A Global Beginning: More than 100 Students from 20 Countries Join Wittenborg

Introduction Week Offers Valuable Insights Across Wittenborg’s Locations

More than 100 new faces brighten Wittenborg’s classrooms and facilities in Apeldoorn, Amsterdam and Munich. Reflecting the school’s diversity and internationalisation, the new bachelor’s and master’s students come from 20 countries: Türkiye, Morocco, Albania, Iran, Georgia, Zimbabwe, India, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Italy, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Mozambique, Uganda, Kenya, Ukraine, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.

From 3 to 7 February, the new members of the Wittenborg family participated in the traditional Introduction Week. In addition to attending lectures on the practical aspects and cultural nuances of the countries where they will be living – the Netherlands and Germany – the new students were also given valuable insights into Wittenborg’s infrastructure, services and organisation.

The activities concluded with an Introductory Lunch at all of Wittenborg’s locations, giving staff and new students the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and make new friends. This Introduction Week marked the school’s first intake of the year, out of six. The next intakes will be in March, May, August, October and December.

During his welcoming speech on 6 February, Wittenborg President Peter Birdsall highlighted that the new students are embarking on a challenging journey at one of the top business schools in the Netherlands. "The applied research in your degree meets the highest standards of quality, so I encourage you all to listen carefully to your supervisors and lecturers to ensure you follow their instructions clearly. Use your time wisely and don’t leave things until the last minute, as that will create unnecessary hurdles."

Bachelor’s student Layton Leroy Neves, from Mozambique, commented that he first heard about Wittenborg from his older brother, who studied at the school more than 10 years ago. Neves will be pursuing an International Business Administration (IBA) degree in Economics & Management. "I'm looking forward to making the most of my experience here. I know it will be academically challenging at times, but like anything else, there are always obstacles, and I’m ready to face them. I have a very positive outlook on the future."

He added that he is living in Wittenborg’s student housing, which has been very convenient for him. "I have my own studio, and it’s very comfortable. I’ve already made a few friends, and Introduction Week was really helpful. I had researched Wittenborg beforehand, but I still learned new things from the speakers, and this knowledge will be valuable to me."