Dutch language on the decline in Flemish universities

25 October 2025

Dutch is rapidly disappearing as a scientific language in Flanders. Of all doctorates completed at the five Flemish universities, 97 per cent are now written in English. This is evident from new figures published by De Standaard and the Flanders Research Information Space (Fris), a research portal that collects data on scientific publications.

In Ghent, only 18 doctorates were written in Dutch in 2024, compared to 760 in English. At KU Leuven, 28 of the 1,024 doctorates were written in Dutch. At smaller universities such as the University of Antwerp, the share of English-language doctorates fluctuates around 93 per cent. "Anyone who publishes in Dutch can't make a career," said researcher Dries Bostyn (Ghent University) on Saturday.

The dominance of English extends beyond doctoral research. Last year, 91 per cent of all academic contributions by researchers in Flanders appeared in English, compared to 76 per cent in 2008. Over the same period, the number of Dutch-language publications has halved, from approximately 2,200 to 1,000 per year. A growing number of students are also opting to write their master’s theses or dissertations in English.

Previous attempt to safeguard language

The trend has prompted concern from policymakers. In March, the Flemish government issued a negative assessment for most foreign-language bachelor’s and master’s programmes submitted for approval. Of the 24 applications, only four received the green light.

Flemish government rejects majority of foreign-language degree programmes

The Flemish government has issued a negative assessment for most foreign-language bachelor's and master's programmes submitted for approval. Of...

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Under current rules, universities and colleges may only offer foreign-language programmes if an equivalent Dutch-language option exists, unless an exemption is granted by the Higher Education Commission.

A decree also caps the number of foreign-language programmes at a maximum of 9 per cent at the bachelor's level and 35 per cent at the master’s level. “The Flemish government wants to ensure that Dutch remains a language of science and does not weaken as a language in itself,” the official decision states.

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