When international students start comparing study destinations, the Netherlands almost always makes the shortlist, and for good reason. Dutch universities are known worldwide for their consistently high academic standards, their vast range of English-taught programmes, and a student culture that is open and international. Among them, the University of Twente stands out: a research university with a distinctive green, single-campus setting in the east of the country, strong roots in science and technology and a thriving international community.
But what does choosing Twente actually look like from a student’s perspective? We asked Wisang, an Indonesian Bachelor’s student, to share how he ended up there. His story starts in an unexpected place: a research paper.
A discovery that started with a citation
While working on a school science project, Wisang stumbled upon a paper by Dr. Bram Nauta, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Twente. It wasn’t what he was looking for at the time, but he later discovered that Nauta’s research is used in mobile phones all over the world. “To some people, university professors are celebrities in their respective fields” he realised. The university had made its way onto his radar.
Why the Netherlands won
When the time came to choose, Wisang narrowed his options down to Germany and the Netherlands. What tipped the balance was a feature of the Dutch system that many students don’t know about: quality is remarkably consistent across the country. As Wisang puts it, “all research universities offer equal-quality education” whether you study in Delft, Eindhoven, or Twente. He was also drawn to the 4TU federation, the collaboration between the four Dutch technical universities (Delft, Eindhoven, Twente, and Wageningen), which keeps standards aligned nationally and even allows students to follow courses across institutions.
Why Twente, specifically
Three things sealed the deal for Wisang: the forest-like campus — Twente is the only true single-campus university in the Netherlands — the project-based learning approach, and a large, active international community, including a lively Indonesian student association whose members “all had good things to say about the university“.
There was a cultural factor, too. “Dutch culture in general treats students and professors as equals” he told us something that, coming from Indonesia, felt refreshingly new.
A year and a half later: no regrets
Today, Wisang is confident he made the right call. Studying, struggling, and succeeding alongside people from all over the world has confirmed his choice. “A beautiful campus, world-class education, and a booming international population were hard to say no to” he says. “The University of Twente has been my home for the past year and a half, and I hope it continues to be so“.
For students weighing up their options, his story is a useful reminder: sometimes the right university finds you first and the Netherlands makes it easy to say yes.
Ready to write your own story?
If Wisang’s journey sounds like something you’d want for yourself, the next step is simple: explore the full range of English-taught Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes at the University of Twente, find the one that fits your ambitions, and start your application.
Your home on campus might be closer than you think.