HKU University of the Arts Utrecht is internationally oriented and involved in numerous international programmes and projects. HKU maintains contact with almost 200 educational institutions abroad for the purpose of exchanging lecturers, students and projects. Almost 20% of the students come from outside the Netherlands. 

As a HKU student, during your course you will be working on commissions for customers in the working field. These may be commercial companies or non-profit organisations and cultural initiatives.That way, you learn hands on where your strengths lie and what you can offer the world as a designer, lecturer, producer or performer. HKU produces creative professionals and entrepreneurs with initiative who know where their chances lie, both nationally and internationally.We work with renowned art and cultural educational institutions in Europe, Africa, Japan and the US, so you have a wide choice of opportunities for exploring international developments in your discipline.

HKU is in the midst of society. We deploy applied research to enable us to focus on developing creative and technological solutions for, for example, healthcare, education, the cultural sector and the design of public spaces. 

The aim of these research projects is to contribute to the further development of the fields of work for which we are training students. Many of our research projects are on the cutting edge of various disciplines. We encourage future designers, creators and producers to develop research skills to help them see past the borders of their own disciplines. We conduct various research projects in collaboration with international institutions for art education.