Introduction

The Open University of the Netherlands is a distance education university located in Heerlen, the Netherlands. It was founded in 1984 and is funded by the government. It focuses on open higher education and is committed to providing high-quality education for people who cannot attend traditional classroom education.

Overview

Number of students and faculty: As of September 2016, there were approximately 15,000 students studying in learning or support centers in the Netherlands, the school has 658 academic staff, and since its establishment, more than 250,000 students have registered for courses.

Campus distribution: The school is headquartered in Heerlen, Limburg Province, the Netherlands, with several learning and support centers across the Netherlands and a learning center in Flanders, Belgium. In addition, it has established cooperative relations with institutions in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten and Suriname.

History and establishment time

The Open University of the Netherlands was founded in 1984 and began to enroll students in September of that year.

School strength

Teaching staff: It has 658 Academic staff, the teaching staff has rich teaching experience and professional knowledge, and can provide students with high-quality distance education guidance.

Scientific research results: Remarkable results in the application and innovation of distance education technology, through continuous exploration of new education management, teaching models and technical models, providing students with a better and more convenient learning experience. In addition, the school has also carried out in-depth research in some subject areas and achieved certain scientific research results, such as research projects in the fields of network security, smart cities, climate change, etc., which provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the development of related industries.

Institutional nature

The Open University of the Netherlands is a public distance education university.

Educational philosophy

It is committed to popularizing higher education so that anyone with the necessary talents and interests can receive higher education without being restricted by formal academic qualifications, age, work and other factors.

It emphasizes innovation and flexibility, pays attention to designing teaching content and methods according to students' learning characteristics and needs, encourages students to learn independently, and integrates innovative concepts into the course design, development, provision and evaluation of distance education.

Key laboratories and disciplines

Key laboratories: There is a CAROU professional center, which focuses on the deployment and guidance of technological and social innovation through research projects and education in the fields of smart cities, network security, smart industries, climate change and continuous learning; there is also a network science center, which cooperates with the Netherlands Police Academy and NHL University of Applied Sciences to carry out related research.

Key disciplines: The courses offered by the school cover multiple subject areas, among which environmental science, computer science, information science, psychology, law, management and other disciplines are more prominent. Five of its master's degree programs were in 2017 Ranked among the best in the world in 2017.

Faculties

The school has faculties of science (including environmental science, computer science and information science, etc.), humanities, management, educational science, psychology, law, etc.

Rankings

Ranked 14th in the Netherlands and top 2000 in the world in the ranking of the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR).

Ranked 417th in the world in social sciences and public health by US News & World Report.

Ranked 720th overall, 374th in research, and 524th in innovation in the Scimago IR ranking.

Expenses

Tuition fees vary depending on the course and learning materials, and the school provides financial aid to eligible students.

Campus

As a distance education university, the Open University of the Netherlands does not have a traditional campus life, but the school provides students with a rich digital library and online resources to meet students' learning needs.