With regard to the increasing global competition for highly-skilled labour, the group of mobile international students is becoming more and more prominent in the considerations of national policy-makers. One concrete idea is to develop policies in order to bind international students and foreign knowledge
workers and make them valuable contributors to the country, economically
but also in terms of social and cultural aspects. The Dutch government
has put this issue on the agenda and emphasized their interest in binding
international talent to the Netherlands. Therefore, it is crucial to learn about
the factors, which are decisive in staying and going and which are particularly
appealing or unappealing about the Netherlands.
In order to contribute to this process, a study was done among international
students, alumni, and staff at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. This study's findings have been validated and enriched by the results of a broader
survey which has been conducted among the talented international students
participating in the Nuffic NL4Talents conference of 4 February 2013 in The
Hague.
This study suggests that two principal reasons are relevant in residence
decisions: career perspective and personal factors, such as having a Dutch
partner or circle of friends. Additionally, a number of further factors seems
to influence whether internationals want to stay in the Netherlands. All
these factors are classified in four groups: those related to the Netherlands in
general, to the region/city of residence, personal aspects and aspects related
to the university.
With regard to the Netherlands, appealing factors appear to be the
standard of living, the socio-political environment in the Netherlands and
the supposedly welcoming Dutch culture. There are, however, people - in
particular those who cannot fully enjoy all rights of the EU citizenship -
who feel underprivileged in terms of administrative procedures and in their everyday life in the Netherlands.

When it comes to the regional aspects in The Hague, appealing factors are
apparently the clean and safe environment to live as well as the availability
of several offers for leisure time, including an attractive cultural agenda. Here,
the housing situation - more precisely the cost and quality of accommodation
- appears as a rather unappealing aspect.
In terms of personal considerations, the family-friendly environment in the
Netherlands has been rated as particularly appealing. Also having a Dutch
partner or Dutch friends may encourage international students to stay and
work in the Netherlands. The findings suggest, however, that international
students are more embedded in an international circle of friends than linked
with the locals. Only few respondents felt being actively excluded from
Dutch circles, but a majority agrees that it is difficult to establish bonds with
the local population. At the same time, it has been raised that international
students voluntarily live in their expat bubble.
Lastly, the university experience can contribute to retaining international
students. Here, appealing factors were the international study environment
which makes the foreign student feel at home, as well as the level and focus
of education at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. By contrast, critical
views have been raised in relation to a suggested lack of career counselling
and support in learning the Dutch language at university. Based on these
findings, the report concludes with some recommendations which might serve
as a springboard to develop strategies to bind international talent.
As the discussion of findings shows, the insights of this study can be
validated by insights of a related study that has recently been conducted
by Agentschap NL and the advice of the Social and Economic Council of the
Netherlands. Based on the findings, the report concludes with a number of
recommendations outlining how national, regional, local authorities as well
as universities can help to retain more international talent in the Netherlands.