The slower rate of growth is due to an ongoing decline at the bachelor’s level, especially from other European countries. The number of international students in those programmes in 2024/25 was down -5.2% compared with the previous year, according to . The Netherlands’ top market (by far), Germany, sent -8% fewer undergraduate students.

More recently, preliminary data from (UNL) indicates that the 2025/26 intake of international undergraduate students is down about -3.5% compared with the previous intake. The major reason is a -5% decline in new undergraduate students from the European Economic Area (EEA). Non-EEA undergraduate enrolments are stable.

As you can see from the following chart (which shows data up to 2024 filtered to include only bachelor’s enrolments), new international enrolments at this level began decreasing in 2023, in tandem with vigorous debate about foreign students’ impact on the housing crisis and a socio-political turn towards the far-right. 

Under considerable political pressure, Dutch universities have reduced the number of English-taught bachelor’s programmes over the past couple of years.

While some decline in international student numbers was expected, a compounding issue is that new domestic enrolments in bachelor’s programmes are also falling – and at the same rate as international ones (-3.5% for 2025/26 as per preliminary data).

Of the combined trend, chairman Caspar van den Berg said:

“For the third year in a row, international student intake is declining. This is now compounded by a decline in the number of Dutch students. For all the ambitions we saw in the election manifestos, we need sufficient knowledge and talent. It is therefore urgent that a new cabinet develops a clear strategy on how we can continue to attract, train, and retain that talent. Sufficient talent cannot come from the Netherlands alone; we simply do not have enough young people.�

The Netherlands has a rapidly ageing population, with over 1 in 5 aged 65 or older.

Master’s programmes unaffected

International master’s enrolments are still increasing. The chart below shows data filtered to include only master’s enrolments over the years. In 2024/25, new international master’s enrolments reached an all-time high.

International master’s enrolments are still growing due to two factors:



• Unlike bachelor’s programmes, master’s courses are not the target of government pressure to reduce English-taught programmes in favour of Dutch-taught programmes. About 76% of all master’s programmes in the Netherlands continue to be delivered in English.


  
• Foreign students who have already completed bachelor’s degrees in the Netherlands often continue from undergraduate studies into more advanced programmes.

A volatile time for higher education

The Netherlands is often in an enviable position on global “� lists for innovation, education, productivity, scientific papers, and more. Yet university leaders have become increasingly alarmed by massive proposed budget cuts to higher education and internationalisation and by a growing sentiment among the right that universities are too “elite� or “woke� (similar to developments in the US).

The situation has become so dire that it has sparked protests among students, academics, and associations. reported in December 2025 that:

“Demonstrators argue that these policies [including a plan to cut 300 million euros from international education budgets] undermine the Netherlands’ status as a global education hub, calling for government reconsideration. Public statements emphasise the importance of maintaining international diversity and fostering innovation in higher education.â€�

As reported this week by the independent journalism arm of the University of Twente, , there are some signs the incoming government may be more supportive of the country’s higher education sector than the last one:

“The incoming minority government of D66, CDA and VVD wants to reverse the planned cuts to education and has set aside 1.5 billion euros to do so.�

But so far, the government has not committed more funds for R&D (other than for fields related to defense) and has been vague about its stance on internationalisation. U-Today reports:

“The minority government] parties have also reached agreement on international students and researchers. They’re keen to ‘attract top scientific talent, needed for groundbreaking research and innovation.’

Internationalisation should also help attract skilled professionals ‘in the sectors facing the greatest challenges,’ such as ICT and engineering, and possibly healthcare.

As a result, English-taught education is no longer seen as a problem by the coalition. The existing non-Dutch-taught programmes will be maintained, they’ve agreed. They’re even scrapping the planned test for new ‘foreign-language’ degree programmes.

So how will they keep control over the intake of international students? To that end, they intend to make ‘binding administrative agreements’ with higher education institutions.�

All in all, it is fair to say that international undergraduate prospects considering the Netherlands are faced with a muddy policy environment, especially with regard to English-taught programmes. As countries such as France, Germany, and Italy increase their supply of English-taught programmes, demand for bachelor’s programmes in the Netherlands is unlikely to pick up in 2026.

