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We’re excited to announce a new Special Interest Group (SIG) funded by our focus area, led by Özge Bilgili and Ajay Bailey. This SIG will focus on student mobility, a topic of growing significance in the Netherlands as international student numbers rise, drawing attention from Dutch politicians. Some are calling for measures to limit international student intake, establish Dutch as the primary language for all bachelor’s programs, and even link international students to the housing shortage. While international students can also address the labor market needs of the country. A complex situation which resonates with many other European countries and beyond.

Focusing on both the traditional and new hubs of international student mobility, the SIG will approach student mobility through three lenses: imaginaries, temporalities, and regimes. The group will explore the experiences of young adults as (potential) student migrants while addressing the complex governance of international student mobility within broader social infrastructures.

The SIG is initially funded for three years, with plans to foster interdisciplinary exchange, promote co-creation of knowledge, and engage relevant stakeholders in research. A key focus will be amplifying the voices and experiences of international students by examining intersections of ethnicity, gender, class, migration background, and geographic diversity. Additionally, the SIG will investigate issues around internationalization at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ and seek to drive policy and program changes in higher education, both in the Netherlands and internationally.

If you’re interested in learning more or contributing to the SIG, please reach out to the group leader, Özge Bilgili, at o.bilgili@uu.nl.