The dutch higher education system has been known for its practices of internationalization and large numbers of international students and staff. But last November, the end of 2023, the dutch right-wing party became the largest party in the dutch House of Representatives in a snap election, which will likely lead to some big changes. Today I speak with Thijs van Vugt, Director of the Analytics and Consulting Team at Studyportals, who has worked in international higher education for almost 35 years: 16 of these at universities in the Netherlands and the UK and 18 years as a consultant for hundreds of universities around the world, primarily in marketing and recruitment and data analytics and market insights.

0:00 – 1:38: Introduction

1:39 – 10:46: Context – why the Netherlands and Dutch universities want international students, why international students study in the Netherlands

10:47 – 15:29: Dutch politics and policy on international students

15:30 – 24:03: Impacts of policies on Dutch higher education and society

24:04 – 27:30: Perceptions of international students in relation to issues in Dutch higher education and society

27:31 – End: Influential people and experiences in This’s career

Resources:

Christian Fanga and Ilse van Liemptb: ‘We prefer our Dutch’: International students’ housing experiences in the Netherlands