For additional background, please see:

• “Dutch government walks back controversial measures to constrain English-taught degreesâ€�
• “The Netherlands: Debate around student recruitment and retention continues amid foreign enrolment declineâ€�

The post The Netherlands: Foreign enrolment slowdown driven by declining undergraduate numbers appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The minister advises that the government will now withdraw a proposed requirement for the Toets Anderstalig Onderwijs (TAO, or in English, “Test for Foreign Language”). The test would have effectively required Dutch universities to demonstrate, via a formal process, that teaching a degree in a foreign language was both necessary and of added value.

It was expected that the TAO would have particularly put pressure on the widespread provision of English-taught degrees in Dutch higher education. In October 2024, Minister Bruins was actively pressing Dutch universities to reduce their international enrolments – at the time, foreign students accounted for roughly 20% of the total enrolment in Dutch undergraduate programmes, with many opting for English-taught degrees.

The TAO requirement, however, proved to be quite controversial, both within the higher education system, and among employers and local governments. Caspar van den Berg, president of the peak body Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) had previously said that the TAO would lead to a “massacre of programmesâ€� within the Dutch system. UNL reported separately at the time that, “70% of Bachelor’s programmes are taught in Dutch, and 18% of those degree programmes also have an English version. The total percentage of English-language Bachelor’s programmes is 30%.”

Responding to those concerns around the TAO, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion to oppose the Test for Foreign Language requirement on 27 May. The TAO was part of pending legislation – Wet Internationalisering in Balans (the Internationalisation in Balance Act) – that is still working its way through Parliament, and that will now go back to the Council of State for further review and revision.

Minister Bruins sets out in his July letter that the TAO will now no longer be required for existing foreign language degree programmes in the country, but will apply only to any new degree proposals. The expectation now is that the legislation will not come back to Parliament until later in the fall.

The Minister’s guidance explains that in order to satisfy the TAO requirements, any new degree offerings must meet one of the following conditions: they relate to a sector with established labour shortages; they are only available in one location; they are taught in a region with a declining population; or they are “inherently internationalâ€�.

For their part, Dutch universities had responded to political and public concern around the growing numbers of international students in the country by announcing a self-regulation plan in February 2024. The plan establishes a cap on foreign enrolments, limits the introduction of new English-taught degrees, and sets out initiatives to increase the retention of foreign graduates in the Netherlands and to expand student housing.

Earlier this year, Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), reported that its 14 member universities recorded a 6% year-over-year decline in international undergraduate students in 2024/25. The 17,410 students enrolled during that year was the lowest number since the pandemic.

For additional background, please see:

• “The Netherlands: Debate around student recruitment and retention continues amid foreign enrolment decline“
• “Dutch universities detail plan to reduce international enrolment“
• “Dutch government set to restrict English-taught degrees“

The post Dutch government walks back controversial measures to constrain English-taught degrees appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Government remains committed to reducing international student numbers

Both the previous government and the new government of the Party for Freedom (PVV) remain committed to the goal of reducing the number of new international students, not least because of a housing shortage. However, the PVV has been under pressure from those in some southern regions and business sectors because of the negative effects of declining foreign student numbers and low levels of international graduates staying on to work in the country. In Limburg, the population is expected to in the span of less than 20 years.

Declining numbers of undergraduate foreign students

The country’s higher education peak body, Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), reports that its 14 member universities recorded a 6% year-over-year decline in international undergraduate students in 2024/25. The 17,410 students enrolled is the lowest number since the pandemic, when global student mobility plummeted.

Steeper declines have happened in international commencements in artificial intelligence (-13%) and language and culture programmes (-17%).

The UNL’s universities have said that fewer international students, slashed funding, and the government’s emphasis on reducing English-language programmes are threatening the continued offering of some programmes.

UNL chair, Caspar van den Berg, :

“For the time being, the government wants to drastically reduce the number of English-language programmes with rigorous legislation. As a result, many programmes are in danger of disappearing and the labour market is missing out on highly qualified talent.�

Mr Casper cited a mix of interrelated factors depressing demand for study in the Netherlands, from reduced overseas recruiting to reputational damage caused by the Netherlands’ less welcoming positioning.

