Towards a typology of Dutch higher education

In early 2006, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science asked Nuffic to work with VSNU (the Association of Universities in the Netherlands) and HBO-raad (the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences) to produce a typological description of Dutch higher education institutions that would do justice to their great and growing diversity. The idea was that a nomenclature for institutions would automatically emerge from this typology.

However, the representative bodies of the institutions failed from the outset to agree on even the basic nomenclature for the typology, and this then led to the breakdown of the entire process. The underlying problem is a difference of opinion between VSNU and HBO-raad about the English names that should be used to distinguish hogescholen from universities.

In 1999, Nuffic had been instructed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to refer to hogescholen in English as universities of professional education, and it has done so since then. However, the term does appear to have suffered a devaluation in the international context. At the start of 2006, HBO-raad took a decision that would allow multi-disciplinary hogescholen to call themselves universities of applied sciences.

VSNU, however, believes that hogescholen should not be allowed to call themselves universities at all, regardless of any further qualification. The qualification ‘of applied sciences’ is regarded by VSNU as incorrect within the current binary system, because hogescholen are not officially engaged in research. Yet, believes VSNU, the term applied sciences implies that they do. The hogescholen, on the other hand, argue that they are now increasingly involved in applied research, and that this has in fact now become an inseparable part of the professional segment of the higher education sector. Furthermore, many hogescholen also award master’s degrees, an award which in many countries is the sole reserve of universities.

Given the impasse, Nuffic felt it had no other option than to let the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science know that it was unable to continue working on the production of the typology of higher education institutions in the Netherlands under the current circumstances. Given our marketing and information activities, Nuffic then decided to use the term university of applied sciences in its information materials unless it heard otherwise from the ministry.

In early April, Nuffic was instructed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to continue using the term university of professional education. At the same time, it was announced that Nuffic could expect an assignment to produce a typology of Dutch higher education institutions. This time, Nuffic will be given more time to produce the typology so that we can make full use of all the expertise available in the Netherlands.

Until further notice, Nuffic will therefore be using the term universities of professional education to distinguish the hogescholen from the universities.
For more information, please contact Nuffic by phone: +31 70 426 02 00, or by e-mail: info@nuffic.nl

Source: NUFFIC, 29 June 2006