Poliflw

Today is another political evening! This evening Mark Reijerman will present and discuss student registration at the municipality with other political parties. Curious to hear about why we think it’s important, our ideas and what other parties think about the topic? Come to the city hall at 19:30 – the meetings are public! See you there!

Learning the local language is an essential element for integration. It helps closing the gap between internationals and local Wageningers. We are happy with the developments the university is taking, as many international students are eager to learn Dutch. However, in the financial planning of the municipality, Wageningen solely wants to invest in offering English courses; it is believed that there are currently enough Dutch courses available. Yet, Dutch courses at the WUR are not accessible for expats and other social groups, are often completely full, and remain expensive for high quality courses. If the municipality does not invest its fair share in both languages, how will the municipality claim to pave the way for a more inclusive community of its residents. https://resource.wur.nl/en/student/show/Dutch-lessons-will-be-free-for-international-students.htm?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=Content&fbclid=IwAR21szeED9LlDbsXjDNBGmi4qNc7i9ptW74epiUdUgMZJ8ett3EmOS4dcb8

Dutch lessons will be free for international students

Wageningen University wants to make it easier for international students to learn Dutch. That is why the university’s language institute Wageningen in'to Languages will start offering its Social Dutch courses free of charge in 2019.

The past few weeks we received several notifications about housing issues and problems with shady landlords,both from Dutch and international students. The municipality is aware of only two incidents and our partners also do not have exact numbers. Often, internationals are the largest target group for landlords as they are not aware of their rental rights. For example, landlords ask an extra fee for their keys, administrative fees, or higher rents than allowed. This makes internationals extra vulnerable. The national Dutch student union (Landelijke Studentenvakbond - LSVb) has a hotline and a tool where you can check if you are paying too much rent. Also, contact us or other local organisations like HousingDesk Wageningen, Startpunt Wageningen, Politie Wageningen, Gemeente Wageningen, Connect Wageningen, if you experience any problems. https://www.connectwageningen.com/blog/housing-issues-amongst-students-on-the-rise-in-wageningen?categoryId=381

Housing issues amongst students on the rise in Wageningen

Lately, we regularly receive reports from Dutch and international students who experience problems with their home and landlords in Wageningen. There are only a few universities and cities that have facilities for students with questions or complaints. Fortunately, Wageningen has those facilities...