international students
More than a year after Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences called on Dutch education authorities to look into allegations that recruitment agencies are fast-tracking international students into research universities despite not having a qualification that is equivalent to the national requirement, Wittenborg's claim has now been justified.
The Dutch government set the ball rolling to help prospective international students unable to do an English language test – a prerequisite when applying for a study visa – due to COVID-19 restrictions in many of their home countries. Most students do an IELTS or TOEFL at a test centre, but as many of these centres around the world have closed, students found themselves stuck. The Dutch department of education is now working on a solution with the National Commission for the Code of Conduct for International Students in Dutch Higher Education that might enable students to do the test online.
The second annual Students and Staff Conference at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences took place this week. The unique event gave both parties the opportunity to gather and discuss a range of education topics from their points of view. These topics included the overall teaching quality, learning facilities and tools, student accommodation, non-curricular activities, and issues that are on the rise like student mental health.
Alumni are the most reliable source of information for prospective international students wanting to study in Europe and the UK, results from a new survey has shown. This relates to accuracy of life as a student in these countries, but also about job opportunities.
While public universities in the Netherlands will likely have to justify why they offer programmes in English in the future, no such obligation will rest on private institutions like Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, the Dutch minister of education, culture and science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, assured Parliament this week.
While Dutch universities continue to spend huge amounts of public funds on recruiting international students, any attempts by the government to curb their numbers will be futile, Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng warned in an interview published in the November issue of Onderwijsblad, a publication of the AOb - the Netherlands’ biggest teachers' union.
The number of VWO students in the Netherlands starting a Dutch university study remains more or less the same, while the influx of international students continues to grow. This year 20 percent of university students come from abroad.
A survey among international students and alumni at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has indicated that they deem the current orientation year for graduates to look for a job in the Netherlands insufficient. More than 70% favour a 2-year post-graduation work visa instead.
Students from Wittenborg Amsterdam showed off their debating skills against a group of American students who are on a short-term, study-abroad programme at the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije Universiteit.
