NICE is an international university network that connects students from around the world to develop their intercultural and entrepreneurial skills. Each year, NICE offers a virtual group project that culminates in a one-week summer school hosted in a new European city. The NICE 2026 summer school will take place at University College Dublin in Ireland.

The UvA offers 30 spots for the virtual programme and 5 spots that come with a scholarship for the summer school. Applications for the NICE programme for the academic year of 2025–2026 open from 15 January to 15 February 2026.

Who can apply

Are you passionate about intercultural collaboration and brainstorming about social challenges linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Are you looking for ways to work with highly ranked universities across the globe and boost your CV? Then the NICE programme might be the perfect fit for you!

Full-time students from all disciplines and study stages are encouraged to apply.

NICE network

NICE, short for The Network for Intercultural Competence to facilitate EntrepreneurshipExternal link, includes the following institutions:

• University College DublinExternal link
• University of EdinburghExternal link
• University of PadovaExternal link
• Taras Shevchenko National University of KyivExternal link
• University of JohannesburgExternal link
• University of AmsterdamExternal link

About the programme

NICE offers a 12-week programme with online modules on working across cultures and developing entrepreneurial skills. In small international teams, you’ll work on a real-world challenge connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create an innovative solution. Mentors will guide you throughout the process, and at the end, teams present their projects in a video showcase.

Each year, the programme hosts a summer school, where 5 UvA students get the chance to meet in person some of the peers they collaborated with virtually. The academic programme varies and will be announced at a later date.

After completing NICE, you have the optional opportunity to further develop your skills by mentoring the next round of NICE students, earning an additional certificate to display on you LinkedIn.

Important dates

• Applications open: 15 January 2026
• Applications close: 15 February 2026
• Online programme: 2 March 2026
• Summer school: 28 June to 3 July 2026

Destination

NICE combines virtual and in-person learning. This year, the summer school will be held in the vibrant city of Dublin, with previous sessions hosted in Edinburgh, Padova and Kraków.

Benefits of NICE

NICE helps you develop the key skills employers value most: intercultural communication, teamwork, global awareness and an entrepreneurial mindset. Through virtual collaboration with students across the globe, you’ll work on real-world sustainability and social innovation challenges, boosting both your confidence and your career prospects.

Finances

Joining in the virtual programme is free.

How to apply

All applicants must meet the following condition to apply for the NICE virtual programme:

• You are enrolled as a full-time fee paying student at the University of Amsterdam from the moment of application until the end of the programme.

Excluded from selection

You are excluded from selection if one or more of the following applies to you:

• You submitted an incomplete application.
• You are not able to attend the obligatory prepatory information meeting(s) by UvA.
• You are not enrolled as a full-time fee paying student from the moment of application until the end of the programme.

Apply

The application link will be available here on 5 February 2026.

After application

30 students will be able to partake virtually. If more than 30 apply, a lottery will be held. After submitting your application, you will be notified in February 2026 about the results and any potential next steps.

The NICE summer school: application procedure

NICE students can sign up for the optional summer school. From this group, 5 students are selected. Selected summer school students receive a scholarship to cover part of their travel and accommodation.

• The amount of the scholarship will be announced soon.
• The scholarship will be disbursed in two installments: 70% before departure and 30% after return.

Request priority

The NICE programme is especially suitable for the following groups of students who face challenges in studying abroad: students with financial constraints, specialised learning needs, and/or physical or mental health conditions. Applicants who provide proof of belonging to one or more of these groups will be given priority in the selection process.

If you're unable to provide the required documentation, we still encourage you to apply, though without priority consideration.

You may qualify for priority consideration based on one or two criteria:

1. Financial constraints - If you are receiving the "aanvullende beurs" (supplementary grant) from DUOExternal link, submit an official document from DUO showing you receive a grant of more than €0.00. You can find this statement when you log into ‘Mijn DUO’. A screenshot from "Mijn DUO" is not valid.
2. Physical or mental health condition - If you have a condition that affects your studies or ability to study abroad, complete and submit this medical statement (pdf). Please do not include any personal medical information, such as medications or diagnoses due to privacy protocols.

Important: no exceptions to these document requirements can be accommodated.

Please do not wait until the last minute to prepare your application!

Priority Categories

• Category 1: Submit both a valid DUO statement and a medical statement.
• Category 2: Submit either a valid DUO statement or a medical statement.
• Category 3: You have not participated in an exchange during your higher education and have not been selected for a future exchange.
• Category 4: Other students may apply without priority consideration.

The 5 students are selected through a lottery process, following these steps:

1. We determine your priority category (first, second, third, fourth).
2. A lottery is conducted among applicants in priority category 1.
3. If spots remain, a lottery is held for priority category 2, followed by category 3 and 4, as needed.

Get informed

• Register for various workshops around gaining an international learning experience.
• Each year in November, the UvA organises the annual Study Abroad Month, in which you can find out more about the international opportunities during your study programme. In person Information sessions on the Short-term Learning Opportunities take place on 5 November and 19 November 2025. Learn more about the Study Abroad Month.

Questions

This programme is coordinated by the Office of International Student Mobility, the central international office of the UvA. Please email global@uva.nlExternal link if you have any questions. Please read this page beforehand and specify that your question is about NICE.