News

Onderwijs

  • Universities: ‘A blow to our students and staff’

    Onderwijs

    Solid cuts to education and research in general agreement

    Today, the coalition-forming parties presented their general agreement. The cuts to education, research and innovation came as a major shock to universities. These plans will damage the future of young people and the Netherlands. Jouke de Vries, acting president of Universities of the Netherlands: ‘The cuts to education and science are a blow to our students and staff who are already under enormous pressure. Together with the sharp intervention in the international nature of universities, these cuts are harming our ability to provide quality education and carry out research. This does not match the coalition-forming parties’ ambition to strengthen the knowledge economy and earning power of the Netherlands. With these cuts, we are putting the future of our country's youth at stake.’

  • Letter Rectores Magnifici in Trouw

    Onderwijs

    Like many others around the globe, the Dutch universities are deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza and Israel. The horrific attack on 7 October, the uncertain fate of the Israeli hostages, the constantly escalating spiral of violence against the Palestinian civilian population: the images we are seeing shock us daily. We hope that it comes to an end very soon and that the good forces working for hope and peace may once again prevail, including in conflict zones elsewhere in the world.

  • Universities take steps towards more Dutch-taught Bachelor’s programmes

    Onderwijs

    Universities are reducing the percentage of fully English-language undergraduate programmes by almost a third. Universities informed Robbert Dijkgraaf, the minister of Education, Culture and Science, of their plan to introduce a Dutch-taught variant to 35 English-taught Bachelor’s programmes. Jouke de Vries, the acting president of UNL, said: ‘Universities are taking a serious step in terms of balancing out greater internationalisation in education with student intake numbers. In order to do that effectively, we need the support of politicians – at the very least in the form of legal instruments made available in the very near future to be able to control the influx of students.’

  • Growth in intake of international bachelor's students stops

    Onderwijs

    This year saw fewer international students start their Bachelor's degree programmes at Dutch universities than last year. However, due to a mild increase in enrolments in Master's programmes, the international intake as a whole remained stable.

  • Growth in intake of international bachelor's students stops

    Onderwijs

    This year saw fewer international students start their Bachelor's degree programmes at Dutch universities than last year. However, due to a mild increase in enrolments in Master's programmes, the international intake as a whole remained stable. This became clear from preliminary enrolment numbers from Dutch universities. One possible explanation is that universities are focusing less on international recruitment, and have offered more information on the shortage in student housing. Jouke de Vries, UNL Deputy President: "These numbers show that the growth in international intake at universities has stopped. Bachelor's programmes actually saw fewer new international students enrol this year. As such, we urge the government not to take any radical measures that would damage the quality of our education and research."