Dutch universities are taking their own measures to rebalance internationalisation in higher education. They will target the intake of international students more directly and aim to make the Dutch language more prominent in bachelor’s programmes. Additionally, for selected English tracks a numerus fixus will be introduced. This approach allows universities to grow in programmes that educate students for sectors with labour market shortages. With these self-imposed measures, universities provide an alternative to the unfeasible non-Dutch-taught programme assessment (TAO), which is part of the current draft Internationalisation in Balance bill (Wet Internationalisering in Balans, WIB). A key condition for carrying out these measures is that the TAO will not apply to existing programmes.
Caspar van den Berg, president of Universities of the Netherlands (UNL): “We are taking our responsibility by expanding the offering of Dutch-taught programmes and reducing the intake of international bachelor’s students in selected large international programmes. This creates room for growth in programmes that educate students for major labour market shortages. At the same time, we are taking the specific needs of regions experiencing population decline and border areas into account.” A key condition for these university- led measures is that the Parliament removes the mandatory non-Dutch-taught programme assessment (TAO) for existing programmes from the proposed bill, limiting its application to new bachelor's programmes only. The TAO, as currently proposed is too restrictive and threatens to disrupt the diversity of academic programmes while undermining the educational, research, and labour market benefits that internationalisation provides. Moreover, the announcement of the TAO alone has already created uncertainty among current and prospective staff and students, deterring international talent that the Netherlands urgently needs.
Further measures
The measures presented go beyond the package introduced by universities in February 2024 and reflect new political and financial realities. These steps aim to rebalance internationalisation at universities, leading to a reduction of approximately 2,000 international bachelor’s students next academic year compared to the peak in 2022/2023, when nearly 19,000 enrolled.
Psychology in the Randstad to be taught in Dutch
A significant portion of psychology bachelor's programmes, including all those in the Randstad, will be offered in Dutch. Psychology programmes in border areas and regions experiencing a population decline will remain bilingual, reflecting the needs of those areas and the preferences of a majority in the Dutch Parliament (Tweede Kamer). Additionally, several bachelor’s programmes in economics and business administration will set a maximum (numerus fixus) for their English-taught tracks, with some programmes being converted to Dutch. The existing numerus fixus for psychology will remain. Universities will coordinate the maximum for both psychology and economics, aiming to manage student intake and capacity issues more effectively, while minimising any unwanted 'waterbed' effects.
Consequences for VU Amsterdam
VU Amsterdam has also committed to taking additional measures. The intention is to discontinue the English-taught track of the Bachelor's programme in Psychology. In addition, there are plans to convert the English-taught Biomedical Sciences programme into a Dutch-taught one. A decision had already been made earlier to discontinue the English-taught track of the Theology and Religious Studies programme. The participation council will be involved in the decision-making process.
Chair of the Executive Board Margrethe Jonkman acknowledges that the plans are far-reaching for both lecturers and students of the programmes. "This intention is the result of a thorough and careful process, aimed at jointly formulating a sector-wide response to the mandatory TAO for universities. This decision was anything but easy, precisely because it affects students and staff.”
Biomedical Sciences
For Biomedical Sciences, there is an intention to switch the language of instruction to Dutch. The Faculty Board has already decided to lift the numerus fixus for this programme. With this measure, we aim to improve accessibility for Dutch students. The expectation is that total enrolment will increase slightly, thereby ensuring the desired contribution to addressing the labour market shortage in this sector.
Next Steps
Based on the outcomes of the national consultation, the Executive Board will enter into discussions with the faculties and the participation council to translate the results into concrete plans. It is therefore still unclear when the measures will take effect. We will keep staff and students of the affected programmes well informed about possible next steps. For students currently enrolled in Biomedical Sciences and the English-taught track of the bachelor's in psychology, nothing will change. The same applies to students starting Biomedical Sciences or the English-taught track of Psychology in the upcoming academic year. They will be able to start and complete their studies in English.
Read the full statement from Universities of the Netherlands here.