Only one-third of courses in Dutch universities will be taught in English starting in the academic year 2025-2026, in a bid to limit the Anglicisation of Dutch universities.
It seems that the Netherlands is becoming increasingly unwelcoming to internationals. It started with tourists: the Stay Away campaign and the overloading of tourists in Amsterdam. Now? Fewer courses for international students!
Yes, the best non-native-English-speaking country wants fewer English-speaking people. In fact, the House of Representatives has long been concerned about the number of international students at Dutch universities.
Starting this coming academic year, two-thirds of credits to be obtained in university must be done in Dutch, according to de Volkskrant.
Maar, waarom?!
Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf intends for students to take Dutch lessons alongside their university courses.
READ MORE | Why are the Dutch so good at speaking English?
Dijkgraaf plans to implement more binding rules and “put the language requirements more strictly in the law”, as he announced during a debate in the House of Representatives last Thursday.
In addition to this, he pointed out that high numbers of international students can lead to issues such as overcrowded lecture halls and housing shortages.
Let op! This is not the end of your chances
Although this is not the best news for international students, it doesn’t mean they have no more opportunities to study in the Netherlands. (It’ll just be way harder to get in.)
Dijkgraaf doesn’t want to eliminate international students; he simply wants more integration into Dutch culture.
So, what’s the obvious solution? Increase funding you say? Haha. No. Let’s try to make it uncomfortable for international students. How? Make Dutch the mandatory language of instruction. Eh… What?
— David Schindler (@DSchindlerEcon) June 17, 2023
So now all you have to do to get higher education in the Netherlands is move countries, pay €15k in tuition, find a place to live in the middle of a housing crisis, make it through the relentless first year of university, and learn a foreign language. Easy peasy! 🙌
READ MORE | Studying in the Netherlands? You may now be forced to learn Dutch
On top of that, it’s also becoming increasingly harder for teachers to find employment. If any teacher doesn’t speak Dutch, they immediately become unfit for their position and risk losing their job.
Thankfully, however, there are resources. Many free ways to learn Dutch exist, and universities are now starting to offer better mental health services.
What has been your experience as an international student in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!