Tilburg University’s reaction to the Parliamentary debate on Internationalization

Dutch MPS are greatly worried about the fast growing numbers of international students studying in the Netherlands and the impact on, among other things, the availability of student accommodation and on Dutch as an academic language. The Minister of Education presented his plans during the Parliamentary debate on internationalization in higher education on Thursday, June 15.

Tilburg University wants to emphasize that our international community is a valued and integral part of our community. We agree that it is a good thing to encourage informed decisions on the use of English as a language of instruction. However, we are skeptical of the legislative changes and measures proposed by the Minister and the impact they may have on our staff and students and ultimately on the quality of our teaching and research. We must also ensure that we do not jeopardize our strong international position of high-quality educational and research institutions.

Concerns and worries

The discussions on internationalization have raised many questions and concerns among our national and international students and staff. As the Executive Board and Deans, we want to emphasize that we cherish and foster our international community. These developments do not affect current students or their programs. We will continue to closely monitor the developments, stand up for our interests, and try to exercise influence on the further development of the Minister's plans. In the Fall, more will become clear about any changes, that will probably not take effect until September 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact us at internationaliseringsdiscussie@tilburguniversity.edu. More information on the ramifications for Tilburg University will be communicated when it becomes available.

For more information, we also refer to the website of UNL (Universities of the Netherlands).