The conclusion of the first edition of the Postgraduate Course on Kingdom Affairs will take place on Friday, April 24. This course is an initiative of The Hague University of Applied Sciences and Leiden University, and is intended for professionals on both sides of the ocean who deal with the Kingdom and Kingdom relations in their work. The first edition of the course was fully booked, with 20 participants from the European Netherlands and 20 participants from the Caribbean islands within the Kingdom.
During the conclusion on April 24, the participants will present their final assignment in the form of a poster, and certificates will be awarded. This will occur in the form of a festive, public event, to which all lecturers in the course and representatives of institutions dealing with Kingdom relations are also invited. The event will take place between 2:00 and 5:00 pm Dutch time at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and will be concluded with drinks.
During the closing ceremony, a number of prominent speakers will address the graduates and wider public:
- Mike Eman, Prime Minister of Aruba
- Eric van der Burg, State Secretary for Kingdom Relations
- Sarah de Rijcke, Rector Magnificus of Leiden University
- Arend Hardorff, Vice-President of The Hague University of Applied Sciences
The Course on Kingdom Affairs is coordinated by Drs. Marcel Daniëls (The Hague University of Applied Sciences) and Prof. Wouter Veenendaal (Leiden University). Veenendaal holds the Special Chair on Democratic Representation in the Kingdom, which was established in 2024 by the Ministry for the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) to generate deeper and broader attention for Kingdom relations. BZK also has a knowledge-sharing partnership on Kingdom relations with The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
Due to continued high interest, it has been decided to offer the Course again next year. Are you interested in participating? You can register for the course via https://www.dehaagsehogeschool.nl/opleidingen/post-hbo/leergang-koninkrijkszaken.
