Reviewing language policy and update Internationalization
In this news item you can read about the language policy revision approach and an update on Internationalization and self-regulation. On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the Executive Board has decided to review Tilburg University’s language policy, which dates from 2017. This has been prompted by current views on our own language policy, new technological solutions, and the anticipation of possible new legislation.
Reviewing the language policy
Tilburg University pursues an inclusive language policy: we are there for our entire academic community. We set great store by Dutch as an academic language and want to focus more attention on this as well when revising our 2017 language policy. A Tilburg University Language Policy core team has been established, and working groups will be formed, representing the wide academic community, to begin shaping the new language policy. Subjects that the working groups will need to address include: administrative language, a target language level for staff, language proficiency requirements for incoming students, a teaching language, a target language level for current students an d graduates. The working groups will take into account any ramifications of the Balanced Internationalisation Act (Wet internationalisering in balans, WIB). With all the uncertainty existing at this point, Tilburg University will continue to generate considerable external attention for implementability and the additional time and money involved. The new language policy is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
Update on Internationalization and self-regulation
All universities have taken the initiative to formulate measures to maintain the added value of internationalization while avoiding adverse effects for the Netherlands. After all, internationalization is of great importance to science, to our economy, and to the future of our students. After being requested to that end by Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), all universities have expressed their initial intentions in line with the package of measures. Tilburg University has initially focused on the possibility of introducing a quota system for English-taught programs and of offering Dutch-taught variants of English-taught programs. Inclusiveness will continue to be the guiding principle.
UNL has processed all input, elaborated it in sector-level documents, and presented these in a letter to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Following the Hertzberger motion (in Dutch), Minister Dijkgraaf has submitted a more detailed outline of the impact and follow-up of the measures to Parliament today. The Deans will now consult on this in national consultations per discipline (domain councils). Their advice will be discussed within the UNL steering group on May 6. Meanwhile, each university will make an implementation plan, to be discussed with the participation bodies at the end of September/beginning of October. Read the UNL news report here.
We will communicate with you again as soon as more information becomes available about the ramifications for Tilburg University. Questions can also be asked via internationaliseringsdiscussie@tilburguniversity.edu.