Universities: Every major undergraduate program will have a Dutch-language variant
Universities will create Dutch-language tracks for all major English-language bachelor's programs. Some programs will revert to Dutch altogether.
Universities also recognize that the internationalization of higher education poses certain problems. They want to solve those problems themselves, is their message today. Self-regulation is the magic phrase.
In the last elections, migration played a big role. The winning parties PVV and NSC want to significantly curb the arrival of foreign students, for example, by making almost all bachelor's programs Dutch-language again.
Self-regulation
The universities want to demonstrate that they can manage this themselves. They continue to emphasize the added value of international students for the economy and the quality of education, but they also see the bottlenecks. There is a housing shortage, Dutch language skills are under pressure, and Dutch students must sometimes compete with foreign students for scarce study spots.
Meanwhile, the much-discussed growth in the number of international students has come to a halt, they note. In the bachelor's programs, the number of international freshmen has remained at roughly the same level for the third consecutive year. They explain that universities are no longer actively recruiting abroad, and also warn prospective students about housing difficulties. Don't come here if you don't have a room, is the message in many cities.
Actions
They now present a series of actions. For example, they want to create Dutch-language versions of all major undergraduate programs. That includes programs like psychology, but also economic and business studies.
Some programs, such as the pharmacy program in Groningen, will switch back to Dutch completely. All 14 universities will look at what other study programs can also be taught in Dutch, they promise.
Outgoing minister Robbert Dijkgraaf is working on a law to steer internationalization in the right direction without closing the borders to international talent. One of the measures is that universities and colleges of higher education will soon be allowed to have a “numerus fixus” for English-language courses of study that is separate from the Dutch-language variant. The universities themselves have been asking for this for years. In practice, they can then regulate the number of foreign students while keeping the door open for Dutch students.
Placement policy
They are also considering—looking further into the future—a placement policy for some programs, similar to the one that used to be common in medicine. If students cannot get into one university for a particular English-language program, then perhaps they can get a place at another university that still has room.
The NSC, VVD, and BBB parties wanted Dijkgraaf to make a plan with the universities to “significantly reduce” the number of English-language programs. The universities do not really want to reduce English; they mainly want to add Dutch. These political parties also mentioned master's programs. The universities do not want to talk about that; they limit themselves to bachelor's programs.
The also announced their intention today to increase the Dutch language skills of both students and international staff. They will impose certain language requirements on the latter group. Some universities already offer a “preparatory year” for international students from countries where secondary education does not exceed the HAVO or senior general secondary education level, but they will stop this “as soon as the current contracts with the providers have ended.”
No targets
So there should be fewer international bachelor students, the universities believe, but they do not mention target figures. What exactly constitutes a “large bachelor's program” also remains vague. Small university colleges will certainly not be included; they will remain in English.
Currently, 30 percent of university bachelor's programs are taught completely in English. Another 18 percent have an English-language variant. The rest, just over half, are in Dutch. Even then, by the way, some subjects can be taught in English (up to one-third).
The universities have agreed not to start new English-language bachelor's programs for the time being. Minister Dijkgraaf's Internationalization in Balance bill foresees a test for both new and existing English-language programs.
Lingua franca
Of master's programs, 76 percent are entirely English. The universities themselves find this logical because these programs are linked more closely to scientific research and English is the lingua franca.
The discussion about Englishification is not new. The question arises as to why universities are only now taking action, or conversely, why they are not fighting for the internationalization of education. When asked about this, interim president Jouke de Vries of the umbrella association UNL and President of the University of Groningen says, “We stand squarely behind internationalization. But we also face several bottlenecks in this country, so you have to ask: What is the optimal size of a university?”
“Internationalization is very important,” he stresses, “because science is international. But we have to find a balance. Most of these 14 universities are saying that some parts can still grow, but we also want to consolidate.”
Anton Pijpers, President of Utrecht University, was also present at the press conference. He adds that internationalization of master's programs at universities is not being questioned. “There internationalization makes much more sense. In bachelor's programs, it's a bit more nuanced.”
Taking responsibility
Minister Dijkgraaf welcomes the fact that universities and colleges are taking responsibility. When he receives plans from the individual institutions during March, he will respond to them substantively and forward them to the House of Representatives. He emphasizes once again that he wants to leave leeway for “(regional) customization.”
This week, Dijkgraaf received a critique of his bill from the Education Council. The Council of State is also going to advise on it. The minister wants to send the bill to the House of Representatives “as early as possible in the second quarter.”
