UM and the political debate on internationalisation

Internationalisation of education, and specifically the intake of international students, is a hot topic in Dutch politics. This will also be the case in early 2023. As the most international university in the country, UM follows developments closely and, in the interest of the university and the region. 

Below you will find all relevant information surrounding the topic.

 

FAQ – International students at UM

Read the answers to the most commonly asked questions

Student communication

  Also read this position paper with information about the UM as Socio-economic powerhouse for the Netherlands in Europe

News

  • Headlines about the rising numbers of international students, a proposed law to better manage that influx, presented by a minister whose cabinet has been ousted ... What does all this mean? What will happen next—and when?

  • The number of young adults in South Limburg continues to decline. The resulting labour shortages could lead to companies abandoning the region. UM’s international student population can offer a lifeline.

  • Last Friday, despite the fall of the cabinet, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science published its Internationalisation in Balance bill. Stakeholders can respond to the bill digitally in an online consultation process lasting until mid-September.

More news items
  • On 15 June, the House of Representatives had the opportunity in the committee debate to respond to earlier proposals by the minister of OCW, around controlling the intake of international students.

  • Recently, UM’s president Rianne Letschert wrote an opinion piece for TH&MA. The journal informs managers, directors and executives at universities and colleges of higher education in both Flanders and the Netherlands about the latest trends in higher education. You can read the opinion piece here....

  • The number of foreign students arriving at Dutch universities will not be restricted, at least for the time being. This is a good thing, according to ongoing research by Carla Haelermans from the School of Business and Economics (SBE) and Patrick Bijsmans from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences...

  • Limiting the number of international students in the Netherlands is a hot topic among Dutch politicians. Maastricht University (UM) has taken a critical stance in this discussion. The university was founded in the 1970s to promote prosperity in the Limburg region—prosperity that has long been...

  • The Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Robbert Dijkgraaf, intends to take a number of concrete steps to improve the management of international students coming to the Netherlands.

  • In the near future, minister Dijkgraaf will submit proposals to the Lower House to limit the intake of international students in Dutch education. Employers in Limburg are very concerned about the impact on border regions like ours. We as the joint Brightlands campuses, together with representatives...

  • International students are a continuous subject of discussion as minister Dijkgraaf is about to announce his plans regarding the official language to be used in study programmes (Dutch or English) and the influx of foreign students. What do they themselves think about these issues? At the invitation...

  • Politicians in The Hague are burdening Maastricht University with a huge problem if Dutch is to be given a (too) dominant position in (most) bachelor’s programmes. This would jeopardise the role of the university – founded at the time to provide the province with a new impulse and a new future after...

  • Read more on the emergency debate on increase in international students. For now the suspension of active recruitment remains in force.

  • Internationalisation of education, and specifically the intake of international students, is a hot topic in Dutch politics. This will also be the case in early 2023. As the most international university in the country, UM follows developments closely and, in the interest of the university and the...

  • The new UM president, and former rector magnificus, Rianne Letschert leaves no room for doubt. She is delighted with the choice to profile the university as the European university of the Netherlands. Maastricht University forms an international and predominantly European community in a region...