Dossier
Internationalisation
Many internationals work and study at TU Delft. They bring quality and diversity, but their position is regularly discussed in society. In this dossier, we will keep you informed.
Which regions or degree programmes will soon be able to continue recruiting foreign students in the face of new government restrictions? A roundtable discussion with education delegates at the House of Representatives gave a taste of the issues at stake.
Over two years after taking office, outgoing Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf has sent his ‘Internationalisering in Balans’ (Internationalisation in Equilibrium) bill to the House of Representatives. As far as he’s concerned, international students continue to be welcome, but institutions will be given ‘instruments’ to manage the influx.
The House of Representatives voted in favour of a special student quota for international students on 15 February. A majority no longer wants to wait for outgoing Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf’s bill including the same measure.
More Dutch language-taught courses for undergraduates and fewer students coming from abroad? The initial response to universities’ own plans for achieving this goal is positive.
At the earliest in the 2025-2026 academic year, the Aerospace Engineering bachelor degree programme will have a Dutch-English language track alongside the English one.
Given the last election results, the conversation about international students in the Netherlands – as well as the internationalisation of universities in the Netherlands – is as relevant as ever. Will the Netherlands continue to welcome international students? And do international TU Delft students worry about the current political climate?
The universities will be creating a Dutch track for all major English-taught Bachelor’s programmes. Some programmes are even switching back to Dutch altogether.
If it’s up to the Dutch Education Council, outgoing Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf will take more time to think about his bill, which aims to reassert control over the internationalisation. This bill is creating too much uncertainty, says Chair Edith Hooge.
Alex Nedelcu, Aerospace Engineering bachelor student, thinks his Faculty should not revert its bachelor’s programme back to Dutch, as Delta columnist Dap Hartmann suggested in his latest column. “To shut the door on international students would mean compromising TU Delft’s reputation on the world stage.”
There is definitely no lack of Dutch students who would like to study aerospace engineering. So why should we offer bachelor programmes to the rest of the world at the cost of Dutch students, asks Dap Hartmann.
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…
Some 14.5 thousand international students receive student grants in the Netherlands, reports DUO. This is more than before, perhaps partly due to the new basic grant. The radio programme Nieuws en Co requested the figures from student finance provider DUO and had NSC party leader Pieter Omtzigt respond in Friday night’s broadcast (in Dutch). Omtzigt expects…
Having a job and a place to live are often key for international graduates in deciding whether to stay here or not. And speaking Dutch doesn’t hurt either, a poll reveals.
Internationals are feeling less welcome at Dutch universities. This emerged from a nationwide survey. ‘There is a glass ceiling for non-Dutch professionals.’
Good science cannot exist without international exchange, the Young Academy claims. The society is worried about the “highly polarised” discourse on language of instruction.
The intake of international Bachelor’s students has decreased slightly. Universities are calling on politicians not to take radical measures against internationalisation.
The Netherlands is not in a position to cap the inflow of international students in technical studies. Rector Tim van der Hagen wrote this in the Volkskrant newspaper.
Inspectorate did not know about stop on international students The University of Amsterdam (UvA) was the first university to limit the number of internationals within a study programme. This was actually not allowed, but the Inspectorate did not intervene. In 2022, the UvA introduced a quota for the English-language variant of the…
Denmark can’t do without international students Denmark has restricted the inflow of international students the past two years, but is now turning back. Highly skilled internationals are proving indispensable in the tight labour market. In 2021, the Danish cabinet decided to drastically reduce the number of English-language courses in higher education. This…
What do international TU Delft students and employees think of the debate on internationalisation. Do they still feel welcome at TU Delft?
Dutch should become the language of instruction at universities within three to four years, said Pieter Omtzigt. “So fewer internationals will come to the Netherlands.”
Do universities pay enough attention to students’ needs and opportunities? Queen Máxima, Minister of Education Dijkgraaf and students believe there is room for improvement.
A draft bill intended to better manage the intake of students from abroad gets a lot of comments. Higher education institutions are against it, others are enthusiastic.
From the next academic year, European students in the Netherlands will have to work fewer hours to qualify for Dutch student financing.
Dutch politician Pieter Omtzigt will participate in the elections with a new party. This may have major consequences for the internationalisation of higher education.
‘More internationals to go elsewhere in the EU’ Other European member states should offer more education in English to attract international students, writes Dutch Education Minister Dijkgraaf to the European Commission. He hopes there will be more ‘balance’ then. The growth of international students in the Netherlands is leading to concerns…
The number of foreign students in Dutch higher education increased 7 percent this academic year compared to last year, reports Nuffic: much less than in previous years.
