From 2023, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) plans to put a cap on the number of international students admitted to both psychology and political science study programs.
The chairman of UvA’s board, Geert ten Dam, says that this is a matter of urgency because, with the massive influx of international students in the Netherlands, the Dutch are being outnumbered and outcompeted in those two studies.
READ MORE | Over half of international students struggle with Dutch university life
The university can’t handle the number of international students, and a line has to be drawn not to overflow it. The point is that: natural-born citizens also need to become a priority when it comes to higher education.
Desperate times call for desperate measures
Legally, universities in the Netherlands are not allowed to exclude international students, which is why school boards are only testing whether putting the cap in place will truly make universities more accessible to Dutch students.
However, with a reputation for being the most popular university in the country, UvA simply can’t wait any longer.
According to the NOS, the number of international students in attendance is just too great, sharply increasing from 31,000 to 41,000 in just five years! 😮
READ MORE | International students warned not to come to Amsterdam: 10,000 rooms short
“The workload is too high, the numbers too large. We are reaching the point that Dutch students from Hoorn, Emmen or Amsterdam-West cannot go to popular studies, because they are being outcompeted by students from abroad”, Ten Dam tells the NOS.
Next to that, about two-thirds of international students now make up the psychology study program — exceeding the number of Dutch students by quite a lot.
Housing shortage calls for rule on maximum capacity
Internationals are also put in a vulnerable position with the housing shortage.
They’re struggling more and more to find a home in Amsterdam. Getting an apartment to rent has become a hundred-to-one shot, leaving many to sleep in tents as a last resort.
With high rent prices and house shortages, it’s already becoming unattractive to come to Amsterdam for higher education.
What do you think about UvA’s plan to limit international students? Tell us in the comments below! 👇
It’s called UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM; not University of Foreign Students. A better solution would be to charge non-citizens of the Netherlands €60-€100,000 per year and earmark a substantial portion of this fee to construct dormitories owned and operated by the University.