Uncertain times for Twente Pathway College

In 2022, Twente Pathway College (TPC for short) saw a sharp drop in applications after the Bologna Process, a series of EU-wide agreements on stricter entry requirements for higher education. As this coincided with UT’s recent plans for restructuring and budget cuts, TPC suddenly found itself in the crosshairs. An aggravating factor spelling disaster was the previously unsatisfactory performance of TPC students after they moved into bachelor programmes. UT reported a disparity between TPC students’ knowledge and programme requirements.

Raised bar

‘We’ve worked in close tandem with UT to resolve these issues,’ says marketing and admissions director Yavuz Yilmazoglu. ‘We now have a more rigorous vetting process, and higher entry-level requirements. We’ve raised the bar considerably, only selecting those whom we think have what it takes. We piloted an additional maths test and an English proficiency test on top of standard requirements, and they will be trained in seven characteristics, ranging from entrepreneurial spirit to willingness to work in teams. During the year, they will also be trained in the university’s ways of thinking. For Asian students, for example, speaking up is very counter-intuitive. Their cultures generally favour quiet acquiescence, whereas Dutch culture values speaking your mind if you disagree with something.’

Why TPC must go

According to Yilmazoglu, the improved vetting standards have shown remarkable results. ‘More than 83% of our last cohort of students has had a positive Bindend Studieadvies after their first bachelor year. This is considerably higher than your average bachelor’s students.’ Still, the month of August 2026 looms large. Yilmazoglu cites the current political climate as the main cause for the decision to terminate the contract. ‘The proposed Internationalisation in Balance Act is the main reason for this decision, we’ve noticed a lot of goodwill from within the UT community.’

Internationalisation in balance

The proposed law seeks to ‘rebalance’ the influx of international students in favour of Dutch students, despite the demographic reality that the Dutch population is ageing. Simply put, there are increasingly fewer young Dutch people to fill the university seats. Twente Pathway College could help bridge that gap, especially in a time when the wider Twente region wants to become an international hub for chip technology.

But it’s the same unstable political climate that offers a glimmer of hope. ‘We don’t know yet if the law will actually go through and if so, what that will mean for us. Given our good relationship with UT and our commitment to quality education, we’ll have to see what actually comes of it. A lot can happen within a year.’