He told

“Anyone who follows developments in the world sees that keeping out international talent is outdated. In turbulent times in which the Netherlands desperately needs all the knowledge to remain safe and prosperous, we are closing the door on international talent. That is inexplicable. Countries such as Belgium, Germany and France understand very well that there is a global battle for talent, so it is high time that the Netherlands also gets its head out of the sand.�

New focus on international student retention

Under pressure from business stakeholders in regions with pronounced skills shortages, parties across the political spectrum have agreed that international student retention needs to be encouraged in some regions of the Netherlands.

According to University World News, a in parliament in February 2025 notes “that the Netherlands ‘is not a leader in attracting and retaining knowledge migrants compared to other countries’ …. ‘various factors such as career opportunities for accompanying partners and stigmas about population growth’ play a role in this.�

Most of the rationale for retaining international students is economic – i.e., international students add value after they graduate by working in their host country. The Netherlands’ retention rate is 25%, compared with France’s 50%.

The economic argument seems instrumental to convincing all Dutch political parties to pass the motion aimed at encouraging the retention of international students – while at the same time keeping policies aimed at dampening demand for new international students to enrol in the Netherlands.

UNL spokesperson Ruben Puylaert told that a retention-only strategy won’t work as intended, saying that fewer international students “will have negative effects on the quality of our education, our research, and the labour market.� He noted:

“We can make plans to increase the stay rate, but if students stop coming at all – even in the sectors where there is a major labour market shortage – then this will be pointless.�

For additional background, please see:

• “Dutch government set to restrict English-taught degrees“
• “Dutch universities detail plan to reduce international enrolment“

The post The Netherlands: Debate around student recruitment and retention continues amid foreign enrolment decline appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

As in many other destinations, a housing shortage is pressuring Dutch policymakers to reduce inbound flows of students. Last year, the previous government opened to the door for universities to self-regulate in terms of bringing their international student numbers down, but that government fell and the new coalition government is taking a more active stance on this issue.

Few exceptions

In a letter sent to the House of Representatives on , Mr Bruins said the intention is to make English-only courses the exception, rather than the rule. His department is preparing a new version of the Internationalisation in Balance bill (WIB) that will dictate that at least two-thirds of the curriculum in Dutch bachelor programmes must be in Dutch, with up to a third remaining for English or another language.

There will be exceptions, but they will be made only after review by a special committee. Reasons the committee might approve an English-only curriculum include a regional or labour market need or the determination that the course has “an inextricably international character� (Mr Bruin said the latter exemption would be rare).

Currently, one-third of bachelor courses are delivered in other language and half of them are a mix of Dutch and English.

Master’s and doctoral programmes will not be subject to the imminent language ruling, but there is speculation that the master’s level at least may be affected in the near future.

Still open for business

Mr Bruins emphasised that he wants the Netherlands to remain a country that can attract top international talent, and that after completing their studies:

“The Netherlands is proud to be an internationally oriented, knowledge-based society. And we want it to stay like that, for a prosperous future. But over the past several years international student numbers have grown sharply, resulting in major student housing shortages, crowded lecture halls and diminishing use of Dutch as the language of instruction. Measures are needed to reverse these trends. I want to restore Dutch as the norm. This will improve students’ proficiency in Dutch and help retain international students after they graduate, for the benefit of the Dutch economy and society in general.�

New immigration policies this year in Australia, Canada, and the UK are aimed at welcoming a narrower band of students than in the past. This appears to be the theme in the Netherlands as well. Mr Bruins said, “We want to attract the right international students here and with more Dutch language skills, increase the chance of international students staying so that they can work here after their studies.�

The Minister is actively looking into the possibility of raising international student tuition fees as well as limiting public financing for EU students studying in the Netherlands.

Pressure on universities to reduce number of spaces for international students

Mr Bruin is inviting Dutch universities to reduce flows of foreign students, saying:

“Ultimately, the total inflow must be reduced, also because the government wants to spend less money on international students from 2026. This requires commitment from the educational institutions, which also retain self-management in this regard.”

