Dutch Senate approves letting universities limit students for English-language courses

The Eerste Kamer, the Dutch Senate, approved a bill to let universities limit the number of students they enroll in the English-language variant of their bachelor’s programs. Parliament previously also approved this plan to limit the number of international students.

Only the PvdD voted against the bill in the Eerste Kamer on Tuesday. Though, according to NRC, the party may have been objecting to the Ministry of Education budget as a whole, and not necessarily the enrolment limit. The parliamentary faction of the VVD submitted the legislative amendment to the Higher Education Act with the budget, so Senators could not vote on it separately.

This measure is also included in a law outgoing Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf submitted for parliamentary approval last week. His Internationalization in Balance Act contains various ways in which universities can limit the number of non-European students they enroll. Dijkgraaf said his bill is mainly intended to steer internationalization in higher education in the right direction, focusing on where the country needs talent and how to retain those students.

The new coalition of PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB also plans various measures to limit internationalization at Dutch universities, including higher tuition fees and more restrictions on study grants for students from outside the European Union.