Vidius seeks to energise the student movement

Vidius prides itself on its extensive network and excellent understanding of the ins and outs of the Utrecht student community. Among other things, the union is campaigning for increased service times of tramline 22, more non-self-contained student housing, higher grants for management participation, study grants and involving senior secondary vocational students (MBO students) and international students in Utrecht student life. And yet, student attendance is low at events organised by Vidius. For this reason, the union now wants to step up its PR activities and share more about Vidius and its involvement. DUB interviewed Midas Urlings, the 85th president of Vidius, to talk about their plans.

In the policy plan, you stress the importance of a rich and broad student community. How do you intend to achieve that? 
“We want everyone to have the opportunity to have a broad and rich student life, which should remain accessible to everyone. If you enjoy being involved in managerial work, then you should have the means to do so. That opportunity should not solely be there for students with financial means or those with the right connections. We want to remove all obstacles that make access to student life difficult. We also want to be a union for international students, and we want to try to involve MBO institutions and their students as well.”

Levi Verbeek. Photo: Irem Ilayda Zoodsma

In addition, you want to encourage student activism and engagement. The desire is sincere, but the students don’t respond to your call to action. How come? 
“These are indeed issues at play, and we are working very hard to tackle that. We hope to give the student movement more momentum by being much more visible as Vidius and increasing our PR efforts. We also want to showcase our successes online more; previously they were only discussed internally. Vidius is an organisation that informs, and we also want to act as a knowledge centre for students. This is a role we still need to assume more. It’s time for students to get organised, and Vidius is the perfect place for that.”

How do you try to involve MBO students? 
“I believe that since the Minister of Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf, presented his plan of action, we’ve also clearly stated that we are here for everyone who is studying now, and by this, we also mean MBO students. Currently, only a small percentage of students live in student housing and join associations. We’ve seen that some bars like ‘De Kneus’ refuse MBO students, which we believe is extremely harmful. These are all signs that there’s still segregation between students who enrol in Universities of Applied Sciences, universities, and senior vocational education. We’re currently engaged in many discussions with MBO advocates, such as participatory councils and MBO 030. We are exploring where the needs are and how we can best assist in addressing those needs.”

In another article recently published on DUB, Vidius speaks out against the "studiofication" of Utrecht. Why is that? 
“We’re not against it, but we do notice a high demand for more traditional student housing. Not just because they are affordable, or easier to build, but also because it adds to the social aspect of a student's life. This is what I mean when we talk about student life as a social development. In a student house, you make contacts you wouldn't have made otherwise. Speaking from myself, my student house provided a springboard for everything I did, and still do, as a student. Living in a student house can be an excellent foundation, and we feel that in the student community.”

What else is on the agenda when it comes to housing?
“We consistently advocate that students should be able to live in the city where they are studying, and we are also in an ongoing discussion with student housing provider SSH about inclusive housing. There’s a lot of building going on, but we also insist on inclusive property development for students with physical disabilities, as they often have more specific housing needs. These are precisely the students who are sometimes greatly inconvenienced by travelling and would benefit from living where they study.” 

“When it comes to housing for international students, we don't want to join the platitudinous talk that they are the cause of the housing shortage. There is a housing crisis, but it’s not caused by international students."

Midas Urlings. Photo: Irem Ilayda Zoodsma

What else are you working on? 
“Increased service times of tramline 22 and higher management participation grants. Student grants will forever be an issue, and the MBO will only become a bigger topic in the future. Other than that, it is difficult to say now what we will work on next; you find that something can suddenly happen, then you need to email councillors right away, to set something up quickly.”

Such as?
“When SSH delayed the redevelopment of the IBB, we had to act immediately. Also, the sustainability of the TWC flat has our attention, and then there’s the increase in interest rates on student loans that always seems to happen, of course.”

You often refer to your vast network. Can you name some convenient contacts that are on speed dial at Vidius? 
“That depends on the situation. We have 117 member organisations, and they are all different associations. We also have a large group of students to poll on things when we engage with the municipality. But it works in both directions; when students would like to get in touch with city councillors, we are happy to connect them. We have a long tradition of activism and advocacy for students in this city. As far as that’s concerned, we have the knowledge, so we should definitely capitalise on that. For example, the fact that we are in close contact with the municipality is quite special. Unlike other student unions, we can text our city councillors, which would be impossible in Amsterdam.”

Who do you work with the most?
“We are often included by the municipality and SSH when it comes to plans and consultations, and we also have good relations with city councillors and the alderman for education. We also work with the political parties Student & Starter and D66, but overall, both left- and right-wing parties are often helpful. It just depends on what you’re working at. Sometimes, it’s a good thing to have the opposition parties involved. Parties like CDA or VVD are not always associated with student interests, but they do surprise you at times.”

The policy plan states that Vidius wants to lobby more.
“We have been lobbying for years, and we want to be more transparent in where, and why, we lobby. We’ve set up a new politics committee through which we want to involve students in lobbying. There are plenty of students who find that interesting and have relevant knowledge. They could also act as advocates or do special lobbying on issues such as mobility and municipal politics.”

So, maybe Vidius could also become a place where students learn to lobby? 
“Yes, we would love it if Vidius becomes the place to be for the engaged student. Whether you’re an aspiring activist or a shrewd lobbyist, there’s room for everyone.”