Netherlands Initiative for Capacity development in Higher Education (NICHE)
05 Mar 2010
NICHE is a Netherlands-funded development cooperation programme aimed at strengthening institutional capacity in developing countries for providing post-secondary education and training.
The programme focuses on sectors that are supported under the Dutch Bilateral Cooperation Programme, in the higher education sector in general or in cross-cutting themes. In all cases, the relationship with the post-secondary education sector is taken into account.
NICHE pays special attention to gender issues and to the link between capacity development and the needs of the labour market at all programme levels.
Support to southern organizations
Southern organizations will be assisted by coupling the expertise of Dutch organizations with local or regional expertise. A variety of organizations in NICHE countries can be eligible for support including institutions for post-secondary education, government ministries, national commissions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The selection of NICHE priority areas is done in coordination with the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the respective NICHE country and with the relevant local ministry.
Geared towards local development policies
The programme will be phased in gradually and replace the Netherlands Programme for the Institutional Strengthening of Post Secondary Education and Training Capacity (NPT). The programme sets out to ensure that the activities funded by both programmes are in line with the development policy of the recipient countries and that they match local priorities.
Countries participating in the NICHE programme
The following 23 countries have been selected to join the NICHE programme:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Surinam, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia.
Introduction to NICHE
Download the introductory presentation on NICHE (119 kB)
Main steps in the NICHE programme cycle
Download a graph of the NICHE programme cycle (133 kB)
NICHE flyer
Download the NICHE flyer in English (117 kB)
Download the NICHE flyer in Spanish (50 kB)
Download the NICHE flyer in French (111 kB)
