Amsterdam universities frustrated by Cabinet’s plans to slash English courses

The universities and universities of applied sciences in Amsterdam are frustrated by the government’s plans to further restrict English-language courses. Like Education Minister Eppo Bruins, they also believe there should be a limit to the number of international students, but the Minister’s new rules go much too far in deterring “desperately” needed international talent, the rectors of the higher education institutions told AT5.

“We wanted a brake on the influx of international students, and now we are getting a return to Dutch and that really sends us into the woods,” said Peter-Paul Verbeek, rector of the University of Amsterdam.

Bruins wants to mandate by law that two-thirds of lectures in all bachelor’s programs be given in Dutch. Verbeek and his colleagues at the VU University Amsterdam, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences call that a step back in time and completely missing the mark.

“If we have to implement this, Dutch will become the norm and we will have almost no English-language programs left. We will lose all those international students who come here to learn a trade, who contribute to the economy and to society. And that also means that we cannot contribute sufficiently to major social challenges such as sustainability and healthcare. We need them desperately,” Verbeek said.

About 35 percent of students at the University of Amsterdam come from abroad. The university expects that it can keep this number at a manageable level by setting a maximum number of students per English-language program, a measure that will take effect in the new academic year.

The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) has only 4 percent international students and wants to keep its English-language programs to attract students and lecturers. “Otherwise you rarely come into contact with students who think differently. You remain locked in your Dutch environment,” rector Geleyn Meijer told AT5. “The working language for everything outside the Netherlands is English. If we train too few students who are proficient in that language and also no longer know the culture of other countries, the value of our diploma will decrease."

The Amsterdam higher education institutions also worry that the level of education will plummet when Bruins’ law takes effect. “They did this in Denmark, too, and it was reversed after two years. You saw an exodus of scientists and students. You drop on the international education ranking and it takes a long time before you get it back,” Verbeek said.