Day 11 in the Netherlands started with another University Tour. This tour was just a short walk from the hostel which meant we did not take public transportation today. The tour was of the Business school at Universitiet van Amsterdam in East Amsterdam. Like the last tour we went on the main business concept is selling the concept (the business school) to the consumer (prospective students). One thing that was different between the two universities was UVA had a public forum speaker series that was broadcasted in the main building at the university. This speaker series had popular political figures like Doctor Jordan Peterson and prominent Dutch figures such as the General of their Army. The university also seemed more modern than VU. At the university campus we toured there are multiple majors ranging from business economics to law. One of the most surprising things about the university was the drop out rate. Our tour guide explained that the university was very easy to get accepted to however, around 50% of students drop out after their first year and around 20% graduate. One of the major differences between American Universities and UVA and other European Universities is the amount of time spent getting a degree. In American it is usually 4 years for a bachelor degree with at least 1 year for a masters. In Europe it takes 3 years to get a bachelors and 1 year to get a masters degree. 

The second part of the day was a Canal Cruise around Amsterdam. Although for tourists the audio guide on the ship was very informative about the development of Amsterdam’s economy and neighborhoods. One example of this was the large number of Portuguese Jews that immigrated to Amsterdam, bringing their diamond trade with them. The newly immigrated Jewish businessmen now used Amsterdam’s ports to import and export diamonds from Brazil. This business no doubt stimulated the local economy and is a congruent theme throughout Dutch history. Being a Nation mostly connected and surrounded by water the Dutch became traders. The Dutch used their seafaring expertise to establish the Dutch East India company which is one of the largest companies to ever exist. Tomorrow is the last day in The Netherlands so I hope to make it a good one.