If universities don’t manage their enrolment intakes enough “universities will be given less funding per student.�

University response

(UNL) association chairman Caspar van den Berg said of the proposal: “The cabinet is using a blunt axe to hack at universities and colleges.� He continued:

“This approach will impoverish education, we will lose important scientific talent and we will also scare away international students, who we really need in our country. This is a cost-cutting operation that damages the international character of higher education. It will probably be accompanied by the forced closure of courses, and with major consequences for the quality of Dutch scientific research. In addition, it is still questionable whether this restriction of the international inflow is legally feasible, given the European treaties on the free movement of persons.�

At Leiden University, which is ranked 73rd globally on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2025) and 24th for its Arts and Humanities department, President Annetje Ottow, on behalf of the Executive Board, issued this statement:

“The Executive Board is concerned about the effects of the strict language criteria outlined in the Balanced Internationalisation Bill on Leiden University’s degree programmes. ‘Minister Bruin’s parliamentary letter is even stricter than we had feared. This can have major implications for our English-taught bachelor’s programmes … Bleak and uncertain times lie ahead and we must face them together.�

Rector Hester Bijl elaborated on what could be lost:

“Many of the language and culture programmes are extremely important for our knowledge of regions that are currently going through such difficult times: the Middle East, for example, with the escalating conflict there. In the Middle Eastern Studies programmes, important specialisations such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Islamic Studies, Hebrew and Modern Middle Eastern Studies would be significantly reduced. It is very painful to think this is necessary. The Faculty of Humanities definitely wishes to maintain this expertise. Where else will politicians, negotiators, aid workers and other specialists who want to help resolve the crisis obtain their knowledge?

We will continue to fight, and together with the faculty will do all we can to limit the damaging effects for our students and staff and thus for society as a whole.�

For additional background, please see:

• “Dutch universities detail plan to reduce international enrolmentâ€�

The post Dutch government set to restrict English-taught degrees appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The clear inference from these developments is that Dutch higher education institutions have come under increasing pressure to manage international student numbers downward. More to the point, Dutch institutions were obliged to put forward their own plan if they did not want the government to step in and introduce its own legislative measures.

This shifting political climate provides the context for . An accompanying statement declares: “With immediate effect, the Dutch universities will be taking their own measures to manage the influx of international students and improve Dutch language skills. They are committed to reducing the intake of international students, reducing the percentage of English-taught Bachelor’s programmes, increasing the number of Dutch-language degree programmes and strengthening the Dutch language proficiency of both lecturers and students.”

The intake of foreign students will be reduced

indicate that international student numbers have been stable over the past two years, and even dipped marginally in the current academic year.

UNL will now move to extend that trend through the introduction of an enrolment cap, explaining that, “This is an important control instrument, as universities will fix the enrolment quota at a number that is lower than the average intake of the past few years.”

Alongside the cap, the UNL plan outlines that Dutch universities will no longer “actively recruit at large international fairs, to reduce the intake of international students.”

Dutch-taught degrees will be strengthened; no new English-language degrees will be added

The plan states: “English is the lingua franca in academia and is therefore an integral part of daily practice in universities. However, universities are also part of Dutch society. Students are being prepared for their role in this society, and universities want to use their knowledge to foster a better Netherlands.” UNL adds that, “70% of Bachelor’s programmes are taught in Dutch, and 18% of those degree programmes also have an English version. The total percentage of English-language Bachelor’s programmes is 30%.” In short, the plan establishes that:

• All major degree programmes will be available in Dutch;
• New Dutch-taught degrees will be established;
• No new English-language Bachelor degrees will be introduced.

Dutch universities that offer a preparatory or foundation year programme for foreign students will now also wind those programmes down. “By no longer offering a preparatory year,” says UNL, “fewer prospective students will be eligible for a Dutch Bachelor’s university education, limiting the intake of international students.”

Universities will take steps to increase the stay rate of foreign graduates and improve housing

UNL says that, “Currently, about a third of international students remain in the Netherlands after their studies…Universities will actively work to increase the stayrate of students after their studies.”

Finally, the plan calls out the importance of the National Action Plan for Student Accommodation as a mechanism to ease the current shortage of housing stock for both international and domestic students.

