Due to the termination of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP), the number of students at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) has halved this academic year.
Normally, IHS welcomes around one hundred students each year, but this number has dropped to fifty due to the disappearance of the OKP international scholarships. A similar decline is visible at ISS: from 150 last year to 70 students.
Impact on education and diversity
The halving of the student numbers has significant consequences for IHS, especially for the dynamics of the student population and the education, says director David Dodman. “Our teaching method focuses on students learning not only from the lecturer but also from their peers. So, when you have a smaller student cohort, you have a narrower set of experiences to learn from”, he explains.
What stands out at ISS is the decrease in African students, says Karin Arts, the deputy rector for educational affairs. “It’s very painful to see”, she says. The loss of the scholarship has a direct impact on the diversity of the student group. “Especially for an institute focused on development studies, the loss of African students is problematic. For African students, this represents a significant reduction in their study opportunities in the Netherlands, both individually and collectively, raising the question of whether this is fair.”
Financial impact manageable
The financial impact at both institutes is still manageable for now. “If suddenly 50 percent of your market disappears, you obviously have to recalibrate”, Dodman acknowledges. “But it is certainly possible for IHS to continue offering a high-quality programme, even without a large group of scholarship students.”
Students with an Orange Knowledge scholarship primarily came for the master’s program in Urban Management and Development at IHS, says Dodman. “But in recent years, we have become involved in three other master’s programs, in collaboration with other faculties. As a result, we are less dependent on a single program and have more opportunities to attract students.”
The ISS is also exploring ways to mitigate future damage. Like the IHS, the ISS is involved in other programmes, both in The Hague and in the Global South. Additionally, the institute is working on shortening its master’s programme in Development Studies: from the 2026 academic year, it will take 12 months instead of 15.5. “We hope this will lower the financial barrier and attract more students”, Arts explains. “A shorter stay means lower costs, after all.” Furthermore, the ISS offers options for partial tuition fee waivers.
Impact on the Netherlands
The termination of international scholarship programmes has broader consequences than just for IHS and ISS, says Dodman. “For decades, the Netherlands has had an enormous positive influence on the world, far exceeding the cost of supporting international students”, he says. “When I visit Africa or Asia, I always meet IHS graduates. These people hold influential positions in governments, trade, and the private sector. They maintain a strong bond with the Netherlands, which also works to the advantage of the Netherlands. The disappearance of the scholarships is therefore a major blow to the prestige and international influence of the Netherlands.”
