The Universities in the Netherlands (UNL), a collective organization for higher education in the country, has decided to reduce the number of undergraduate courses offered solely in English.
This decision is a response to ongoing demands to cut down the influx of international students. Previously, the umbrella body attributed issues including student housing shortages and a decline in education accessibility and quality to a growth in international student numbers.
Following an agreement made earlier this year, the universities under UNL resolved to stop new English-taught undergraduate programmes, cease international student recruitment activities, and eliminate foundation years for international students.
This action was prompted by the Dutch Parliament’s mandate to the government and educational institutions to implement “concrete measures” aimed at curbing English-taught courses.
In communication with the Education Minister, Robbert Dijkgraaf, UNL outlined interim strategies to bolster Dutch-language teaching. These include:
Presently, such quotas are not permitted under existing regulations. However, the proposed Internationalization in Balance bill, which UNL is advocating for rapid government action on, could authorize these measures.
Jouke de Vries, the acting president of UNL, stated that universities are undertaking a significant measure to balance increased internationalization in education with the number of student admissions.
He emphasized that to accomplish this effectively, they require the backing of politicians, particularly through the provision of legal instruments in the near future to regulate the influx of students.
A statement made by UNL, indicated plans to introduce these measures as early as the 2025-2026 academic year, with the goal of preserving the added value of internationalization without adverse impact on the Netherlands.