Social Science Matters: Internationalization
International education in the Netherlands is under pressure. There is pressure on the student housing market, and there is a greater desire among right-wing parties to keep our education and students within the borders and to make studies Dutch-language. In these social matters we look at what international education and students bring us. And what the pitfalls are.
How does English-language education work for students whose native language is not English? An international classroom, with different languages, backgrounds and cultures, how does that work? And will we get more global cooperation and knowledge exchange through international studies? What are the consequences if we start doing everything in Dutch again?
Internationalization adds value to various courses
- Igor Boog, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology
We understand and share the concerns about problems with the increase in the number of (international) students, in particular with regard to problems with accommodation, the problem that some study programmes cannot cope with a large increase and the fact that some study programmes are not waiting for large groups of international students.
However, these problems should not be solved by limiting the number of international students in general. After all, there are programmes where internationalisation is of great value. For the labour market, but also in terms of content and didactics. The programme Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CAOS) is a good example.
Our (CAOS) students learn to understand and investigate how people interpret the world and how people behave. To this end, it is essential that students learn to recognise that different (groups of) people interpret the world in different ways. In this respect, it is not enough for students to learn that aspects of their own worldview are not necessarily shared by others: they must also learn to question their own worldview. And it goes without saying: the more diverse the group of students is, the better students can be enabled to develop these skills.
"'Culture' is dynamic and is constantly being created, maintained and changed by people together."
At the same time as developing these skills, our students also develop other insights essential to our discipline. For instance, our students learn that the idea of 'cultures' as relatively fixed, static and place-bound (an idea that was unfortunately brought into the world partly by cultural anthropologists), is an outdated idea that unfortunately still causes quite a few misunderstandings. 'Culture' is dynamic and is constantly being created, maintained and changed by people together. Studying with an international group of students can be very helpful in developing this understanding.
And finally, the labour market. Organisations increasingly demand employees who are able to work in groups of people from different (cultural) backgrounds, interpreting context and the perspectives of others. This is exactly what our students learn, as these are essential skills for any anthropologist. And it is of great added value that our students develop these skills in a study environment that reflects the diverse and complex world in which they will also have to find their way after their studies.
Exclusively Dutch?
- Ruthie Pliskin & Gert-Jan Lelieveld, Psychology
The proposed policy changes to limit English-language teaching in Dutch universities have not yet been finalized, and are not expected to go into full effect for at least five years. Nonetheless, their effects can already be felt across Dutch academic institutions, with internal discussion centering on the financial impacts of the changes and what they mean for international students. Virtually absent from the discussion are international staff, despite the potential far-reaching consequences for this group. And this group is worried. Official university communication has yet to address the impacts for international staff, but the ongoing discussions generate feelings of stress, uncertainty, insecurity about their future at the university, and even feelings of exclusion.
"Research shows that lack of voice and representation exacerbates feelings of social exclusion."
This means that, for this group, the impacts are already very present. Otherness is always a potential predictor of social exclusion, and in fact international staff may already face language-related challenges to joining committees and boards, meaning they are often excluded from decision-making. Research shows that such lack of voice and representation exacerbates feelings of social exclusion, which in turn threaten people’s fundamental needs of belongingness, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. Moreover, when decision-making is fundamentally related to international staff’s future—as in the case of internationalization—the felt exclusion is augmented by anxieties that the group’s needs are not properly being considered. To restore a sense of inclusion and voice for international staff, the discussion needs to change: Not only should the ramifications for this group be actively considered and communicated, but this groups needs to be actively represented at all level of policy, which include decision making as well as communication.
For now, all this group can turn to are rumors, and such rumors can be ominous. An apt illustration came last week, when a tweet about the proposed policy spread like wildfire. The tweet stated that faculty members—even tenured ones—could be fired under the new regulations for not meeting new language requirements. Is this the case? Better, more inclusive decision making and communication would allow staff from all background to know the answer, and prepare accordingly.
The benefits of internationalised education for international relations
- Matthew DiGiuseppe & Hilde van Meegdenburg, Political Science
International Relations scholars often talk of ‘soft power’, the ability of countries to pursue their national interests through cultural linkages and exchange. Rather than through coercion, soft power works through cooptation and by getting others to accept and adopt your ideas and premises. International education is a key form of soft power that many countries attempt to foster. While many countries struggle to develop international education for this purpose, in part thanks to Brexit, the Netherlands has been fortunate to increase its soft power via a boom in international students.
All international education brings soft power benefits as international students export values abroad. But the benefits are particularly clear in International Relations programs like the IRO-program. This is how it works on a practical level: the students in FSW's International Relations and Organisations (IRO) programme, both Dutch and International, will be tomorrow’s diplomats and international bureaucrats. While many students may return to their home countries, they will bring home warm feelings of the Netherlands and maintain their networks of Dutch classmates. Years down the line, these networks will make it easier for Dutch diplomats and bureaucrats to find common ground and relate to their colleagues across borders. Their counterparts will have a better understanding of the Dutch but also develop strong connections as alumni of the same program. This will reduce the potential for misunderstanding that often scuttles international cooperation and will open new avenues for joint gains.
While it will be difficult to quantify the value of this soft power, there is strong evidence that ties developed in university have a strong impact on our careers and that interpersonal contact is a critical factor in international diplomacy. Consequently, and somewhat selfishly, this “soft power” facilitates Dutch national interests and prosperity.
"Many students prefer an English language education in International Relations given it is the language of the job market."
International Relations scholars also make clear that power is relative. If your power diminishes, another country's power increases. If the Government gives up on international education, they risk ceding this soft power to others. Many students prefer an English language education in International Relations given it is the language of the job market. We have observed this preference within our own Institute. Our Dutch students have voted with their feet by enrolling in the IRO-program rather than our Dutch-language alternative. If the government eliminates these programs, we are likely to see both Dutch and international students choose Spain (IE University), France (Sciences Po), and Italy (LUISS). The "soft power" advantage will then transfer to them.
It is clear that housing is under stress because Baby Boomers are living longer and Millennials have entered the housing market in full force. While blaming international students for the failure in housing politics will have short-term political benefits for politicians looking for headlines, it is important to recognize the long-term costs.
Social Science Matters– a soapbox for social scientists
Social Science Matters is an online variant on London’s famous Speakers’ Corner – a platform for the researchers in the various disciplines in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to react to the news. This soapbox gives the social scientists of the faculty the opportunity to voice their opinions on current affairs from the point of view of their own areas of expertise.