The student number projections were recently shared with the University Council. Growth in bachelor’s programmes is expected to come mainly from Dutch students. For bachelor’s students from the European Economic Area (EEA) – the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – a cap of 3,150 is assumed as a consequence of “self-regulation” measures on internationalisation agreed upon by all universities in the Netherlands. No such limit applies to European students enrolling in master’s programmes.
Dutch
The projection that more Dutch students will choose to study in Limburg is surprising, given the decline in the number of secondary school students in pre-university education across the Netherlands. Where did this ambitious idea come from? That was the question raised last week during the University Council meeting at which the policy paper was discussed.
UM believes it may prove to be an exception, pointing to the housing shortages affecting many universities in the western Netherlands as well as “targeted measures at the programme level to increase Dutch enrolment”. One example is Psychology, a programme with restricted intake. From this year onwards, the selection procedure will involve two ranking lists – one for the English-taught track and one for the Dutch-taught track. Previously, both tracks shared a single ranking list.
Communication tone
Looking ahead, the university’s focus is on growth in Venlo and Heerlen. In Heerlen, the new Urban Sustainability Studies programme – offered by Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE), an alliance of European universities and non-academic organisations – will launch after the summer. In the longer term, the programme is expected to attract around ninety students. The planned interdisciplinary Dutch degree in Governance, Law and Society will likely also be based in Heerlen.
Venlo is expected to take in around 275 students by 2031, mostly in the Sustainable Bioscience programme and a smaller share at University College Venlo.
The memo also briefly addresses the question of what will happen if the number of EEA applicants exceeds the agreed-upon cap of 3,150. The situation will be monitored closely, and adjustments will be made if necessary, for example by sticking to (payment) deadlines more strictly and "adjusting the tone of communication towards prospective students".