Nuffic
On the 11th of January 1952, the president curators of the Netherlands' existing universities created Nuffic. Their goal was to provide English-language education for students from countries that had recently gained independence. That specific founding moment sets Nuffic apart from most European education institutions.
It is today an independent, non-profit organisation based in The Hague. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs are its most important contract partners. How did a body built for such a specific postcolonial purpose become the Netherlands' lead organisation for internationalisation in education? What drew Dutch royalty into its early years? And what does the building where it now works tell us about Dutch institutional memory?
The answers begin with a single institution Nuffic created in its first year. That institution chose to become independent before the decade was out.
The Institute of Social Studies was established as an internal unit of Nuffic to deliver the instruction that had motivated the organisation's creation. By 1956, four years in, the ISS had developed into a body capable of standing on its own. It became independent that year.
That early departure is where Nuffic's current involvement in development cooperation finds its roots. The scholarship programmes and institutional cooperation programmes Nuffic still manages today trace their lineage to the work begun through the ISS. Those same founding years brought Nuffic into an unusual relationship with Dutch royal institutions. That relationship would define where the organisation was physically based for years to come.
Prince Bernard of the Netherlands served as Nuffic's first official president for two years. Attaching a senior royal figure to the new organisation gave it a level of national credibility that would have been hard to earn by other means. Nuffic was young and its mandate specific; the royal presidency helped establish its standing within Dutch institutions.
After Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands moved to Het Loo Palace, Nuffic relocated to Noordeinde Palace. That address held until 1977. The organisation then moved to the Kortenaerkade in The Hague, settling into the former headquarters of the PTT, the state-owned Post, Telegraph, Telephone organisation. That building is classified as a national monument. The scope of Nuffic's activities had already begun expanding beyond its original mandate as early as 1958.
Since 1958, Nuffic has been involved in evaluating international diplomas and comparing national education systems. Making a credential from one country legible within another requires consistent frameworks and detailed knowledge of how different systems are structured. Nuffic built that service into a core part of what it offers.
Through the 1980s, support for educational cooperation across Europe grew substantially. Both the Dutch government in The Hague and the European institutions in Brussels introduced programmes to stimulate cross-border academic exchange. Among those was the Erasmus Programme. Nuffic was among the organisations helping to develop and deliver those initiatives. Improving how Dutch higher education and scientific research are positioned internationally is one of the organisation's formally stated activities.
Sander van den Eijnden left Nuffic in the spring of 2012. He became President of the executive board of the Open University of the Netherlands. In 2015, Nuffic merged with Europees Platform.
Freddy Weima followed van den Eijnden as Director-General. He left Nuffic in April 2021 to become chairman of the Dutch Association of Primary Schools, known as PO-Raad. Titia Bredée took on the role in August 2021 and held it until December 2024. Marco Schouten has led Nuffic as Director-General since August 2025. Nuffic's mandate under Schouten includes building capacity in developing nations while serving the Dutch knowledge economy. Encouraging international experience for students of all ages is among its formally listed activities.
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Common questions
What does Nuffic do and what is its mission?
Nuffic is the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, an independent non-profit based in The Hague. It manages programmes for the Dutch government, the European Union, and third parties, and evaluates international diplomas to support recognition across borders. Its goals include serving the Dutch knowledge economy and building capacity in developing countries.
When was Nuffic founded and why was it created?
Nuffic was founded on the 11th of January 1952 by the president curators of the Netherlands' existing universities. Its original purpose was to organise English-language education for students from countries that had recently gained independence.
What is the Institute of Social Studies and how is it connected to Nuffic?
The Institute of Social Studies was established as an internal unit of Nuffic and became an independent institution in 1956, four years after Nuffic's founding. The ISS represents the origin of Nuffic's lasting involvement in development cooperation, including the management of scholarship programmes and institutional cooperation programmes.
Who was the first president of Nuffic?
Prince Bernard of the Netherlands was the first official president of Nuffic, a position he held for two years. The organisation was later based at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague until 1977, when it moved to its current address on the Kortenaerkade.
Where is Nuffic headquartered today?
Nuffic is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, in the former headquarters of the PTT, the state-owned Post, Telegraph, Telephone organisation, located on the Kortenaerkade. That building is classified as a national monument.
Who is the current Director-General of Nuffic?
Marco Schouten has served as Director-General of Nuffic since August 2025. He succeeded Titia Bredée, who held the position from August 2021 until December 2024.
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