Bolognalaan to close earlier from November onwards

The building on Bolognalaan 101, at Utrecht Science Park, is owned by HU, but Utrecht University has also used it as a tenant since 2018. In addition, the boards of around thirty student organisations have been based here since 2025. The building is currently open until 10:00 pm, and was due to start closing at 7:00 pm from September onwards, but the change was postponed to 1 November following protests from the student organisations and the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences Council.

HU has reduced the opening hours of its buildings at Science Park to save money, just like Utrecht University (UU) did in 2025. Lighting and air-conditioning systems are not used as long, which reduces energy costs. In addition, earlier closing times reduce security and reception staff costs. Like UU, HU must save money over the next few years because it is receiving less government funding.

The university was not consulted in HU's decision-making process regarding opening hours. This emerged in a meeting of the UU Council. UU Vice-President Margot van der Starre stated at the time that the university “was not involved in this decision”. Student organisations are not the only ones who have a hard time with the earlier closing time. Teaching is also an issue. “We have raised the issue with HU, but the board is standing by its decision.”

According to UU spokesperson Iris Kruijen, “UU was indeed consulted only late in the process”. However, she added that “constructive discussions have taken place” to find a solution that works for both higher education institutions. For example, classes scheduled after 7:00 pm on Bolognalaan have been “rescheduled to other UU buildings”.

Concerns raised by student organisations
The student organisations remain critical. The Vidius student union is one of the organisations with an office on Bolognalaan. According to its chair, Dante Glastra van Loon, the associations were not consulted at all. “We would have liked to have been involved beforehand,” Glastra van Loon told Trajectum. “We only heard about the plan after it had already been decided.” Their protest has led to the postponement to 1 November.

Closing premises earlier causes many problems for student associations, as they usually meet in the evening. “Many board members study full-time, so they can only run the association outside conventional office hours. Furthermore, the office is a place that fosters collaboration among student societies, facilitates interaction with members, and serves as a space to receive external parties.” According to him, the earlier closing time will make it even harder to run student societies, contributing to the decline in interest in joining such boards. 

Vidius is calling on UU to take action. Glastra van Loon: “Given that this is a partnership between HU and UU, agreements of this kind should be reached through proper consultation. That's why we hope that the university will point out to the university of applied sciences that this is not the right way to do things.”

The former Pnyx building, which houses student associations, on Princetonplein. Photo: DUB

Three relocations in six years
For student associations, the situation is anything but pleasant, as many have already moved several times in just a few years. In 2020, they moved from Pnyx, in the city centre, to Princetonplein at Science Park. The city-centre building is being demolished alongside two adjacent university buildings to be converted into the Anna Maria van Schurman teaching building.

The name "Pnyx" moved with them to Princetonplein, a temporary location. That building is also due for demolition. In 2024, the students were told that they would have to move again to Bolognalaan in 2025. Although the boards were not happy with the new premises, they moved anyway. They found the second location even less visible than Princetonplein, and they had less space at their disposal. The earlier closing time adds insult to injury. 

“Discussions to follow after the summer”
Nevertheless, HU expects that UU classes and the student organisations will not encounter any problems with the revised opening hours. “HU and UU have worked jointly on UU's teaching,” says Danielle van Wijngaarden, Director of Operations at HU. Van Wijngaarden explains that, from the coming academic year onwards, three other HU buildings will remain open until 10 pm and can accommodate various activities that are no longer possible in other buildings.

After the summer break, HU will start talking to the new boards of the student organisations, “so that there is enough time for further coordination and any necessary follow-up.” According to her, this was not possible before the summer because “the coordination process at HU had been finalised and the board members already had holiday plans.”

Both HU and UU emphasise that the situation will be monitored following implementation and that agreements can be adjusted where necessary. For many societies, however, this comes too late. They would have preferred to have had a say in advance on a decision that has a major impact on their day-to-day operations.

Vidius therefore sees a strong willingness amongst student organisations to take action against the earlier closing times if the consultations prove fruitless. Glastra van Loon: “The student organisations in question have already seen a significant deterioration in their office space over the past five years. As long as they continue to be threatened in this way, they will put the pressure on the decision-makers at HU and UU who are, for the time being, sidelining them.”

The former Pnyx building in the city centre. Photo: DUB