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News | 13-05-2024 | 16:59
Preserve the benefits of internationalisation and achieve a balance. This is the core aim of the Wet internationalisering in balans (WIB) bill, which Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robert Dickgraf presented to the House of Representatives today. If enacted, the new legislation will enable better management of the flow of international students. Another aim is to protect and strengthen the Dutch language as a language of education and research. The bill is part of a wider package of measures aimed at managing internationalisation consciously together with universities and universities of applied sciences and retaining international talent for the sectors that need it most.
The Act seeks to strike a balance between preserving the added value of internationalisation and maintaining the quality, accessibility and efficiency of Dutch higher education. The number of international students has increased significantly over the past decade. In some regions this has put pressure on the quality of education and accessibility for Dutch students, with classrooms overcrowded and teachers overloaded. In addition, in some regions, courses taught in foreign languages, especially English, are becoming more common and are replacing Dutch as the language of instruction and research.
“The Netherlands relies on knowledge,” says Dickgraf. “So we can’t do without international talent, whether it’s science, the labour market or the quality of the programmes themselves. We have to cherish our leading position as an international knowledge hub. But we are now entering a new phase of internationalisation. In this regard, key questions are where we really need talent, how to retain international students and how to maintain the accessibility and quality of education. We have been driving a car with only an accelerator, but now we need the brakes. Above all, we need a steering wheel. Action is therefore needed, but a lasting balance requires precision instrumentation and customisation. This bill enables the government to intervene carefully, specifically and proportionately when necessary, but the universities and universities of applied sciences themselves still have to collectively take the lead first.”
Keep Dutch
The bill’s provisions cover language, the mobility of international students and comprehensive control over the educational process. Dickgraf wants to preserve and strengthen Dutch as the main language of higher education and research in the Netherlands. This will increase the chances of international talent staying in the country after graduation and thus contributing to our knowledge economy, he says. “Dutch-language education and research are valuable. I want to guarantee that. Mastering Dutch is also key to finding a job and playing a role in society.”
Firstly, educational institutions themselves should make a concerted effort to ensure a balance between Dutch language courses and courses in other languages. To achieve this, the WIB offers a “Foreign Language Education Test”. This test specifies under what conditions foreign language teaching is considered to have a value-added role and is therefore permitted. In the test, the Ministry of Education will examine the effectiveness of new or existing undergraduate and associate degree courses. Whenever possible, clusters of similar courses are tested simultaneously. In this way, it is possible to consider the extent of changes in the overall offer of courses, as well as the geographical distribution of similar courses in the Netherlands.
Foreign language courses are approved only after independent advice and careful assessment against a range of criteria designed to ensure customisation. These criteria take into account regional circumstances, labour market needs, the uniqueness of the course and its international orientation. For example, the impact of the course on shrinking or border regions, whether it serves industries with severe staff shortages such as engineering and healthcare, or whether it trains students for the international labour market.
The current law stipulates that Dutch is the standard language of instruction at universities and universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands, but there is considerable room for exceptions. Under the new bill, a course is considered a “foreign language” if more than one-third of the credits are taught in a language other than Dutch.
Furthermore, universities and universities of applied sciences already have a legal obligation to promote Dutch language proficiency among Dutch students. WIB will extend this obligation to all students, including those from abroad. The aim is to ensure that they learn as much as possible about Dutch language and culture during their studies. Each institution will decide for itself how to develop such provisions to suit its curriculum and student population.
Maximum number of students
The bill also contains new rules for limiting the number of students admitted to associate or bachelor’s degree programs (the so-called “capping”), a measure the House of Representatives voted on earlier this year. Currently, such caps can only be imposed on entire programs. From now on, by allowing the maximum number of students to be set only for part of the course, “overcrowding” in that part will not reduce accessibility to the rest. The bill also makes it possible for master’s degree programs as well.
Furthermore, in order to ensure access for Dutch and European students, a maximum number of places for students from outside Europe could be set. However, this would only be possible if the teaching capacity of the course or program is limited. Finally, courses that experience a sudden large number of enrolments would be allowed to temporarily limit the number of enrolments for one year. This “emergency brake” is intended to protect their quality and accessibility.
Better control
The WIB is part of a series of measures developed jointly with universities and universities of applied sciences to better manage student mobility. They have recently presented their own plans, both before and in parallel with the statutory instruments contained in the new Act. These include a greater focus on the Dutch language proficiency of employees, recruitment procedures, and the social impact of internationalisation, such as housing issues and the possibility for students to stay in the country after graduation. To consolidate these plans, the Dijkgraaf hopes to reach an implementation agreement with universities and universities of applied sciences.
Careful handling
Balanced internationalization The bill is the result of careful preparation. There were extensive discussions with the education sector, Dutch and international students, civil society organisations, business representatives and regional partners. Advice was sought from the Dutch Board of Education and the Council of State, and implementation tests were carried out by regulators and executive bodies. An online public consultation also generated a large number of responses. The next stage in the process is the bill’s adoption in the House of Representatives.
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