Npuls is a Dutch programme involving more than 100 public tertiary educational institutions in the Netherlands. These include vocational education and training schools, universities of applied sciences and research universities. Their shared goal is to bring about a transformation in the sector so that learners can learn without obstacles and receive continued high-quality education.

Education is the engine that drives society. However, our society faces rapid changes, with challenges brought by digitalisation, an evolving labour market, and the impact of emerging AI. To respond to these challenges, Npuls is working to future-proof the education sector. The goal is to help make society more resilient, with a strong economy and prosperity for all.

This can only be achieved with a properly trained workforce, and that requires a tertiary education sector with the capability to provide the best possible training and education and lifelong learning for everyone, by:
• Providing lasting assurances that tertiary education in the Netherlands will remain accessible to all learners: not only students seeking an education before they embark on a career, but also people who set out to acquire new skills and knowledge in a later phase of life;
• Providing continuing improvements to the quality of tertiary education: adopting a willingness to learn and consistently scrutinising, assessing and renewing the manner in which the education is organised and taught, while aligning with developments in society and on the labour market in the Netherlands;
• Ensuring that the subject matter is up-to-date and reflects society’s ever-evolving requirements in terms of skills and knowledge, and in particular proper and safe use of digital resources and the ethical and effective use of AI and data.