WILLEMSTAD – The Universiteit van Curaçao Dr. Moises da Costa Gomez (UoC) and the Vereniging Hogescholen in the Netherlands have agreed to intensify their cooperation, creating new opportunities for students in both Curaçao and the Netherlands.
The UoC’s higher professional education (hbo) programs already align with the standards applied in the Dutch hbo system, and several Dutch universities of applied sciences maintain strong partnerships with the Curaçao-based institution. Under the new agreement, the UoC will now collaborate more closely with the Vereniging Hogescholen and participate in relevant networks on matters important to its students.
Chairman Maurice Limmen of the Vereniging Hogescholen welcomed the partnership, stating that it will create more development opportunities for students on both sides of the Atlantic.
Rector Magnificus of the UoC, Dr. Stella van Rijn, emphasized that the agreement builds on existing strong ties with Dutch institutions. She noted that deeper cooperation could enable joint educational offerings, allowing students to benefit from programs that combine strengths in Curaçao and the Netherlands, rather than having to choose between studying locally or abroad.
On Monday afternoon, Limmen and Van Rijn formally signed a cooperation agreement outlining the intentions of both institutions. The partnership focuses on academic collaboration in bachelor’s programs, associate degrees and master’s programs within the hbo framework. It also includes the exchange of knowledge in the area of practice-oriented research.
The goal is to further strengthen the educational offering and increase the joint provision of programs. Work will now begin on establishing an associated membership structure for the UoC within the Dutch network. Other higher education institutions in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom will also be invited to explore similar participation.
The UoC serves as Curaçao’s national university and offers both academic (wo) and higher professional (hbo) programs. In addition to its activities on Curaçao, the university is also active in Bonaire, Aruba, Sint Maarten and Suriname, reinforcing its regional role in higher education.