Netherlands Wants to Draw Quality Rather than High Quantities of International Students

In an effort to dispel perceptions that international students in the Netherlands are mere 'cash cows' instead of a welcome addition to the Dutch student population, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in higher education, Nuffic, now wants to embark on a strategy which favours quality students above sheer quantity. 

NESO Representatives Visit Wittenborg

This is according to Bert Husson, deputy director of Nuffic’s eduation support office (Neso) in China. Husson visited Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences this week along with colleagues from Neso Mexico, Neso South Korea and Neso Vietnam.

Figures published at the end of April showed the share of international students in the Netherlands has risen from 10.5% to 11.5% the past academic year. They now stand at 85,955, representing 170 different nationalities. Neighbouring country Germany supplies the highest number of international students (22,584) to the Netherlands, followed by Italy (4,814) and China (4,547).

Husson told Wittenborg’s chair of the executive board, Peter Birdsall, and CEO, Maggie Feng, that the focus will be on quality and diversity as well as outbound mobility. The Dutch lag far behind other European countries when it comes to local students choosing to study abroad. “Our aim is the positioning of the Dutch knowledge field.”

Husson was commenting in response to Birdsall, who in his presentation on Wittenborg said the number of students is expected to pass the 1,000 mark this year, and measures are in place to ensure they attract the best and most highly motivated students.

WUP 29/6/2019
by James Wittenborg
©WUAS Press