SAVE OUR HIGHER EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH

PRESS RELEASE

 

Alternative Opening Academic Year

2 September 2024, 11AM- 12.30PM

Domplein, Utrecht 

SAVE OUR HIGHER EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH   

lees in het Nederlands

Our society is in dire need of well-educated young people to tackle the challenges of our time. Yet, the Schoof government announces a billion euro cut in higher education and research: the biggest cut in recent decades. This will hit universities all over the Netherlands. WOinAction, together with AOb, APNet, CNV, The Young Academy, FNV, LSVb, ISO, PNN, 0.7, CasualAcademy, and PostdocNL, is calling on everyone to resist these plans. The Netherlands cannot thrive without science and higher education. Without professionals there is no energy transition, without lawyers there is no justice, without historians there is no vision of the future, without specialists and nurses there is no healthcare. Rolling back recent investments in research increases the country’s already existing shortfall regarding investments in knowledge and innovation, and makes the Netherlands less attractive to international talent. The cuts limit independent research and the prospect of sustainable employment, especially for young researchers.

This damage is compounded under the impact of the Internationalisation in Balance Act. The new language policy will restrict the intake of non-Dutch students and teachers, and threaten the international character of universities and research institutions. We must prevent the law from having a negative impact on diversity and on the quality of our education and scientific research. Without international researchers and lecturers, programmes will shrink and research will dwindle. Talented students and researchers will go elsewhere. Signs of a 'brain drain' are already visible.

In addition, the €3000-a-year ‘long-study’ fine (‘langstudeerboete’) will harm students from higher professional and academic education. Academic studies will become less accessible for example to students who need to work to meet the costs of studying and students with personal circumstances (such as a disability) that lead to study delay. This fine is unjust, undermines our academic values, and also results in a loss of potential.

Major cuts in higher education will cause major damage to the Dutch economy, culture and society and are completely unacceptable. We call on our universities to rise up and to showcase the future harmful effects of the announced cuts. We call on university boards, funding agencies, managers and teaching and research partners to stand with students and employees in higher education. We call on civil society, political and professional organisations to raise their voices and join us in our protest.

On 2 September, we are organising an Alternative Opening of the Academic Year in Utrecht at 11 am, as a kick-off to our protest. Navigate to our website for more information.