How to apply for a Dutch Friend
What is the Meet the Dutch Programme?
Meet the Dutch is a programme run by volunteers, to introduce you, IHE Delft students, to Dutch people and the Dutch way of life, to make you feel welcome in the Netherlands
The programme has been running more than 40 years and its aim is that different cultures can meet each other.
When IHE Delft started in 1957, the students lived with Dutch families. Later, when the students got student housing, the programme was initiated to give students the chance to meet Dutch people.
These people are volunteers and represent a cross section of Dutch society, from many different backgrounds and ages.
Meet the Dutch gives you a family away from home, so you can take a break from your studies and meet up for a coffee, go for a walk, do some sightseeing or whatever you or your Dutch Friend suggests.
Meet the Dutch gives both sides the opportunity to get to know each other’s culture and for you to ask questions about life in the Netherlands. The frequency of your meetings is entirely up to you and your Dutch Friend and if you are too busy to meet sometimes, you can keep in contact by social media. If you request a Dutch Friend, you will first make contact with them at IHE Delft, during the first weeks of your arrival. After this initial contact, you and your Dutch Friend can stay in touch and meet as often as you like.
If you are matched with a Dutch Friend, please make the most of it, otherwise another student could enjoy the opportunity. We always have a waiting list of students wanting Dutch Friends.
How to register
To join the Meet the Dutch programme and to find a Dutch Friend you should fill in a web form. Before you arrive in the Netherlands, you will get an e-mail with the weblink to the form. Make sure you fill in the form as comprehensively as possible and attach a photo.
To increase your chances of finding a Dutch Friend, we suggest you register a.s.a.p.
Your registration form will be uploaded into an online database where Meet the Dutch volunteers can choose a student, who suits their situation, hobbies, age, interest e.g. a particular country or language, etc.
Important points
- Students who attend IHE Delft for the entire period of 18 months in the Netherlands will get priorit
- Students sponsored by Rotary already get a Rotary Host and therefore are not such high priority.
- Your address and email information will not be visible online.
- Single ladies never will be matched with a single man. We are NOT a dating bureau.
- After the matching, you will receive an email with the name of your Dutch Friend and your Dutch Friend will get your address and contact information. Then your Dutch Friend will make an appoinment for the first contact, preferably at IHE Delft.
Questions
If you have any further questions about the Meet the Dutch programme, you can send an e-mail to meetthedutch@un-ihe.org
Contact information
Meet the Dutch Programme
For more information you can call or email the coordinators of the 'Meet the Dutch' Programme:
Els Wallenburg en Joost Scholtsz
Phone: 015 -2622086
e-mail: meetthedutch@un-ihe.org