Minister Bruins aims to limit the number of international students and reduce the prevalence of English-taught education. Nearly all non-Dutch bachelor’s programmes will therefore be subject to an evaluation. If they fail to meet the criteria, they will need to switch to Dutch. This proposal, initially put forward by the previous cabinet, has been adopted by Bruins.
Cuts will happen regardless
However, Bruins intends to take a tougher stance than his predecessor, as outlined in his letter to the House. He plans to cut 293 million euros from the budget by attracting fewer international students.
Moreover, he believes that universities and universities of applied sciences should cooperate with these cuts. The budget reductions will proceed regardless. Should the measures and ‘self-regulation’ fail to have the desired effect, he warns that less funding per student will be the result.
Exceptions
There will still be exceptions. Language programmes, for example, will not be required to pass the evaluation. A programme may also remain in English if it benefits a shrinking region (where universities and universities of applied sciences attract few students) or if there are significant shortages in the labour market.
However, Bruins wants to make it harder for programmes to claim an ‘international character’ as justification for being taught in English. As for a fourth exception, ‘international uniqueness’ (‘this is the only programme of its kind, so it must be taught in English’), the minister intends to be stricter. He fears that if exceptions are too readily granted, they will become the rule.
Master's and administrative language
The evaluation only applies to bachelor’s programmes, but Bruins stresses that this is “by no means a free pass for master’s programmes.”He writes: “I will discuss this with the institutions and continue to monitor the master’s offerings.”
Student finance
Bruins finds it ‘undesirable’ that European students receive student finance here and then leave after completing their studies without having contributed to Dutch society and the economy.
However, whether desirable or not, there is little he can do for now. Freedom of movement within Europe remains a factor. The cabinet plans to seek allies within the EU to address these rules, but it is a ‘long-term process’ with a ‘highly uncertain’ outcome.
A sledgehammer to crack a nut
The cabinet is wrongly suggesting that the Dutch language is under threat in higher vocational education (hbo), according to the Universities of Applied Sciences Netherlands. “Dutch is already the norm in higher vocational education”, says chair Maurice Limmen.
According to him, 92 percent of hbo programmes are in Dutch. The share of international students has been around 8 percent for years, and the universities of applied sciences have agreed to maintain that level. “The minister is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, needlessly causing damage”, Limmen says. In any case, the current programmes should not be affected, the universities of applied sciences believe.
Serious concerns
“This letter is a blunt tool that undermines internationalisation,” says Ruben Puylaert, spokesperson for the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (UNL). “The minister has planned a cut of 293 million euros, which amounts to roughly half of all international bachelor’s students in higher education.”
He questions how thorough the evaluation of bachelor’s programme languages can be when the outcome (fewer students) seems predetermined. This changes the intent of the bill submitted by the previous cabinet. “We have serious concerns,” says Puylaert. “In our view, this requires new scrutiny from the Council of State.”
Incidentally, universities have been advocating for years for more control over the influx of international students. They called for an intake restriction (numerus fixus) for English-language tracks. The idea is that Dutch-language tracks remain open for Dutch students, preventing that the limited number of spots will be taken by students from abroad. This option is now enshrined in law and will be available from 2026.
Lack of justification
The exact basis for the cuts (why 293 million euros, and not 100 million euros more or less?) remains unexplained by the minister. He has simply been given the task of making cuts and is carrying out that mandate.
The issue is far from settled. The House of Representatives has raised numerous questions, and the responses span more than a hundred pages.