Wet internationalisering in balans

Reactie

Vraag1

Education in the UK has been internationalised for decades and it has made British universities to become the top in the world. Instead of taking advantage of Brexit and attracting the brightest and best from all over Europe who can no longer afford to study in the UK, the Netherlands now choses to turn them away. This is a purely ideological decision wrapped in "practical terms" such as lecturers being overwhelmed and lecture halls being overcrowded. The real reason is that internationals apparently "dilute" Dutch student culture and are a threat to "how things are". Unfortunately, the Netherlands seems to be bandwagoning on the nationalist trend in Europe which is really sad to see. Openess and tolerance have been some of the core values of the Dutch that made this country one of the best in the world. And it is sad to see these values be undermined by xenophobic attitudes of us vs them. The Netherlands should become a hub for knowledge and innovation, attracting talent to lead the way of science in Europe. Whilst the internationalisation of higher education is indeed a challenge, it is also an opportunity that if done right, can bring so much to the country. Closing the door to foreign students goes against those very Dutch values that made the country thrive throughout history.

Vraag2

Simply raise entry requirements and set a numerus fixus for all study programmes. That way you can ensure you get the brightest and best students who will raise the standard of education in Dutch universities and improve the working conditons for university staff who will now teach students who have worked hard to be there in the first place. University isn't for everyone and having low entry requirements to allow everyone to "have a shot at it" is an idealistic and impractical concept. Students need to earn their place in higher education whether they're Dutch or international. Just passing high school is not an option anymore to pursue higher education in this day and age. The job market is very competitive and university degrees must reflect this by becoming more competitive themselves. If everyone has a degree, then university education will lose its social value.