ISS is an international postgraduate school and one of the oldest and largest centers for the comparative study and research of social, political and economic development and change. The ISS provides top-quality education in the social sciences to postgraduate professionals, mostly from developing countries and countries in transition. ISS is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. ISS itself is based in The Hague. The Hague is a cosmopolitan city, with many international organizations like the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. It is a genuine multicultural city offering many cultural events and shops specializing in goods from all over the world. English is very widely understood.