Nikola Edelsztejn | Why doesn't the UvA invest in language studies – while Leiden does?
The fact that language and culture enthusiasts can pursue their passions in Leiden but not at the UvA is astonishing, thinks columnist Nikola Edelsztejn. “How globally minded is the UvA, really, when the study of the world’s cultural foundations is being hollowed out by budget cuts, and we have allowed ourselves to be outpaced by what is, after all, a rather conservative stronghold?”
Anyone in the Netherlands who wishes to study a non-Western region in depth is unlikely to end up at the UvA. Although the university can rightly be described as the most international in the country, that international outlook is scarcely reflected in its range of language and area studies programmes. This is particularly striking at a time when the dominance of the West and Western languages is steadily declining, and attention is increasingly shifting toward the Global South—a part of the world for which our academic offerings remain remarkably limited.
Of the ten most widely spoken languages in the world, only four are represented by dedicated programmes at the UvA: English, Spanish, Modern Standard Arabic and French. When we add the remaining six languages on the list – together spoken by roughly 2.8 billion people – the gaps become impossible to ignore. These languages are Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian and Urdu.
All six are primarily associated with countries outside the Western world—indeed, to associate Portuguese exclusively with Portugal would betray a certain degree of naivety. Yet none of these languages can be studied at the UvA. Instead, their Dutch academic home lies fifty kilometres away in Leiden. In addition to offering nine of the ten most widely spoken languages on earth, Leiden also provides programmes in Swahili, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Turkish, Sanskrit and Tibetan. The only notable omission is Bengali.
Global awareness
For anyone passionate about languages and cultures, Leiden is a playground. This is all the more remarkable given that it lacks the progressive and international reputation so often associated with the UvA. How globally aware can the UvA claim to be when the study of the world's cultural foundations is being dismantled through budget cuts and we have been thoroughly outmanoeuvred by a university often regarded as more traditional and conservative?
"There is no money, so we cut the humanities" might as well be carved into the marble walls of the university's boardrooms—assuming, of course, there is still money for marble. The administration has certainly been effective: the humanities are on life support, students and staff are left improvising ventilation in ageing buildings, and a trip to the pub next door is often the most reliable route to a functioning toilet.
The recent report by the Dutch Education Inspectorate, published alongside the results of the National Student Survey, revealed another uncomfortable truth: even the area studies programmes that still exist do not always meet the highest academic standards. Students of Scandinavian Studies, for example, who may specialise in Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, are not required to write their thesis in their target language because the intended proficiency level is considered unattainable. This concerns languages that are arguably closer to Dutch than Italian, French or Spanish – languages in which students are expected to produce an academic thesis.
Lowering expectations
The near-sacred status accorded to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) also reflects a surprisingly low estimation of students’ capabilities. Students of Modern Greek or Slavic languages, for instance, are apparently not expected to progress beyond B1 level after three years of study – a level Dutch secondary-school students are generally expected to reach in German and French before entering university.
The departments themselves deserve no blame for this situation. On the contrary, the National Student Survey shows that students are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of teaching, the commitment and expertise of lecturers, and the atmosphere within their programmes. In many respects, these departments are excellent vessels navigating exceptionally rough seas.
What troubles me is that internationalisation at the UvA increasingly seems to function as a suction cup: something that must come from the outside in the form of international students, rather than from within through students who seek to understand societies beyond Europe and contribute to genuine intellectual diversity on campus.
European area studies remain valuable, and it is encouraging that what survives of them is generally of high quality. Yet for countries such as India, Brazil and China, Europe is first and foremost a political, economic and military partner—or competitor. In that context, Europe's linguistic diversity matters little if we have made no serious effort to understand the languages and cultures of those with whom we engage.
According to the 2024 Eurobarometer, fewer than five percent of Europeans consider Hindi an important language for the future. Portuguese, Bengali and Indonesian scored similarly low. This tells us something important: the Global South is still not widely regarded as either a serious competitor or an equal partner within European linguistic and cultural thinking.
Universities have a responsibility to challenge that perspective—not merely through rhetoric, but through action. Europe no longer occupies the undisputed centre of the world. And our decline will only accelerate if we make no effort to better understand the societies that increasingly shape the future.
Dependency
To a large extent, the European Union still views the rest of the world through a distinctly European lens—one shaped by both power and anxiety. We are eager to maintain good relations with China because we have become deeply dependent on it, yet countries such as Brazil are often treated merely as useful instruments. This is remarkable considering that Brazil is one of the few nations in the world that is largely self-sufficient in both food and energy production.
European leaders are quick to celebrate international cooperation as a balance between strengthening our own resilience and supporting emerging economies. What is discussed far less openly is the extent to which Europe itself depends on others. Without Congolese minerals, Brazilian agricultural exports and Taiwanese semiconductor chips, Europe would face serious challenges maintaining its current standard of living.
It is therefore time for academia to recognise that language and area studies are not quaint intellectual hobbies or niche academic pursuits. They are essential tools for understanding a rapidly changing world and for safeguarding Europe's position within it. It reflects a considerable degree of naivety to assume that, ten years from now, business leaders in the glass towers of São Paulo will automatically switch to English when European officials arrive seeking more favourable trade conditions.
If Europe wishes to remain relevant—economically, politically and culturally—it must invest in understanding the societies that increasingly shape the global balance of power. That understanding begins with language. It begins with culture. And it begins in universities.
At a moment when the world’s centre of gravity is shifting, reducing investment in language and regional studies is not merely shortsighted; it is a failure to recognise the realities of the twenty-first century. A university that prides itself on being international should lead that conversation, not retreat from it.
The question, then, is not whether the UvA can afford to invest in language and area studies. The question is whether it can afford not to.
