What the figures also show is an increase in the number of students coming from professional and technical secondary schools, arousing fears in some quarters that university admission standards may be dropping. In the long run, that could have a negative effect on the level of university education. As student numbers in general rise, so do the numbers of those taking part in Erasmus international student exchanges. In 2007-2008, more than 162,000 students across Europe took advantage of the programme, as well as 27,000 academics. Another 20,000 took advantage of the new Erasmus programme that allows students to spend time in a business or organisation abroad. Flemish institutions are pro-active in recruiting exchange students, with every university running a fully equipped international office. The number of incoming students to Flemish institutions is also rising, by about 5% in the case of Ghent, according to the head of their international office, Valère Meus. In 2007-2008, Ghent attracted 782 Erasmus students, while in 2008- 2009, the figure was 805. This year’s number is already standing at 656, with the September crop typically representing two-thirds of the annual total, suggesting a final figure of about 980.

But, however successful Flanders may be at bringing students from across the world to study here, Flemish students are less convinced of the benefits of a period abroad. Across Europe, about 11% of students spend some time abroad, but in Flanders, the figure is barely 10%. In May, ministers from 46 countries meeting in Leuven set a target of 20% to be reached by 2020. Just under 3,000 Flemish students went abroad in 2007-2008, more than half of them from colleges or academies, which tend to attract a more professional rather that academic type of student. More women (1,815) took part than men (1,130), and Spain is the most popular destination, accounting for about a quarter, followed by France at just under one-fifth. In the same year, 711 lecturers took advantage of Erasmus to teach at a foreign institution, with the most popular countries being Finland, Spain and the Netherlands. One of the main causes of the lukewarm response in Flanders to the offer of Erasmus is cost: spending time studying abroad can be expensive. So Flemish socialist MEP Said El Khadraoui has proposed not only an enlargement of the present system of bursaries but also a new system of “social loans”. Pilot projects are currently running in Italy and Hungary under which the European Investment Bank guarantees loans made by banks (in Italy) or by the government (in Hungary). Students pay the loans back later, when they are financially more secure. “With a system of social loans, we can give young people who are finding it difficult to finance a foreign experience a helping hand,” El Khadraoui says. “A share of the interest could be paid by the community. Or even by the banks: they could also make a gesture of support.” At present, grants are made only partly on the basis of income. Just as important is the destination country, with minority language states and the countries of former Eastern Europe being more highly subsidised than the likes of France and Spain, although the latter two are still far and away the most popular among Flemish students. The money for grants comes from the Flemish region, which has budgeted €2 million for the coming academic year to cover grants ranging from €110 to €240 a month. The EU also contributes. Two Open VLD politicians, meanwhile, have argued for a relaxing of the language laws to allow languages other than Dutch to be used in Flemish universities. That is already happening in practice, with increasing moves at least to introduce English as the language of courses at Master’s level. Students coming to Flanders from abroad are offered language courses for everyday use, but that doesn’t equip them to understand course material. The universities, Meus said, are increasingly offering courses and modules in English. They are even moving towards offering courses in English for their own students at Master’s level. That’s less to do with a small number of students than with the internationalisation of the education world. Flemish universities have to become more international to attract researchers and academics, who, in turn, raise the institution’s profile on the world stage in publications and at conferences, leading to increased funding from the private sector and foundations.