Virtual journey and summer school: NICE
Virtual journey and summer school: NICE
NICE is a university network that brings together students from around the world to develop intercultural and entrepreneurial skills. Each year, it offers the exciting opportunity to attend a one-week summer school held in a different European city. In 2025, the NICE summer school will take place at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Applications for NICE 2025 are open from 8 January to 5 February 2025, 23:59 CET.
In brief
Fact sheet NICE 2024-2025 (pdf)
Who should apply?
Are you passionate about intercultural collaboration and tackling social issues aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's)? If so, NICE offers an ideal opportunity for you! While we prioritise students facing barriers to studying or traveling abroad (such as those with specific learning needs, physical or mental health conditions, or financial constraints) this programme is open to everyone. Students from all disciplines and study stages are encouraged to apply.
Who is involved?
NICE, short for The Network for Intercultural Competence to facilitate Entrepreneurship, includes the following institutions: University College Dublin, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Padova, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Jagiellonian University, the University of Johannesburg, and the University of Amsterdam.
What does NICE offer?
Virtual International Experience - NICE offers a unique 12-week virtual programme that allows you to collaborate with students from around the globe to tackle a global challenge and develop an innovative business plan, all with the guidance of dedicated volunteers. Upon completing the NICE module, you have the (optional) opportunity to further enhance your skills by training to facilitate the next round of NICE students.
Physical international experience - The journey doesn't stop there. Each year, the programme offers an optional summer school. Here, you'll finally meet some of the peers you've collaborated with and befriended online. With just 10 spots available, the summer school is an exclusive opportunity to bring your ideas to life and forge lasting international connections.
When is NICE?
- Applications open: 8 January 2025
- Applications close: 5 February 2025
- Online programme: March to June 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
- Summer school: 28 June to 5 July 2025
Where is NICE?
NICE is a hybrid programme that combines virtual and in-person experiences. This year, the summer school will be held in the vibrant city of Edinburgh, with previous sessions hosted in beautiful Padova and Kraków.
Get informed
- Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on important deadlines and dates for our international short-term programmes.
- Attend the information session ‘International Short-term Learning Opportunities’ on 10 December 2024.
- Register for workshops hosted by the Office of International Student Affairs to get helpful tips to overcome the challenges in applying, and how to prepare.
Why choose NICE?
NICE empowers you to achieve four exciting goals:
- Boost Your Employability - Enhance your career prospects by developing vital intercultural competencies and entrepreneurial skills while collaborating in virtual teams to tackle global challenges.
- Ignite Your Entrepreneurial Spirit - With a focus on creativity and innovation, NICE equips you to become a confident risk-taker ready to lead projects to success.
- Master Collaborative Tools - Success in the workplace hinges on effective collaboration. NICE offers engaging projects that challenge you to work alongside students from diverse cultures.
- Cultivate Intercultural Competence - Navigate the complexities of culture and communication by understanding how these structures shape behavior. Develop the skills to work positively with people from different backgrounds.
Funding
- Partaking in the virtual programme is free.
- The programme fee for the summer school is covered by the UvA.
- The 10 selected summer school students receive a scholarship to cover part of the travel and accommodation costs.
- The amount of the scholarship will be announced soon.
- The scholarship will be disbursed in two installments: 70% before departure and 30% after departure.
How to apply
Meet the condition to apply for NICE
All applicants must meet the following condition:
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.
Request priority for the NICE summer school
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.
Priority consideration
You may receive priority consideration based on one or two criteria:
- Financial Constraints - If you are receiving the "aanvullende beurs" (supplementary grant) from DUO, submit an official document from DUO showing you receive a grant of more than €0.00. A screenshot from "Mijn DUO" is not valid.
- Physical or Mental Condition - If you have a physical or mental condition that affects your studies or ability to study abroad, fill out and submit this medical statement (pdf). Please do not include any personal medical information, such as medications or diagnoses.
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.
Apply in the following steps
- Gather Documentation - If applicable, obtain your medical statement and/or DUO letter. If you don’t have these documents, you can proceed to step 2.
- Email Your Application - Send an email to global@uva.nl with the subject line: “NICE Application + [Your Name].” Attach your medical statement and/or DUO letter. If you wish to continue your application without priority, please indicate this in your email. Once we receive your email and assign you a priority category, we will send you the link to the application form.
- Complete the Application Form - Fill out the application form, which will require a brief recommendation letter from a peer (to be copied into the form) and a brief motivation statement. Please do not wait until the last minute to prepare your application, as this is the final step.
After application
Selection
10 students are selected through a lottery process, following these steps:
- We determine your priority category (first, second, third, or fourth).
- A lottery is conducted among applicants in priority category 1.
- If spots remain, a lottery is held for priority category 2, followed by categories 3 and 4, as needed.
After submitting your application, you will be notified in March about the results and any potential next steps.
Excluded from selection
You are excluded from selection if one or more of the following applies to you:
- You are not enrolled as a full-time fee paying student at the University of Amsterdam from the moment of application until the end of the programme.
- You submitted an incomplete application.
- You missed the deadline.
Questions?
This programme is coordinated by the Office of International Student Affairs, the central international office of the UvA. Please email global@uva.nl if you have any questions. Please read this page and the attached fact sheet beforehand.