Dutch universities teach in English. It’s making them too popular.
For Regina Huang, transporting her life from China to the Netherlands for an anthropology degree was a no-brainer.
Many Dutch university classes are taught in English, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most international cities, and the study of anthropology thrives on a diversity of cultures. “And there are quite a lot of [nongovernmental organizations] and consultancies here that are open and value the work of anthropologists,” says Ms. Huang, who is studying for her master’s degree at the University of Amsterdam.
Yet a controversial new education proposal threatens to effectively roll up the Netherlands’ welcome mat.
It would require universities to teach more classes in Dutch and allow certain enrollment caps, thus effectively shrinking the number of students coming in from outside the Netherlands. Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf to address the “unchecked pace of internationalization, both in education, and more broadly, in the