Recently, Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf unfolded his plans for channelling the intake of international students. The initial reactions are cautiously optimistic.
Minister Dijkgraaf is putting forward legislation to channel the influx of international students. There will be central direction, but what it will look like remains unclear.
To give more international students the chance to learn Dutch, Student Council member Abdelkader Karbache would like to add a MOOC to the current range of courses.
Is it a medical emergency or can it wait a while? The government wants reduce the pressure on the emergency number 112. One of the target groups: international students.
Higher education minister: more courses in Dutch Dutch as a language of education, science and science communication is relevant throughout higher education, thinks (in Dutch) higher education minister Dijkgraaf. He agrees with the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which asked parliamentary questions about this, ‘that Dutch (or if necessary multilingual) education should be…
Dozens of current and former TU Delft students demand back their deposit from rental agency 4-Freedom. The students accuse the lessor of violating their contracts.
Mention the term ‘shortage of rooms’ and fingers automatically point to international students. Are they the cause or the scapegoat?
Diversity is trickling through the organisation, but in terms of inclusion there is still much to do says this master’s student.
TU Delft could create a happier international community by improving its international presence during the introduction period, says BEST Delft President Ada Precup.
Education Minister Dijkgraaf plans to use a combination of laws and agreements to manage the influx of foreign students. He also wants more control himself.
A Parliament motion calls on Dutch higher education to stop actively recruiting internationals. According to eight institutions, these students are badly needed.
Parliament puts pressure on internationals bill Education minister Dijkgraaf must come up with a bill before the summer to control the influx of international students. That is the opinion of a majority in the House of Representatives. Ruling parties VVD and CDA had tabled a motion last week during the debate on…
Political parties want Minister Dijkgraaf to speed up measures to slow down internationalisation, but he claims that this is not possible.
Universities in the Netherlands should immediately start teaching in Dutch again, in the view of action group Beter Onderwijs Nederland (BON).
The Delft International Student Society thinks there’s a lot to learn from big Dutch associations. “They create this community that we internationals don’t have per se.”
Zo’n tienduizend internationale studenten van 26 onderwijsinstellingen krijgen hun verblijfsdocument dit jaar uitgereikt door IND-medewerkers in de Haagse Hogeschool. (Foto: Bart van Vliet) Studenten van buiten de Europese Unie hebben verblijfspapieren nodig die ze bij de IND moeten ophalen. Vanwege de lange wachttijden bij de loketten verstrekt de…
The UvA wants to experiment with a quota for international students next year, writes the NRC newspaper. Otherwise, Dutch students would be squeezed out of popular programmes.
After two corona years, the OWee, the introductory week for freshmen, is back as usual. The OWee board is looking forward to it. “Students are going to make friends for life.”
English debate ahead of Municipal Council Elections The Municipal Council Elections are coming up soon. On Wednesday March 16 all European citizens of 18 years of age or older and non-EU citizens who have been registered in the municipality for a minimum of 5 years, can vote. But who to vote for?…
The growing number of international students at Dutch educational institutions cannot be slowed down in the next academic year, says Education Minister Dijkgraaf.
This year, nearly eighty thousand international students are studying at Dutch universities: 14% more than last year. The number of internationals at TU Delft also increased.
Terug naar de Nederlandse versie van dit artikel Debate on internationalisation What should an internationally oriented university look like in the 21st century? On 30 September, Studium Generale is organising a debate around this main question, with Delta columnist and PhD student Vishal Onkhar (3mE) in the panel. Other speakers are…
Not feeling great? Since last Wednesday you can talk or chat with English speaking volunteers of the Alles Oké? Supportline. The supportline is for everyone between 18 and 24 years old and set up by the Dutch organisation ‘Kindertelefoon’. Since the second lockdown, there has been a lot of focus on student wellbeing. One study…
Dutch Senate slams anti-Englishification bill The Dutch Senate has questioned the law intended to slow down the Englishification of higher education. The law was prompted by the growing criticism of internationalisation and Englishification, particularly in higher academic education. What are all those foreign students doing here, critics asked. Do they use their talents and stay…
The government says there are five good reasons for maintaining English-language teaching in higher education. English studies will have to meet at least two of these.
English courses must demonstrate added value English-language courses must be able to justify the added value of their language medium. If they are unable to do so, they must switch to Dutch within two years. This is stated in a proposal by Minister Van Engelshoven (Education, Culture & Sciences) to implement the…
