{"id":163217,"date":"2024-01-18T16:02:11","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T15:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=163217"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:08","slug":"dutch-only-those-kinds-of-caricatures-are-utter-nonsense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/01\/18\/dutch-only-those-kinds-of-caricatures-are-utter-nonsense\/","title":{"rendered":"Dutch only? ‘Those kinds of caricatures are utter nonsense’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first education debate after the elections, a lot of attention was paid to the intake of international students. VVD and NSC nuanced their electoral rhetoric, while D66 and GroenLinks-PvdA stood up for internationalisation.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrancesca Mora<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

On the official topic, the State Budget, not a whole lot was said in the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening. Nor was it really a debate, because many new MPs held their \u2018maiden speeches\u2019. Tradition dictates that on this occasion, they are not interrupted by tricky questions of fellow members.<\/p>\n

Although a few more specific topics \u2013 should the basic student grant be increased? \u2013 were discussed, most of it was broad terms, veiled hints and snippets of nuance. Thursday, when Minister Dijkgraaf will respond, things will probably be different.<\/p>\n

Caricatures<\/h2>

Most notably, NSC and VVD somewhat nuanced their previous views. Former columnist and microbiologist Rosanne Hertzberger did the talking on behalf of NSC. She said: \u201cOf course we don\u2019t want all international students to leave or make the fundamentalist choice of having all programmes be Dutch-taught. Those kinds of caricatures are utter nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n

She did repeat that her party thinks the large intake of international students and the anglicisation of higher education is a problem. In principle, Bachelor\u2019s programmes should be Dutch-taught, but exceptions could be made for certain professions or regions.<\/p>\n

VVD also adopted a less hard line than during the election period. The party originally wanted to make all Bachelor\u2019s programmes Dutch-taught, with an exception for universities of technology. MP Claire Martens-America didn\u2019t say anything on this subject this time. In reference to the intake of international students she did mention the shortage of student housing and \u201cthe high costs for Dutch society\u201d, but Dutch-taught Bachelor\u2019s programmes didn\u2019t come up.<\/p>\n

Her solution: the Minister must make haste in coming up with enrolment restriction options that will allow institutions to curb their intake. Later on in the debate, she told Jan Paternotte of D66 that VVD wouldn\u2019t be in favour of deciding \u2018top down\u2019 which programmes have to apply these enrolment restrictions. \u201cI think education institutions themselves are more than capable of doing so.\u201d She gave the example of the Brainport region around Eindhoven. \u201cI fully agree with Mr Paternotte that if we say that everything should be done in Dutch there, we will have major shortages in the labour market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blunder of historic proportions<\/h2>

Paternotte argued passionately in favour of internationalisation. \u201cThere are shortages, so we need more guidance, but let\u2019s not make a blunder of historic proportions by having almost all Bachelor\u2019s programmes taught in Dutch. There\u2019s a lot at stake if we don\u2019t make the right choices now.\u201d He pointed out that Denmark faced shortages in the labour market \u201cafter they closed the door to international students in 2018\u201d.<\/p>\n

Luc Stultiens (GroenLinks-PvdA) also drew attention to the positive side of internationalisation. He took noticeable pleasure in quoting an old column by Rosanne Hertzberger, in which she wrote: \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more enriching than meeting the rest of the world in the lecture hall. This teaches you how small you are, how limited your perspective is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antisemitism<\/h2>

Of course, there were more topics of discussion. SGP, ChristenUnie, BBB and PVV drew attention to antisemitism. \u201cMeanwhile, Jewish students are no longer feeling safe at our universities and we are failing to crack down hard on hatemongers\u201d, MP for PVV Patrick van der Hoeff stated, for example.<\/p>\n

The basic student grant was also brought up. It has been increased for students living away from home this year. D66 and SP suggest extending this increase by at least one year. \u201cI expect broad support\u201d, said Paternotte, \u201cbecause a large majority of this House has spoken out for an increase of the basic student grant ever since it was introduced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Science<\/h2>

Relatively little was said about science policy, although Stultiens did ask his colleagues to take science seriously. \u201cEarth is not flat, climate change is not an opinion; and long COVID isn\u2019t just in your head, I know from people around me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hertzberger briefly talked about the fate of Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karik\u00f3, who never received funding for her research and won the Nobel Prize in spite<\/em> of American science policy. How would she have fared in the Netherlands, the MP for NSC wondered. \u201cAre we<\/em> able to offer these people time and space to tinker, to follow their curiosity, to fall and get up again? The answer is: probably not.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Christine Teunissen (Partij voor de Dieren) criticised the influence business has on science and education. \u201cThere are still close ties between fossil industry, science and education\u201d, she said. \u201cShell, for instance, co-funds eight university chairs. Tata Steel funds a chair. In Wageningen, endowed professors are sponsored by dairy companies to research how cows can produce even more milk, turning a blind eye to anything but commercial advantages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow-up<\/h2>

Thursday, outgoing Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf will respond to the questions and remarks by the House of Representatives. After that, the MPs will submit their own proposals.<\/p>\n

The budgetary year itself has already started and the cabinet is outgoing. Talks are being held about the formation of a new cabinet. Major changes are not expected, therefore. That is, not if they cost money.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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