The Dutch cabinet is sweeping through higher education with a historic cut of over one billion euros. Universities and students are furious. The cuts affect young scholars, international students and long-term students, among others. UNL president Van den Berg warns of far-reaching consequences: “We will have even greater shortages in the labor market, and groundbreaking research will disappear from the Netherlands.” Students fear that studying will become elitist again. Action groups are already announcing “the most disruptive strike of all time”.
In the coalition program it has become clear that the Schoof administration will make an unprecedented cut of one billion euros in higher education and science. This cut includes the elimination of special research grants and the introduction of a long study fine of 3,000 euros per year.
Resistance from universities
Universities are furious. Caspar van den Berg, president of Universities of the Netherlands, predicts that the earning power of the Netherlands will deteriorate and that young scientists will come under great pressure. “The cabinet is throwing up its own glasses with this,” he said. Speeches at the opening of the academic year in early September denounced austerity plans all over the Netherlands.
Despite the so-called sector plans remaining intact, cuts are being shifted to scholarships for young scientists. This means that more than a thousand scientists annually will not receive start-up or stimulus grants, leaving the foundation of science shaky.
Impact on students
Students are also critical. The National Student Union (LSVb) warns that vulnerable students who finance their studies by working will be hit hardest. They will come under financial pressure, reducing their performance and taking longer to study. “This is how this coalition is slowly making studying for the elite again,” says LSVb president Abdelkader Karbache.
Action groups such as WOinAction are announcing large-scale protests. “The young generations of our country are being cut to pieces by this administration. So there is only one thing left to do: campaign hard,” Karbache said. He said the announced cuts have led to a wide range of protests, including the “most disruptive strike of all time.”
Future prospects
The coalition program sets the tone for the coming years, but the question remains how these cuts will affect the future of Dutch higher education and science. According to the recent Draghi report, additional investments in education and research are precisely what is needed to remain internationally competitive. The cabinet’s current course, however, seems to be heading in the opposite direction.
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