Service Partner Meeting at Leiden International Centre
On Tuesday 30th September, we hosted our Service Partners for a networking meeting. We presented updates from our Centre and shared the latest trends in internationalisation. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange valuable information on the topics at hand, while also strengthening the connections within our partner network. For those who could not join us, this article offers a brief summary of the afternoon.
The meeting began with an introduction round over cookies and coffee. We also introduced the new interns who recently joined our team.
Jenny Willcock, Manager of Leiden International Centre, introduced the latest trends in internationalisation. This included the continued decrease in knowledge migrant arrivals across the Netherlands, whilst international talent is still necessary to fill vacancies. Meanwhile, other EU countries are becoming more attractive due to improved benefits for both international workers and companies. Due to these challenges, we are putting greater focus on retention of international talent. For instance, by making them feel more at home here through offering support for Dutch learning.
Our Helpdesk professional, Ruth Dixon, followed by sharing her insights and Frequently Asked Questions from 2025. Despite the decline in BSN registration appointments - in line with the national trend - our contact moments keep increasing, as more internationals are reaching out to our Helpdesk via email and videocall. It is also important to mention an increase in US citizens getting in touch in the last year.
Concerning our online outreach, our Communication & Events officer Sibilla Gosso reported on the progress of our online channels. In the past year we joined Instagram to reach our younger audience (25-34 years). Another important update is the redesign of our monthly newsletter. The new format is more compact, minimalist and modern, focusing on quality over quantity. This allows us to provide better content to our readers while also giving better visibility to our partner’s articles and events. Sibilla also shared useful insights on which content performs better, so that all our partners can improve their contributions to our newsletter and website. Do you want to schedule a meeting and access these insights? Get in touch: sibilla@leideninternationalcentre.nl
Leiden International Centre has exciting upcoming plans to continue supporting internationals in the Leiden region. These include the IamExpat Fair, collaborations with the Rotterdam and The Hague International Centres, as well as further steps in research with a new Leiden Bio Science Park data dashboard and the upcoming Report on Internationalisation.
We are also extending our services to future graduates, as part of our goal of improving talent retention. This year we already took part in the Orientation Week Leiden (OWL), created a new webpage for international students, and are working on organising workshops for international students in collaboration with local higher education institutions.
Finally, on 9th October we are hosting the first ever edition of Praat Nederlands Day. And next year we will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Leiden International Centre!
The afternoon ended with a boat tour through the canals of Leiden. It was a valuable opportunity to network among partners and enjoy the last of the summer sun!
Thanks to everyone who joined us; our next service partner meeting will take place in the spring of 2026.
