University of Twente (Dutch: Universiteit Twente) is a university located in Enschede, Netherlands. It offers research and degree programmes in the social and behavioural sciences and in technology. In keeping with its entrepreneurial spirit, the University is committed to making economic and social contribution to the region of the Netherlands where it is based. The UT collaborates with Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology under the umbrella of the 3TU.Federation, and is also a partner in the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU). The University was founded in 1961 as the Technische Hogeschool Twente, the Netherlands’ third higher vocational institute of technology later to become a university (the other two being Delft and Eindhoven). The Dutch government’s decision to locate the new institute in Enschede, the main city of Twente, had much to do with the north-eastern province’s rich industrial history. Another important consideration was the fact that the local economy needed a boost to compensate for the dwindling textile industry.