Ambassadors to the Netherlands pay working visit to province of Utrecht - NL Host Nation
Ambassadors to the Netherlands pay working visit to province of Utrecht
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In the city of Utrecht, the ambassadors were welcomed at the municipal government office by mayor Sharon Dijksma and King’s Commissioner Hans Oosters, who emphasised Utrecht’s green, healthy and smart ambitions and its status as one of Europe’s most competitive economic regions.
Tivoli Vredenburg
After a short walk through the city centre, the ambassadors visited music venue Tivoli Vredenburg. Over lunch they talked to some of the region’s key economic figures, including entrepreneur and city ambassador Wouter Jansen and educational manager Chama Aslimani from regional training centre Midden Nederland. Both are members of the Young Economic Board Utrecht. ‘Utrecht is a city with a young population, and young people play a crucial role here,’ said Ms Dijksma.
Expedition to Science Park
In the afternoon, the ambassadors met the managing director of Utrecht Science Park Foundation, Jan Henk van der Velden. Here in the Netherlands’ biggest science park, Utrecht University, care institutions and life sciences companies work together for a healthy and sustainable society. Representatives from businesses and care institutions talked to the ambassadors about innovative technologies and developments they’re working on at the science park. ‘I’m particularly excited to visit the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology,’ said one of the ambassadors. ‘It works with a hospital in my country.’
The visit to the children’s hospital made a deep impression on all the ambassadors. Young patients there are treated by top-level specialists, who share their expertise in oncology with others around the world. In particularly complex cases, children from other countries may come to the Netherlands temporarily for treatment. Another institution at the science park is the internationally renowned Hubrecht Institute, which shares its expertise in developmental and stem cell biology.
We look forward to seeing all the ambassadors again next year