Fewer international students coming to Groningen would be detrimental to the city, said Tjeerd van Dekken (PvdA), a board member of the Provincial Executive of Groningen.
GIC reported that the board is wary of the Dutch government’s plans to limit the number of international students in the country. Van Dekken said this could be detrimental for places like Groningen, which relies on internationals to thrive academically and economically
On Wednesday during a seminar on the new Government Budget, the Provincial Executive reacted to the plans.
“We have to be very cautious about that. Because if fewer international students come to Groningen, that would be bad for the labour market and education. It would be crazy if we didn’t want any more international students in Groningen,” van Dekken said.
According to the board member, the job market is incredibly tight and Groningen needs international talent to fill the gaps. “We really need everyone here for high-quality positions in the economy,” van Dekken argued.
The new plans also included a massive budget cut in academia and research, which the University of Groningen will undoubtedly be affected by and has endorsed protests against.
