More balanced internationalisation in higher education
Eindhoven News | September 27, 2019
A recent Interministerial Policy Review (IBO) warns that internationalisation could threaten the funding, quality and accessibility of education. To restore the balance, the government wants to introduce stricter rules on the language of instruction, raise fees for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and make it possible to restrict the intake on courses taught in a language other than Dutch. These measures are part of the Language and Accessibility Bill, which builds on the IBO recommendations on internationalisation in higher education. The cabinet has approved education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven’s proposal to submit the bill to the House of Representatives. ‘Internationalisation in higher education is a boon for our knowledge economy, the private sector and the job market. Long may this continue!’ Ms van Engelshoven said. ‘However, research shows that the proliferation of foreign students and courses taught in English is putting too much pressure on higher education here. There’s a real risk that the system will soon be unable to cope with the numbers of new students.