Dutch Universities

Public universities who are allegedly admitting international students with sub-standard qualifications will have to answer for their actions before the end of the month. This follows months of pressure from Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences on the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, which was eventually also picked up by MPs in parliament. Many of these students are from China and Russia. WUAS first brought the issue to the Minister's attention in May 2018, and formally complained in May 2019.

The BBC News website carried an article 31 October concerning the issue of English in Dutch universities – a hot topic currently being debated also at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences. "Dutch Language Besieged by English at the Unis", the title reads.

There are growing reasons why students choose to study abroad, and the result is, particularly in the Netherlands, that this year has seen an influx of international students enrolling - 10,000 more than usual, according to NUFFIC, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has itself seen a 50% increase in enrolments from last year. The question is, then, what attracts so many students to Dutch universities?