TiU-International concerned about plans for Dutch-taught Bachelor’s programs

Staff Party TiU-International is concerned about the reduction of English-taught education at universities. Every major Bachelor’s degree will have a Dutch-taught variant, and this may have far-reaching consequences for international lecturers. There is especially uncertainty about the pace and scope of the plans.

Brenda Espinosa Apráez, as a member of Party TiU-International in the University Council, is concerned about the plans: ‘We think that international lecturers will have to learn the Dutch language in the short term, at a level where they are also able to teach in that language. But how achievable is that level and in what time frame will it be required? There is still a lot of uncertainty in that.’

Espinosa is trying to gather as much information as possible to serve her grassroot support. She wonders what impact the plans will have on the long-term prospects of international lecturers and staff. ‘But I am also concerned for the additional workload for Dutch lecturers and for the future of academic education as a whole. What will happen next, with Master’s programs, for example?’

Open culture

She also worries about mutual relationships and the open culture at the University: ‘Maybe some colleagues will no longer feel welcome in this environment, and maybe they will even consider leaving the Netherlands. And it will probably also become more difficult to attract new international staff, especially given the tight labor market at the moment.’

The government has long wanted to reduce the internationalization of higher education. In order to stay in control, the universities are pulling together on this issue. TiU-International wants to talk to the Executive Board again to ask what space universities themselves have to take concrete measures, and whether those measures can deviate from national policy in some respects.

Concrete steps

Espinosa: ‘So far, we received great expressions of support from the Executive Board that emphasize the international value of our University, and we are very happy about that. But we are just waiting to see how all these words of support are translated into concrete steps.’

University Council elections are coming up in April. TiU-International is still looking for new members for the University Council and hopes that these developments will encourage international as well as Dutch-speaking staff members to become more active and involved in the work of the University Council.

Translated by Language Center, Riet Bettonviel

_Advertentie.