The parliament motion on recruiting foreign students needs to be more nuanced
Saxion argues that a more nuanced approach is needed to the Dutch parliament’s intention to limit the recruiting of international students. Applied universities have voiced their concern about a motion that has been passed which stops the recruiting of foreign students until the minister responsible comes forward with new measures to deal with internationalisation.
Internationalization is of great value to our education and of extra importance to some regions. In the Eastern-Netherlands international students are important to the tight labour market which due to population decline, is facing a decrease in the number of young professionals in the coming years.
Attracting and educating Dutch and foreign students is important in continuing to meet the demand for sufficient labour resources in the region, points out Anka Mulder, President of the Executive Board. “While studying students become acquainted with the regional labour market. Due to the increasing demand for talent there are lots of job opportunities in many sectors for foreign students after graduation. For example in ICT and technology. Particularly in regions of demographic decline, international students are vital in combatting labour shortages.” Saxion misses this nuance in the debate surrounding internationalisation. There is absolutely no question of any competition with Dutch students for study places.
Accommodation
Just like other applied universities, Saxion recognises the importance of housing for international students. By working closely with other educational institutions, local authorities and student housing providers is in the Eastern Netherlands quickly responded to the increasing demand for housing. Saxion has so far been able to offer good help to its international students in finding suitable accommodation. In a number of other regions, this remains a problem for the time being.