International friends

Of course, you may not want to aim directly or entirely at the local settings. Naturally, you will have many things in common with other foreigners. Some other suggestions for places to meet social contacts are in language classes (another good reason to take them), the everpopular continuing education courses (where you can learn a fun new skill while meeting people), or ‘studium generale’ lectures, which are lectures organized by each university over a variety of topics and are often in English. These lectures are free. Volunteering is also a great way to come into contact and get to know people.

A welcoming place to start is the Newcomers Club, which has branches in many cities and many interesting socializing opportunities.

It is also often said of foreign researchers that they could live life completely within their department. This is true, and you will surely find your colleagues to be a great source of information and friendship as well. Try not to limit yourself, however, as there are many great opportunities to enrich your stay and build lasting friendships. The most important tool to finding activities is to make up your mind, to put in the effort and to keep on the lookout for interesting events.

You can start on our page listing the many Dutch annual festivals. There are enough celebrations to will keep you busy (and culturally enriched) the whole year long!