 Hulsman was born in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, in 1955, and studied development sociology at the State University of Leiden in the Netherlands from 1977-1984.During his studies he specialized in Islam and Middle Eastern Christianity.From 1979 to 1982, Hulsman was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Christian Democratic Youth Appeal (CDJA), and was from 1982-1994 a member of the Middle East Committee of the Christian Democratic Appeal ().