Government aims to allocate hundreds of millions more to higher education

In a letter to the House of Representatives, Minister Rianne Letschert (D66) and State Secretary Judith Tielen (VVD) have set out the key points of their policy. They have allocated the 1.5 billion euros that the new coalition has earmarked for education and research.

The minority cabinet, comprised of D66, CDA and VVD, must secure the support of opposition parties in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to implement its plans. It is, therefore, likely that they will make adjustments. The ministers’ "policy letter" is thus an opening offer.

The government intends to spend 582 million euros on higher education, research and innovation. Among the long-term plans, a total of 109 million euros has been set aside to increase the basic grant for students not living with their parents (50 euros per month).

Talent
The previous government wanted to reduce the number of international students, but the new coalition thinks differently. Universities and universities of applied sciences will once again have the opportunity to attract talent from abroad, and Letschert has allocated 154 million euros for this purpose.

However, the government believes this must be done in a targeted manner. The relaxation therefore applies to sectors “where societal challenges are most urgent and in the sense of maintaining knowledge and innovation ecosystems in the region”.

There is also a limit: if the number of international students grows in one sector, the provision of English-taught study places in another sector must be restricted. Universities and universities of applied sciences may enter into mutual agreements to ensure this happens. After all, they wanted autonomy.

Research
Of the 428 million euros earmarked for research, 128 million euros will go towards universities' so-called sector plans. These are national agreements on the distribution of tasks and specialisations in education and research. In so doing, the government signals that it wants more cooperation and less competition.

Another portion of the budget will go towards practice-oriented research conducted at universities of applied sciences. Over the next few years, the budget will increase by 20 million, and in the long term, it will reach 68 million euros. In addition, 17 million have been earmarked for practice-oriented research at the vocational education level.

Furthermore, the government is setting aside 127 million euros for European cooperation in scientific research, from 2030 onwards. This money goes to partnerships with other universities and also helps match European research funding: sometimes Europe only reimburses part of the research project, so the rest must come from the national government.

Einstein Telescope
Letschert also intends to allocate an additional 25 million euros for the potential construction of the Einstein Telescope, an underground observatory with several kilometres of tunnels for laser beams that could be used to measure gravitational waves.

It is not yet certain that this "telescope" will be built here. The Netherlands wants to build it in Limburg, alongside partners from Belgium and Germany, but two other candidates are vying to secure the telescope: the Italian island of Sardinia and the German state of Saxony.

Ben Knapen, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and State Secretary for European Affairs, will act as a "special envoy" for the Einstein Telescope, starting this summer.

Digital infrastructure
The Dutch government will also invest in digital infrastructure for scientific purposes. “For example, through an additional one-off contribution of 185 million euros towards the successor to the national supercomputer Snellius,” says the letter. And that is where it ends: “After that, we expect institutions to take responsibility for allocating sufficient funds for a potential successor annually.”

Reactions
Universities have welcomed the plans. Their umbrella association, UNL, supported the initial outline in a press release, with chair Caspar van den Berg stating: “After two years in which the Netherlands has been severely affected by budget cuts as a knowledge-based nation, this change of course is an important step towards recovering and strengthening our universities.”

Universities of applied sciences are equally positive. “We appreciate that the government intends to invest in the education and research offered by universities of applied sciences,” Maurice Limmen, chair of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, states.

Nonetheless, the National Student Union (LSVb) is not ready to celebrate just yet. “It’s good that the basic student grant is increasing by 50 euros, but that won’t solve students’ problems,” reacts its chair, Maaike Krom. “We’re facing a significant shortfall.” Moreover, the student union is concerned about the dismantling of social security. On 1 May, Labour Day, LSVb will join other trade unions in a demonstration in Amsterdam.