© Guy Ackermans
Due to the impending Brexit, many English students are afraid to come to Wageningen, says Ingrid Hijman, head of the Student Service Centre. They do not want to risk having to pay 18,000 euros in tuition fees. Hijman: ‘I have no idea how many of them will come.’
The number of registrations of new international students is only known at the start of the academic year. WUR works with the estimate that half of the European students who register will actually study in Wageningen. Of the students who register from outside the EU, WUR expects 20% to come. If this estimate turns out to be correct, there will be 930 international first‑year students at the university next academic year, just as many as last year.
Nuffic
This means that the expected growth in the number of international students as a consequence the new English-language Bachelor’s programmes in Wageningen seems to be smaller than expected. Hijman even fears a decrease in international students. Brexit is not the only factor that is inhibiting the arrival of international students. Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, is facing cuts and will close its ten regional offices in various countries, including China, Indonesia and Mexico. These offices provide international students with information about Dutch higher education.