According to the university, this is out of solidarity with the other universities. On Tuesday, the universities announced their plan to take measures against the anglicization and influx of international students in higher education. This is in response to the cabinet’s Balanced Internationalization Bill (WIB), which aims to preserve access to bachelor’s programs for Dutch students and prevent marginalization of the Dutch language.

What the universities find most objectionable in the bill is the Test for Foreign-Language Education (TAO). One of the requirements for universities would be to develop and implement a comprehensive language policy. To prevent this, they have now put forward their own measures, on the condition that the language test is taken off the table. The universities believe the test is far too strict and should only be applied to new bachelor’s programs. Moreover, they argue that the TAO places an excessive administrative burden on universities.

Solidarity

In principle, programs in shortage sectors and in border or shrinking regions, like those offered by technical universities, are spared by the cabinet. Nevertheless, the TUs support the universities’ plans and will each either discontinue one small English-language program or convert it to Dutch, as a sign of solidarity – including TU/e. The Executive Board (CvB) will start internal discussions in the near future to see with which program would be best suited for this plan.

“As universities, we are clearly taking our joint responsibility, while at the same time taking into account the reality of the strong needs in shrinking regions and shortage sectors,” says Board president Koen Janssen. “As TU/e, we are of course committed to technology, because the demand for highly educated engineers remains extremely high, especially in the Brainport region. We can therefore agree with this package of measures that leaves room for technology education to grow.”

Randstad

How much will individual universities have to give up? It’s “proportional,” says Anton Pijpers, Board president of Utrecht University and the driving force behind the self-regulation plan. But he will not give any exact figures or percentages per university. Because some programs will shrink, he explains, while others will be allowed to grow.

In total, there will soon be 2,000 fewer international bachelor’s students at universities compared to the peak year of 2022–2023, bringing the number of international first-year students to around 16,766. This decrease has already begun: the number is expected to be around 700 fewer than in the current academic year.

The influx of international students does cause problems in certain areas, the universities acknowledge. Some programs are becoming too large and there is a lack of student housing in certain cities.