For additional background, please see:

• “Netherlands making progress toward ambitious student housing target“
• “Netherlands takes another step toward limiting international enrolment growth“

The post Dutch universities detail plan to reduce international enrolment appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Ardin Mourik, the director of the national housing plan project, recently reported that plans are now in place for more than a third of the student housing needed by 2030, with most having already secured building sites as well.

As of 2022, the student housing shortage in the country was estimated at nearly 27,000 beds – a shortfall that was projected to rise to roughly 45,000 beds by 2029/30. Before the national plan triggered a wider effort, there were plans to build only about 16,500 new student beds through 2025. This is a number that would have fallen far below even the current need across the country, where there are acute housing shortages in a number of local markets, including Amsterdam, Leiden, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Den Bosch, and Utrecht.

The National Action Plan for Student Housing includes agreements between government, accommodation providers, universities, and student unions on a housing action plan for the rest of this decade. Signatories include Universities of The Netherlands, the Dutch Knowledge City Network, Kences, Vastgoed Belang, The Class Foundation, the Dutch Student Union, Landelijk Overleg Studentenhuurders, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and Nuffic.

Along with new housing developments, both on campus and off, the plan anticipates strengthened regulations supported by all levels of government to clarify rules around sub-letting or dividing existing housing to provide for additional student beds, and for improved supports for international students in particular.

The Dutch example is no doubt a compelling one for other leading study destinations – including the UK, the United States, Canada, and Australia – where access to affordable student housing has quickly become one the most important issues in international education.

For additional background, please see:

• : The world’s first-ever agent networking event where providers of student accommodation and related services meet with international student recruitment professionals.
• “Continuing housing crunch opens the door to innovation and new strategies“
• “Student housing investments jumped in 2022 but still lag behind demand“
• “What if there is no room? The link between student housing and enrolment capacity“

The post Netherlands making progress toward ambitious student housing target appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The Minister explained that there are now 115,000 international students in the Netherlands, representing 3.5 times the number that were in the country as of 2005. Roughly 40% of first-year students at universities now come from outside the Netherlands, which compares to the 28% share of first-year enrolments that foreign students accounted for in 2015.

This substantial expansion of the country’s international enrolment has become a more prominent matter of social and political concern in the last couple of years, and even led the government to ask universities to suspend active international recruitment earlier this year.

“The Netherlands is not an island,” writes the Minister. “On the contrary, we are one of the most internationally connected countries in the world. It is therefore a good thing that Dutch students can study abroad and that international students can study here in the Netherlands…But it should also be possible to manage the number of students arriving here, where necessary. Left unchecked, the current numbers will lead to overcrowded lecture halls, excessive workloads for lecturers, a lack of student accommodation, and reduced access to study programmes…We need a brake as well as an accelerator – and, above all, we need a steering wheel.â€�

The steering wheel that Minister Dijkgraaf has in mind will likely take the form of legislation that is now in development. It will aim to introduce a coordinated mechanism for managing international enrolment growth – one that relies in part on a centralised control through government and in part on measures that can be enacted by individual institutions.

The model the Minister is anticipating also appears to be more nuanced and targeted than what we have seen before, in that it imagines variable limits or caps on enrolment by institution, programme, and even by language of instruction (with differing limits for courses given in English as opposed to those taught in Dutch).

Along with any forthcoming legislation, the government has also signalled that it aims to enter directly into agreements with Dutch universities in pursuit of more targeted recruitment strategies and improved services for incoming students: “This includes implementing agreements on targeted recruitment: for example, institutions should only actively recruit abroad for programmes that focus on (shortages in) the regional labour market…The Minister also wishes more international students to be actively steered towards the Dutch labour market, institutions to adopt Dutch as the primary administrative language (with a policy of bilingualism if necessary) and for students to be provided with better information regarding accommodation.”

Dutch universities, meanwhile, have been quick to respond and to reassure their international students. “We are happy that the long-expected letter has now been published and that the Minister has indicated that he wishes to enter into discussion with the universities on this issue,” said Hester Bijl, the rector of Leiden University. “We will continue our commitment to our international students and staff. They are and will remain an important and valued part of the academic community in our international research university. The international students who are currently studying with us and those who have enrolled for the coming academic year are still very welcome here.”

