Last Friday, Bruins sent a letter to the Senate and House of Representatives regarding budget cuts for international students and the upcoming amendment to the law on Internationalisation in Balance. He plans to relax the rules for institutions in shrinking regions and their surroundings. The exact boundary is yet to be determined.
Why did he write this letter?
The Senate insisted. Senators want more clarification on the Education budget before they discuss it. They will also consult with experts about the legality of the budget cuts.
Have those budget cuts been softened?
Yes, the four governing parties have reached a compromise with the three Christian parties and JA21. This means, among other things, that the budget cut for foreign students has been reduced from 293 to 168 million euros per year. The government can now count on support in the Senate.
What else did the Senate want to know?
How the adjustments to the budget will be implemented. For some parties, this may be a delay tactic; others believe that it is part of their responsibilities as senators to handle legislation with care.
And how does Bruins plan to carry this out?
He has revealed a hint of his plans. The draft bill ‘Internationalisation in Balance’ (known as the WIB) is already in the Second Chamber, which states that Dutch should become the standard in bachelor’s education again. All English-taught bachelor’s programmes will have to pass the ‘test for other language education’. Some will need to transition to Dutch, according to the cabinet’s expectations, resulting in fewer foreign students coming to the Netherlands. These criteria will be adjusted by the minister, taking into account the location of institutions.
Didn’t we already know that?
We knew that a relaxation would occur for universities in certain regions. Bruins now writes that it’s not only about shrinking regions but also the areas around them. Furthermore, he plans to include this list of regions in the legislative text.
Why does that matter?
He could also implement that exception for regions in a ‘general administrative measure’. Such a measure can be relatively easily adjusted by the minister. A legislative text cannot: for that, he (or his successor) would have to submit a separate bill. The cabinet cannot simply enforce stricter language policies by removing regions from the list, but conversely, it cannot easily relax the rules and add regions to the list either.
Which regions are we talking about?
The adopted amendment from CDA leader Henri Bontenbal, which modifies the budget cuts, calls for an exception for ‘for example, but not limited to, Zeeland (Middelburg), Limburg (Maastricht), Friesland (Leeuwarden), Groningen, Drenthe (Emmen), and Twente (Enschede)’. According to the proposers, these regions depend on the influx of international students.
Will the ‘test for other language education’ be a doddle for institutions in the right regions?
The minister is sending mixed signals. On one hand, he indeed suggests that the test won’t pose much of a challenge. Programmes only need to demonstrate their importance for the regional labour market. “That intertwinement is often already substantiated through the strategic choices in the institutional plan”, writes the minister, “or in the context of regional development plans and agendas, to which they can refer”.
And on the other hand?
On the other hand, he still sounds strict. All English-taught bachelor’s programmes must demonstrate their added value or switch to Dutch. “In the shrinking and border regions, that added value is greater than elsewhere, but even there, guidance is necessary, especially considering the high level of English-language programmes at some institutions,” says Bruins. “A completely uncontrolled offering of other language education is undesirable, even in the region.”
So in Maastricht and Groningen…
…they cannot yet feel assured. Just because they are in a border region doesn’t mean that Bruins will leave them untouched.
What will the Senate think of this?
We will have to wait and see, but that compromise with the opposition was not reached without reason. In principle, there is ample support for the budget cuts, including those related to internationalisation, which are connected to the language test in higher education. Some parties may hope that postponement leads to cancellation. If the cabinet falls before the Senate approves the budget cuts – for example, if the spring memorandum leads to problems – there may still be an opportunity for adjustment.
