There has been a 20% surge in the number of British students applying to study at Maastricht University, management board chairman Martin Paul has told radio station BNR.

‘The British government has made it clear that as long as there is no definite Brexit, it will continue to support student exchanges,’ Paul said.

Paul said the increase in applications will allow the university to choose the best students, which will benefit the quality of the education on offer. Some 75% of the international students in Maastricht currently come from Germany or Belgium.

He is also keen to work together with British universities. ‘It is not just about hunting for students, but looking for new ways of working with the British,’ he said.

Some 2,300 British students were studying in the Netherlands in the 2015-16 academic year, according to figures from international education body EP-Nuffic.

Some 75,000 foreign students are currently studying at Dutch universities and hbo colleges, accounting for around 10% of the total student body.

Students from Germany, China, Indonesia, Poland and Belgium are most likely to stay in the Netherlands to work. Research by international education body EP-Nuffic says international students who stay in the Netherlands after completing their studies generate some €1.6bn for the treasury every year.