And Universities of the Netherlands Chair Pieter Duisenberg added, “International talent is essential for the Netherlands. Both for the quality of education and research at the universities, and for the labour market. In some programmes, however, the growth in the number of students is too fast to keep the quality of education high…We have therefore asked for instruments to be able to manage this. It is good news that the minister is now making this customisation possible.â€�

For additional background, please see:

• “Dutch government asks universities to suspend active international recruitment amid capacity concerns“
• “Netherlands continues to attract more foreign students alongside calls for enrolment caps“

The post Netherlands takes another step toward limiting international enrolment growth appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Culture and Science Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf has asked universities of applied sciences and research in the country to stop recruiting international students, with limited exceptions.

Capacity issues at the heart of the issue

Minister Dijkgraaf does not deny that there are benefits to internationalisation, but points to capacity issues – teacher overload and insufficient student housing – as the reason for his request.

In 2021/22, enrolments in Dutch universities grew by 4%, and much of the increase was attributable to international students. That academic year, international students made up 23% of the total student population (29% at the undergraduate level), and about 40% of the students beginning their first year of study. Most of these students (roughly 75%) are from the European Union, with Germany the main sender.

But to host international students responsibly is to acknowledge that these students need somewhere to live while they study. Geert ten Dam, president of the University of Amsterdam, told that,

“In concrete terms, our campuses are bursting at the seams. There are too few lecture halls for teaching. There is also a large and increasing housing shortage in Amsterdam.�

In 2022, hundreds of international students could not secure accommodation, and many could not find emergency housing as a backup.

Some exceptions

Minister Dijkgraaf told Dutch universities that international student recruitment should now be very limited. Incoming students should be enrolled in “specific training for professions where there is a shortage and in regions where populations are declining.�

For now, a request – later, policy?

The minister asked universities for now to voluntarily cease their recruitment of most international students. In February, the minister will present a formal proposal to limit the number of students coming into the Netherlands. Members of parliament are asking that the minister speed up the submission of his strategy given what they consider to be the urgency of the situation.

After Minister Dijkgraaf’s proposal goes to parliament for debate, new rules could come into effect as early as March.

Housing is in the works

The gravity of the student housing crisis has spurred an effort to quickly build more accommodation. The government-launched National Student Housing Action Plan has a target of building 60,000 affordable student residences between 2022 and 2030, and 37,500 “flexible homes� by 2024.

Some universities are pushing back

Some Dutch universities are opposed to any kind of legislation binding them to strict quotas on international student numbers. Some have noted that they have, without government pressure, advocated for a more careful approach to recruitment, such as “an introduction of quotas on English tracks in degree programmes and limits on the proportion of international students in individual programmes.�

Some also argue that the call for a pause on active international recruitment ignores the substantial upsides of a robust international presence in the country. The spokesperson for the Association of Universities in the Netherlands, Ruben Puylaert told that,

“Internationalisation highly contributes to the quality of our higher education and research. In addition, internationalisation is very valuable for the Netherlands. It provides highly educated talent in demand on the labour market, especially in certain sectors and regions.�

Jan Willem Besselaar, director of marketing, communication and student community at Breda University of Applied Sciences, told University World News: “We think having an international, intercultural classroom is a very important basis of our educational vision. Students need it and the labour market and industry need it.�

Rather than limiting international student numbers, Mr Beseelaar said, the government should focus on increasing funding to alleviate the real crisis: insufficient housing not just for international students, but in general and for refugees from Ukraine especially.

At least 80,000 international students

Mr Puylaart says that in 2022, there were close to 80,000 international students in the Netherlands, but Statistics Netherlands says the number is much higher: 115,000 in the 2021/22 academic year.

For additional information, please see:

• “What if there is no room? The link between student housing and enrolment capacityâ€�
• “Netherlands continues to attract more foreign students alongside calls for enrolment capsâ€�

The post Dutch government asks universities to suspend active international recruitment amid capacity concerns appeared first on ºÚÁϹÙÍø Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.