More instability in the Netherlands, I’m afraid. On April 8, 2025 the Dutch Senate voted to support cutbacks to education and science by €500 million. This is just another layer of strife in this country, where education (including English-taught university programs for international students) has been navigating seismic shifts and government threats.

Here is an article link: https://www.universiteitenvannederland.nl/en/current/news/education-cuts-passed-universities-go-to-court

Dutch universities are continuing to resist, strike and protest, and now with this latest measure, universities are taking legal action.

Deep concerns over the impact on the number of international students (and talented academic staff), on global standing of these Dutch universities, and on internationalization in general are being voiced at every level of academia.

What this means for prospective students looking to attend English-taught degree programs in the Netherlands is that there is volatility within the Dutch university system, programs being dropped or limited for international students, university staff lay-offs, and with this in mind, prospective students need to take this instability and unpredictability into consideration when looking at programs here.