Suriname and the Netherlands Strengthen Cooperation in Education and Research

The education ministers of Suriname and the Netherlands jointly launched the Cooperation Platform for Educational Institutions Netherlands – Suriname (SONS). The festive event took place during the Dutch state visit to Suriname, attended by platform representatives. The launch marks the start of closer and more strategic cooperation between involved knowledge institutions, bringing coherence and focus to the many projects and individual initiatives built up over decades. It is expected that students and researchers will gain new opportunities to collaborate across borders.

The long-standing bond between Surinamese and Dutch educational institutions is strengthened by the Dutch language, shared history, and similarities in education systems, as well as the Surinamese community in the Netherlands. The SONS platform consolidates this cooperation for vocational (mbo), higher professional (hbo), and university education. SONS supports educational institutions from Suriname and the Netherlands in sustainable, equitable collaboration. The platform facilitates knowledge sharing, innovation, and joint development of future-oriented education that meets societal needs in both countries.

Dirk Currie, Surinamese Minister of Education, Science and Culture (OWC): “The launch of the SONS platform is a further step, where cooperation between educational institutions in Suriname and the Netherlands can be formalized through central coordination. This platform makes collaborations transparent and aims for every cooperation to be sustainable. Collaborations will take place at university policy level, teacher and student exchanges, joint research, and PhD level.”

Gouke Moes, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW): “Speaking the same language provides fertile ground for educational collaborations between Suriname and the Netherlands. It is good that we combine forces in the SONS platform. This creates space for structural cooperation between students, teachers, and researchers in both countries. We complement each other well: with research in laboratories in the Netherlands and fieldwork among mangrove trees in Suriname, we find solutions for flooding in both countries.”

Joint Projects

The platform will focus on joint curriculum development, teacher professionalization, and exploring and initiating exchange and research projects that address current societal issues. Specifically, this includes:

Making agreements and shared policies between educational institutions regarding exchanges and internships, so these better meet the needs of students from both countries and Surinamese programs.
Stimulating interdisciplinary projects between research universities, universities of applied sciences, and vocational institutions, for example in biodiversity, health, agriculture, food security, and technology.

Looking to the Future

The platform stems from the Memorandum of Understanding and the accompanying education agenda signed by both countries in June 2023 and formalizes and provides a framework for years of cooperation between knowledge institutions. This cooperation will continue. On the first day of the state visit, a declaration of intent was signed. Later this year, the new formal cooperation will take shape, based on reciprocity, equality, and sustainable impact.