Dutch Universities Collaborate on International Student Intake, Detailed Plans Expected in Mid-March

All universities in the Netherlands are working together to create a plan and implement measures to control the number of international students they enroll. New and more detailed plans are expected to be published in the middle of March this year, a University of Amsterdam representative has told Erudera News.

“All Dutch universities are currently working on developing and implementing the measures that were formulated in their collective guideline to better manage internationalisation. This is being done in dialogue with the staff and student participation bodies. These more detailed plans will follow in mid-March in response to the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science,” the University of Amsterdam said in a statement.

These remarks come amid discussions on the proposed legislation by Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf, titled “Internationalisation in Balance.”

The bill included an amendment allowing universities to set their own restrictions on international student enrollment in English-language programs.

The Dutch government unveiled plans to reduce international students’ intake and improve students’ and employees’ Dutch language skills in April last year.

Plans to control the influx of international students are driven by concerns about overcrowded lecture halls, increased workloads for lecturers, reduced access to study programs, and a lack of student accommodation.

In a letter sent to the House of Representatives in December 2023, Minister Dijkgraaf said that keeping Dutch as the primary language of instruction at universities and managing the number of students help achieve balance in internationalization.

Education Council Questioned Plans to Limit International Student Numbers

The proposal has been sent to the Education Council (Onderwijsraad), the country’s highest-level advisory body for education for the government. The advisory group criticized the plan, questioning rules on delivering programs in a language other than Dutch.

The council said that the government’s plans need a rethink, especially measures to promote Dutch at the university level. Such measures, according to the council, would lead to administrative burdens on higher education institutions.

“What will the impact be on the quality of education and research? And what will be the impact on small institutions, hbo colleges and specialised universities, and those in the border areas?” the council said.

International Student Enrollment in Dutch Universities Has Doubled Over the Past Decade

The number of international students in the Netherlands has sharply increased over the years, especially in the past decade.

A total of 122,287 international students attended state-funded higher education institutions in the Netherlands during the 2022/23 academic year. International students in the country account for 15 percent of all degree students.

Nonetheless, public higher education institutions received only 219 more students in 2022/23, a slight increase of 4 percent compared to the previous year.

The number of international students in the Netherlands throughout the years:

• 2012 - 54,039 students
• 2013 - 56,228 students
• 2014 - 57,776 students
• 2015 - 61,855 students
• 2016 - 67,632 students
• 2017 - 75,182 students
• 2018 - 83,817 students
• 2019 - 92,159 students
• 2020 - 101,831 students
• 2021 -114,255 students

© Fons Heijnsbroek | Unsplash

Related links:

>> Dutch Universities: International Students Can Still Study at Research Institutions

>> Dutch Universities Agree to Manage International Student Numbers

>> Netherlands: 220 Fewer International Students Enroll in Bachelor’s Programs