#13 The State of Dutch Higher Education: From Boom to Bust

I have been living in the Netherlands for almost 10 years, and during this time, I have seen its higher education sector, where I am employed, transform significantly. The sector has shifted from substantial growth, driven by internationalization and openness to foreign students and researchers, to a grim period marked by spending cuts and backlash against internationalization. How did we get here?

The Netherlands is a relatively small and wealthy country where most people speak good English. It is well-run (crossing the border into Belgium and noticing the bumps and potholes in the road immediately highlights the differences) and has a long-standing tradition of economic and cultural openness, dating back to the Enlightenment. In line with this tradition, the Dutch university sector has been exceptionally open to foreign talent. The ability to teach in English, especially at the master’s level, has enabled a significant international workforce to find employment in Dutch universities. Moreover, several universities have developed English-taught bachelor’s programs, attracting a significant number of international students. By 2023, 48% of academic staff in Dutch universities were of foreign origin, up from 19% twenty years earlier. Meanwhile, 25% of university students were international, and this has increased significantly in recent years, especially at the bachelor level.

Dutch higher education appealed to international staff not only because of the opportunity to teach in English but also due to the high standard of living and relative job security after completing a PhD. Unlike Germany, where early-career academics often face years of insecurity (as wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter (research associate) or Vertretungsprofessor (interim Professor), in the Netherlands, it was possible to secure a permanent contract as an assistant professor relatively soon after earning a PhD.

This was the context in which I arrived in the Netherlands from the UK in 2015. There were personal reasons behind my move—I already had a permanent position at a good UK university—but independent of those, the Netherlands seemed like a good place to be an academic. It appeared to be in a period of growth and openness.

At that time, the Dutch higher education system was rapidly expanding and internationalizing. There were ample funding opportunities, and many universities were launching new programs and hiring staff for English-taught courses. Even in bachelor's programs taught in Dutch, there was some flexibility to include English-taught courses. Between 2015 and 2023, the number of people employed in Dutch universities increased by 40%, with ...