Our aim is to offer essential information on Dutch academia: how it relates to Dutch politics and society, what the research and teaching culture is like, and how the funding system and academic protocol are structured. We caution, however, that different academic fields within the Netherlands each have their own idiosyncrasies. We also provide translations of key terms, as well as a list of abbreviations and acronyms.

As you consult this guide, please bear in mind that Dutch academia is a moving target with many dimensions. Institutional settings, funding schemes, rules and regulations concerning promotion, PhD graduation requirements, and a host of other matters are in constant flux. These can differ significantly from one scientific or scholarly domain and institution to the next. Some of the information provided on this website may therefore only apply partly to your own situation, or may even be outdated by the time you read it.

This is a revised version of the guide, updated in 2022 from an original hard copy version that first appeared in 2018. The Young Academy plans to continue to update and revise this online guide at regular intervals. If you have suggestions for improvement, please feel free to share them with us: dja@knaw.nl. We wish you every success in taking your first steps in Dutch academia and hope that this guide will help you get started on the right foot!

A note on language use: in this guide we will use English terms and names as much as possible, but will also introduce the corresponding Dutch term (in italics) when useful.