Emma Sprangers, Author at Ad Valvas

18 June 2026

Number of international students falls for the first time

According to the internationalisation organisation Nuffic, the number of international students in the Netherlands has fallen slightly for the first time in twenty years. This is mainly due to students from Germany and China staying away.

11 June 2026

More and more US researchers want to go to Europe

The number of US academics applying for a European research grant has more than doubled in the past year. For the ‘advanced grants’ aimed at leading academics, the number of applications from the US has increased fivefold.

27 May 2026

Why we must assume the best of each other

If we want to convince others and make a positive change, we must first assume they mean well, argues former USR Vice-Chair Oskar Siri.

21 May 2026

‘I always take a holistic view on health’

At the VU Lifestyle Desk, movement and lifestyle trainer Mariëlle Spekreijse helps employees improve their sleep or adjust their eating habits.

4 May 2026

Minister must help 46 Palestinians come to the Netherlands

A judge has ruled that the foreign minister should try and help 46 Palestinians leave Gaza, collect their visas and travel to the Netherlands for study or research.

16 April 2026

An iPad for your vote

With costly gifts like an iPad and a Nintendo Switch up for grabs, the University Student Council is pulling out all the stops to get students to vote. But is that alone enough to move the needle on voter turnout?

15 April 2026

The Netherlands receives outsized share of European research funding

Countries in Central and Eastern Europe are becoming increasingly successful in applying for European research grants. However, the gap with the Netherlands and the rest of the EU remains considerable. “We’re losing an enormous amount of talent.”

13 April 2026

Here’s who you can vote for in the student council elections

After a tumultuous year in the University Student Council, the (battle?)field looks calmer this time around. VSP is no longer running, and students can choose from three parties: incumbent ChangeVU and newcomers ConsensusVU and VU Student Coalition.

9 April 2026

‘You don’t always have to include the opposing perspective’

As a programme maker for 3D, Jaron van der Veer tries to draw the ‘hard-to-reach VU student’ to thought-provoking events.