Last Friday, Universitas Indonesia buzzed with excitement and anticipation. Inside one of the lecture rooms, five bright and dedicated students came together for a shared passion: the Dutch language. They were the finalists of the National Dutch Language Competition 2025, and among them stood Azka Siti Nurazizah — a third-year student of the Dutch Studies Program at Universitas Indonesia.

What started as a day of nerves ended in triumph for Azka. After a series of intense rounds, showcasing not only her mastery of Dutch but also her cultural understanding and communication skills, she was named the national winner. Her achievement earned her the golden ticket to represent Indonesia at the upcoming International Neerlandistiek Competition 2025.

The announcement came with a warm congratulation from Yvonne Klerks, the Education and Science Counsellor at the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia, who handed Azka the official certificate marking her as Indonesia’s finalist.

Azka’s journey doesn’t end there. On 10 October 2025, she will travel to the Netherlands to compete in the international round at the renowned Leiden University. There, she will meet and compete with fellow finalists from China, South Africa, Namibia, France, and Germany — each representing the best of Dutch language education in their respective countries.

The International Neerlandistiek Competition is a prestigious event initiated by the network of Education and Science Counsellors of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and is proudly supported by the Dutch Language Union (de Taalunie). The initiative aims to strengthen the global presence of Dutch language education and build a vibrant, international community of young Neerlandici.

The success of the national final in Indonesia was made possible through the dedicated collaboration between the Dutch Studies Department at Universitas Indonesia and the Erasmus Training Center in Jakarta.

As Azka prepares to take the stage in Leiden, she carries not just her own hopes but the pride of a nation.

Gefeliciteerd en veel succes, Azka!