Cancelling English

The Limburg community in the Netherlands issued a warning letter, arguing that eliminating English education in Dutch universities will have drastic outcomes.

The Dutch Universities Association recently published a study, revealing that one in three Bachelor’s degree students in the Netherlands are foreigners and that 30 per cent of the courses are taught in English.

The Ministry´ s spokesperson recently stated that the Education Minister, Robbert Dijkgraaf, aims to “create a balance between the value of internationalisation on the one hand, and the accessibility to this education on the other.” 

Universities across the country have been developing self-regulation plans, “promoting Dutch language skills”, said the spokesperson.

The Maastricht University in Limburg, however, opposed the regulations. 

“Students are the solution, not the problem here in Limburg. We need foreign students to keep functioning,” stated Andre Postema from the Zuyd Hogeschool. 

According to the warning letter, Maastricht University faces the loss of €1 billion and 4,500 jobs, if the international students abandon the country.