More joint action needed for student housing

That was the outcome of a conference held to discuss the investment opportunities in student housing on 30 October. The conference was hosted by the ‘Class of 2020’ foundation,

Housing a key issue

One of the most asked questions of prospective international students, apart from questions on institutions, study programmes and scholarship opportunities, is: “How is the student housing in the Netherlands?”

Student housing is a key issue for the Dutch higher education sector. The Class of 2020 foundation, of which Nuffic is a partner, was established to broaden the information and knowledge on student housing in the Netherlands. 

Growth prospects

The conference welcomed more than 250 participants from higher education institutions, government agencies, housing corporations, private investors and developers.

Questions discussed at the conference included:

• What are the growth prospects of higher education in the Netherlands in an increasingly global market place?
• What do universities, housing providers and governments need to do to ensure that we remain competitive and attractive in this global market place?

Collaboration of all stakeholders

After several break-out sessions, the conference ended with a panel discussion. The panel of experts from the field, including Nuffic, concluded: “Internationalisation of higher education represents an incredible growth opportunity for the Dutch economy and education sector. Realising this potential requires action and collaboration of all stakeholders involved, from regulations to finance, from education to housing operators”. 

Shortage of 33,000 units by 2020

The importance of having sufficient student housing is underlined in the Dutch National Action Plan Student Housing 2011-2016. The National Student Housing Monitor (2012) emphasised the importance of such a plan, by predicting a shortage of 33,000 student accommodation units by 2020, for both local and international students.