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Dialogic has conducted an evaluation for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science on the international recognisability of denominations and titles in higher vocational education (hbo). Specifically, this concerns the introduction of the titles 'Bachelor of Science' (BSc) and 'Bachelor of Arts' (BA) in higher education, the denomination 'Universities of Applied Sciences' for universities of applied sciences, and the actual use of English names for the position of 'lector' abroad. The results of this study have recently been sent to the Senate. Download the Chamber letter here.
Since 2014, hbo graduates are also allowed to use the titles BSc or BA. Until then, this right was reserved for university graduates. An important legal argument for the equalisation was (and is) that programmes leading to the same level of education should use the same titles. In the international system, Dutch universities of applied sciences and universities are classified at the same level (namely EQF6). A practical reason was that the use of non-standard titles for hbo graduates would hinder them in studying and finding a job abroad. Logically, this should have increased the international mobility of hbo students compared to university students from 2014. However, this has not been the case: the difference between Dutch students from the two sectors leaving the country has remained the same, while the difference in the inflow of international students has increased.
Concerning the use of the English denomination 'Universities of Applied Sciences' for universities of applied sciences, the analogy with the introduction of the title 'Bachelor of Science' seems obvious. The significance (pragmatics) of the two labels is fundamentally different. The added value of 'Bachelor of Science' lies in the combination of the words as a whole: bachelor-of-science. In contrast, the added value of 'University of Applied Sciences' mainly lies in the first word: 'university'. For recognition in other countries, the use of the term 'university' is crucial. A view unanimously held by respondents is that the international recognisability has increased because universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands are allowed to use the term 'university', which is common practice in all countries.
The use of the denomination UAS has strengthened the positioning of universities of applied sciences abroad. The added value of the label 'university (of applied sciences)' is particularly evident when establishing collaborations with foreign higher education institutions. The broad introduction of UAS has not necessarily led to more opportunities for partnerships, but entering into these partnerships is smoother and prompts fewer questions, thus enabling a quicker focus on the content.
Since 2001, universities of applied sciences, like professors at universities, have staff members who are tasked with providing leadership on a specific theme (their chair) in research within their institutions. In the Netherlands, the title 'professor' is exclusively linked to the role of a professor at a university. Internationally, the designation 'professor' is not a protected title and is used broadly in some countries. In correspondence, only a small portion (3%) of lecturers use the title 'professor' without any additional specification, while a larger percentage opt for 'professor of applied sciences' or 'at a University of Applied Sciences' (44% in correspondence, 58% in introductions).
Read the Chamber letter with the policy response to the research here.
