Higher education told to maintain ‘self-governance’ on internationalisation

How do you want to keep a grip on the pros and cons of internationalisation yourselves, outgoing Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf asks universities and universities of applied sciences. They must answer within a month.

In a new letter (in Dutch) to the House of Representatives on internationalisation, Dijkgraaf says nothing about the controversy surrounding migration, or the outcome of the elections. Imperturbably, he continues to polish his ‘Internationalisation in Balance’ bill, with which he wants to manage the influx of foreign students.

His bill was already online for an ‘internet consultation’ and received a particularly large number of responses. He is now seeking advice from the Education Council before sending an amended bill to the Council of State for comment. The Education Council is given only one month ‘to avoid delay in the legislative process as much as possible’.

Universities and universities of applied sciences must (in Dutch) also tell Dijkgraaf by early January how they want to maintain ‘self-direction’ on internationalisation ahead of the law. For instance, how do they want to deal with the choice of English-speaking or Dutch-speaking education, students’ language skills, recruitment abroad and housing problems in their region? The minister also wants to know how they will ensure that their graduates are more likely to stay in the Netherlands. (HOP, BB)