More foreigners hired as Univ. workers, PhD candidates

The number of foreign staff working at Dutch universities is increasing all the time, according to the Netherlands Association of Universities (VSNU). One-third of them have a foreign passport, De Volkskrant reports. PhD students especially hail from other countries. Almost half of all PhD students in The Netherlands is not Dutch. Professors and head-teachers are also more and more foreign, not as much as the PhD's, but the numbers are increasing. Technical subjects in The Netherlands are especially popular amongst foreign academics. Law, psychology and sociology is mostly attractive for Dutch staff members. The VSNU says that Dutch students can benefit from the higher presence of foreigners. Top research done in other countries motivates innovation, the Union says. The internationalization of University life is a goal that Universities have set for themselves.