We understand that you would like to join the international student community here as soon as possible. It is great to be here from the start to meet your fellow students and lecturers face to face and explore the exciting city of Rotterdam. But although the corona crisis in the Netherlands seems to be more and more under control, the situation here is not fully back to normal yet. There are also still quite a few uncertainties regarding international travel. In this newsletter you will find some important practical information that will help you with your preparations. We will assist you in these strange times as good as we can.
First semester almost entirely online.
Of course we at RBS have to follow the guidelines of the Dutch government and the policies of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences regarding corona. The recent permission to offer education on location does not automatically mean that the new academic year will be a normal one. In our modern, well-equipped brick and mortar building at Kralingse Zoom, which will reopen in September, we all have to submit to the social distancing rules, which means this location can only function in a reduced capacity. RBS also wants to take the public transportation limitations into account. All in all this means that our education will almost entirely stay online during the first semester. This includes just about all of the exams, except for a couple of written exams in Russian and the Asian languages. With our proven experience in online learning we are certain that our online RBS building will be a great place to study.
Offline activities
But meeting each other in person definitely adds something important to life at RBS. To make this possible we will organise some offline activities at the Kralingse Zoom building. These will mostly focus on socialising, coaching and collaboration, three important ingredients of study success. We hope to scale up this offline part of your program during the year. Details on the online program and offline activities, plus on the possibilities for you to study on the RBS location, will become clear in the next couple of weeks, once it is known how much space we can use.
VISA (Non-EU/EEA)
If you are already able to travel again, we strongly advise you to come to the Netherlands as soon as possible, so that you can join your fellow students from the start. If you first need to apply for a visa and experience difficulties - for example because embassies or consulates are closed - you should not worry, because your first semester will be practically all available online. And we will look for solutions if needed.
Of course you will miss out on some of the activities that are being programmed offline though. So we do urge you to come to the Netherlands as soon as possible. And even if you cannot apply for a visa at the moment, all other entry requirements must still be met.
For further information about entry requirements send an e-mail to Admissions
For more about visa procedures you can visit our dedicated website page or send an e-mail to Student Support.
Housing
Staying at a dorm is a great way to start your life as a student in a new city. If you want to reserve a room in one of the dorms, you can do so from June 9 onwards via the website. From June 16 you can actually book a dorm room, for which a contract will be drawn up and payments arranged. If you want to be sure to have a room once you are able to travel to the Netherlands, then it is a good idea to book one in advance. We also have information on other short stay solutions.
If you are not able to join us in September, you can either only then try to rent a room in one of our dorms and then travel as soon as possible or you can then start looking for a room on the private market. Feel free to mail any questions regarding housing to CoIA Housing.
We are excited to meet you, so is your new city of Rotterdam...
We wish you good luck with all your preparations for this new and exciting phase in your life.
Stay safe!