The university must be international, UvA academics argue in book
Internationalisation at Dutch universities is on the decline. And that is at the expense of the quality of education and research, academics argue in the book Universitas: Why Higher Education Must Be International, which will be launched on Tuesday at Spui25. An interview with UvA professor of political science and international relations Annette Freyberg-Inan, who compiled the book.
Waarom moest het boek er komen?
‘Ik was altijd in de veronderstelling dat iedereen snapt dat hoger onderwijs van nature internationaal moet zijn, omdat het erom gaat om overal de beste kennis vandaan te halen. Het lijkt me bijvoorbeeld heel onlogisch om te vermoeden dat in een klein land als Nederland alle kennis en kunde verzameld is die je nodig hebt.’
‘Tot ik terecht kwam in een managementpositie op de UvA, als directeur van de Graduate School of Social Sciences. Toen hoorde ik allerlei kanttekeningen, vraagtekens bij het nut van de international classroom tot zorgen over het verlies van de Nederlands taal. Daarnaast is het politieke klimaat de afgelopen jaren steeds kritischer geworden op internationalisering in het hoger onderwijs. Met de Wet Internationalisering in Balans (WIB) die ons boven het hooft hangt is dit het moment om de discussie te voeren.’
Internationalisering staat dus onder druk. Wat merk je daar zelf van?
‘Het is lastig om de gevolgen van de WIB en de bezuinigingen los van elkaar te zien, maar wat ik zie is dat bij veel opleidingen aan de UvA het aantal buitenlandse studenten afneemt, omdat ze worden afgeschrikt door de discussie die hier speelt en de woningnood. Ook zie ik de enorme zorgen bij internationale collega’s of ze hier straks nog een baan hebben als van ze verwacht wordt dat ze in het Nederlands les gaan geven. Zij hebben niet meer het gevoel dat ze hier veilig carrière kunnen maken en kijken om zich heen.’
Why is the international university under pressure?
“Every time the right comes to power, think of Hungary and the US, internationalisation comes under pressure because the ideals of openness and pluralism (the idea that there are multiple beliefs existing side by side, ed.) that underlie it are not right-wing ideals but liberal ideas. The centrist parties such as VVD and D66 go relatively far in that right wing discourse in the Netherlands. That is what I find most incomprehensible.”
Why is internationalisation so important?
“Internationalisation broadens your horizons. It comes from the ancient idea that you should seek knowledge and insights. Why would you expect it to be right there in front of you? When the universities were founded in the Middle Ages, it was completely self-evident that as a theologian you had to go to Heidelberg or Lausanne to study.”
“It only became abnormalised when nation states emerged and reinterpreted universities as production sites for their own national elite. After the Second World War, the international idea was given a boost once again. Now we have entered an era in which this is being reversed in many places.
“We also see that the quality of education is improving enormously thanks to international students. It is a conscious choice to study in a foreign country, which means that the students who come here are more motivated. And even as a student in the Netherlands, their arrival exposes you to other perspectives, which benefits you.”
At the same time, internationalisation also brings problems. English is increasingly becoming the working language at the university, which would put Dutch students at a disadvantage.
“Studying in English can indeed be an extra difficulty for a Dutch student, but in the end it is also a huge advantage in the labour market. But I don’t think we should only offer education in English, but always in Dutch as well.”
The cabinet wants to offer courses exclusively in Dutch, unless there is a good reason to teach in English. This would ensure that international students are more likely to stay in the Netherlands after their studies. That is important, because otherwise the taxpayer pays for the education of foreigners who take their expertise back to their own country.
“All studies that have examined the costs and benefits of international students for the Dutch economy have shown that we benefit from the presence of international students. They spend money and work during their studies. International students serve you in all the cafes, restaurants and bars in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam economy would collapse completely if foreign students left. Not to mention that foreign students also improve the quality of education by their presence and in some cases stay after their studies.”
At the same time, the Amsterdam housing market is overcrowded. Would it not be logical to say: Dutch students first?
“If you are concerned about the housing shortage in Amsterdam, you should start by refusing all foreign real estate investors. It is the property investors who are driving up house prices in Amsterdam. They buy houses, renovate them and then sell them or put them on AirBnB. The housing shortage is there because houses are often investments. In my own neighbourhood, de Pijp, I constantly see houses standing empty because renting them out to students is often too much trouble because sometimes the house has to be rebuilt for that and it does not yield enough. And the profit made by the investors leaves the country.”
Could there also be too many international students?
“That is certainly possible. But we have not yet reached that point in the social sciences. If you have so many international students in your lecture that you no longer know where you are, then it has gone too far. We have always had a guideline that half of the students must remain Dutch.”
What could a reduction in internationalisation lead to?
“We are seeing a decline in the willingness to cooperate with other countries in international politics and a return to strong nation states. The reduction of internationalisation at universities is part of this. When people cooperate less, they understand each other less. Then you are much more inclined to interpret the behaviour of others as hostile. Ultimately, a situation like that can lead to world war.”
Who should read this book?
“Anyone who wonders why we have all these international students. They should read this book.”
Tuesday 25 February at 17.00 is the book launch in Spui25 with a discussion about internationalisation in the Netherlands.
