Minister sees ‘major problem’ looming: will there be too few international students soon?

Higher education may admit only a limited number of international students. There may not be enough of them, Minister Letschert told the House of Representatives on Thursday. “Some of our sectors could certainly take on more talent.”

Under an agreement with the government, Dutch universities may recruit only a limited number of international students. That is more than the previous government had envisaged, but there is still a cap.

The institutions will monitor that cap themselves. They have agreed among themselves how many international students each is allowed to take in. If they recruit too many this year, they will have to recruit fewer next year.

During a debate with the House of Representatives, Minister Rianne Letschert (D66) was of two minds: on the one hand, she wanted to praise the institutions for their self-regulation; on the other, she warned of the consequences of the government’s policy.

Talent strategy

“I’m pleased that the institutions have joined forces”, said Letschert. The universities have agreed with her to focus their overseas recruitment on ‘strategic shortage sectors’ – in other words, the sectors where the Netherlands is thought to have the greatest need.

This is part of the government’s ‘talent strategy’. Universities of applied sciences have also made a similar agreement: in the economic domain, they will keep the number of international students at its current level.

But has the right balance now been struck? “I think so”, said Letschert, but she raised the question herself and wants to debate it when the Balanced Internationalisation Act is discussed in the House of Representatives.

Dilemma

She described it as a dilemma. The institutions are sticking to the agreed range, but the minister also sees ‘that some of our sectors could actually take on more talent’.

So she wants to know: “How do we ensure that the range doesn’t hold us back?” In her view, internationalisation is ‘actually incredibly important’. She said this applies to both knowledge workers and students.

MP Diederik Boomsma (JA21) asked her to explain. The minister put it this way: “If you want to grow further in science and technology while staying within the range, and then have to cut back even more in the arts and social sciences, we will have a very big problem.”

Arts, sciences and social sciences

Broadly speaking, science subjects include mathematics and physics, while arts subjects include languages and culture. Social and behavioural sciences fall under the social sciences.

The institutions are limiting the intake of international students in arts and social science subjects, Letschert said, to make growth in technology and the sciences possible. “That can’t go on for ever.”

Gaza

The House of Representatives did not pursue the issue, or barely did so. René Claassen (groep-Markuszower) would rather know why universities are ‘bringing half the Gaza Strip to the Netherlands’. He was talking about a Palestinian student in Maastricht who has been suspended after a video about 7 October.

It’s false to claim that universities are bringing half the Gaza Strip here, Letschert replied (This summer, four Palestinian students came to Maastricht). The university also intervened straight away in this case. “And what you’re trying to do is turn this into a general issue. I’m not going to go along with that.”

There was something else going on beneath the surface: she is annoyed that Claassen keeps asking her questions about Maastricht, where she was chair of the Executive Board before moving to The Hague. She did not think that was a coincidence.

Claassen said he meant no offence. “It’s unfortunate that the minister feels that way. I don’t think I’ve ever done that. When I talk about Maastricht, I’m always talking about the administrators in Maastricht. I would never be talking about the minister who once held an administrative position there.”