Virtual journey and summer school: NICE

Applications for NICE 2024 are now closed.

In brief

Fact sheet for NICE 2023-2024 (pdf)

For whom?

Does intercultural teamwork on social issues involving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development GoalsExternal link (‘SDG's’) spark your interest? Then NICE is for you. You should have obtained at least 60 ECTS in your current or previous academic programme(s) to enter NICE. Although this physical summer school portion of NICE prioritises students who are challenged in their ability to travel or study abroad, such as students with specialized learning needs, disabilities, care responsibilities, financial need, first-generation students, and more, all students are encouraged to apply.

Who?

NICE stands for The Network for Intercultural Competence to facilitate EntrepreneurshipExternal link. The participating institutions in the NICE programme are University College DublinExternal link, the University of EdinburghExternal link, the University of PadovaExternal link, Taras Shevchenko National University of KyivExternal link, Jagiellonian UniversityExternal link, the University of JohannesburgExternal link and the University of AmsterdamExternal link.

What?

A unique experience in which you spend 12 weeks working virtually with students from all over the world to solve a global challenge, while in parallel taking the course Building Bridges for Local-Global Challenges (6 ECTS) at Roeterseiland. For the course, there are 30 spots available. The programme culminates in an optional summer school held this year in Kraków, Poland at Jagiellonian UniversityExternal link. During the summer school, you will finally meet some of the students you have befriended while working on the project virtually. For the summer school, there are 15 spots available.

When?

• The course "Building Bridges for Local-Global Challenges" - 27 February to 18 June 2024
• Summer school in Kraków - 30 June to 6 July 2024

Where?

NICE is a part-virtual, part-physical programme. The physical summer school is held in a different European country each year. This year the summer school will take place in Kraków. Previous iterations have taken place in Padova and Edinburgh.

Get informed

• Subscribe to our monthly newsletterExternal link to stay updated on important deadlines and dates for our international (summer) programmes.
• Register for workshops hosted by the Office of International Student Affairs to get helpful tips on how to make the best out of your study abroad experience in regards to your personal as well as professional development.

Why NICE?

NICE supports you in achieving four key aims:

1. Building skills to enhance employability: The NICE programme is designed to enhance students' employability by helping them develop intercultural competencies and entrepreneurial skills, developing their ability to apply these skills to global and societal challengesExternal link  by working together in virtual transnational teams.
2. Encouraging entrepreneurship: One of the objectives of the European Commission is to encourage people to become entrepreneurs. By supporting our students to further develop their entrepreneurship skills, the NICE project is helping to shape creative, innovative risk-takers who have the ability to plan and manage projects to achieve success.
3. Introducing tools for effective collaboration: In the workplace, productive collaboration is often at the heart of success. To prepare our students for the job market, we aim to provide them with opportunities and projects in which they are challenged and engaged with students from other cultures.
4. Developing intercultural competence: The structures of culture and communication that influence our behaviours are complex. We aim to help students develop skills to identify how these structures influence their own lives and consequently how to work with people from other cultures in a positive and productive manner.

Funding

• There is no cost for the virtual programme or for the on-campus meetings in Roeterseiland.
• The summer school programme fee is covered by the UvA.
• Selected summer school students receive an Erasmus+ grant to cover part of the travel and accommodation costs.

Conditions for the course "Building Bridges for Local-Global Challenges" (6 ECTS)

• You are enrolled as a full-time fee paying student at the University of Amsterdam throughout the programme. You can also enroll as an exchange student visiting the University of Amsterdam.
• You have obtained at least 60 ECTS in your current or previous academic programme(s).

Conditions for the NICE summer school to Kraków

• You need to be participating in the course Building Bridges for Local-Global ChallengesExternal link (6 ECTS).
• You are enrolled as a full-time fee paying student at the University of Amsterdam throughout the programme. You can also apply as an exchange student visiting the University of Amsterdam.

Requesting priority for the NICE summer school

The summer school is especially suitable for students who are otherwise challenged in their ability to travel or study abroad, such as students with disabilities, financial need, and more.

In addition to the conditions for participating in the NICE summer school listed above, there are grounds on which you may receive priority over other applicants during the selection procedure. However, if you cannot provide any of the below specified documentation in order to receive priority, you are encouraged to still apply.

Receiving priority

1. Due to economic reasons.

• You are receiving the “aanvullende beurs” or supplementary grant from DUOExternal link. Please submit an official document from DUO that states you receive a supplementary grant of more than €0,00 (in Dutch: “beschikking aanvullende beurs). A screenshot from “Mijn DUO” is not valid.

2. Due to a physical or mental condition that hinders your studies or your ability for studying abroad.

• You can fill out and submit this medical statement (pdf).

3. By self-declaration.

• If you are not able to provide a DUO statement or a medical statement, but you believe you are eligible to receive priority, you may fill in and send this form (pdf). Please do note that you do need to provide an explanation as to why you are unable to provide the necessary documents and an explanation as to why you should receive priority. You need to have the document signed by a student counselor or study advisor.

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 OR a valid self-declaration.
• Category 3: You have not been on exchange during your higher education or you have not been placed for an exchange in the future.
• Category 4: other students can apply without priority.

Selection to the NICE summer school

15 students are selected through a lottery system. The selection will take place through the following steps:

1. We decide your priority category (first, second, third, fourth).
2. We will start with a lottery among priority category 1.
3. In case not all 15 spots have been filled, we will do a lottery among priority category 2, then 3, then 4, if applicable.

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 participating in the course Building Bridges of Local-Global Challenges.

How to apply to the NICE programme

Applications for NICE 2024 are now closed.

Applications for NICE occur through registering for Building Bridges for Local-Global ChallengesExternal link (6 ECTS) in semester 2.

UvA Students

• UvA Bachelor's students can register again in December 2024 in the GLASS registration roundsExternal link.
• UvA Master’s students can send a short motivation to keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nlExternal link.

Other

• ‘Bijvak’ students can register until two weeks prior to the start of the course, by completing the online registration formExternal link. 
• If you have any trouble while registering, please contact us at keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nlExternal link.

Questions?

Email global@uva.nlExternal link if you have any questions.