All SSH-universities, except for Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and Open University (OU), are engaged with this theme.
Languages and cultures form the basis of how we think, communicate, and understand the world. Yet language studies in the Netherlands have been under pressure for some time. The number of students in programs such as Dutch, Frisian, and modern foreign languages is declining, and the shortage of first-degree language teachers in secondary education is growing.
The Humanities Sector Plan sets out steps to renew and sustainably strengthen language expertise and educational provision in this area, including by developing broad, interdisciplinary curricula in which language skills play a central role, focusing on national cooperation within the bachelor’s programs in German, French, and Dutch, and broadening access to teacher training programs for a wider group of students.