the development of international curricula, and joint or double degree programmes.
According to Middell, the discussion focused particularly on opportunities to launch joint research initiatives – for example, in the application of artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector and in chemistry – and to compare experiences of transitioning between primary energy sources, with a view to making those experiences useful for other regions of the world. “Plans were made for joint events to bring together interested researchers from Dutch universities and Leipzig, with a view to developing joint applications for EU funding, possibly in collaboration with companies as well.” The Dutch Embassy is also planning to establish a regular information service in Leipzig covering research and study opportunities in the Netherlands, as well as current political and cultural developments.
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/e/f/csm_2025_Niederlande_Botschafterin_CH5_9687b_UL_443541b889.jpg "Prof. Dr Matthias Middell, Vice-Rector for Campus Development: Cooperation and Internationalisation, welcomed Ambassador Hester Somsen for an interview. Photo: Christian Hüller")