Invitation of controversial UvA teacher divides higher education media

Buijs, who works at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), was invited by the Groningen-based organisers to participate in a panel about "wokism" as part of the joint conference set to take place on April 13. It looks like other higher education news outlets did not appreciate the choice.

To Saskia Bonger, Editor-in-Chief at Delta, the news outlet from Delft University, this is reason enough to resign from the role of chair of the board of the association of editors-in-chief of university media. Two other board members — the editors-in-chief of the publications about Twente University and the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences — have also decided to drop out of the conference.

Radicalised
Buijs caused controversy in January, when he published an op-ed in UvA's news outlet Folia, in which he criticised "the woke culture" in the Faculty of Social Sciences. It was this article that led DUB's editor-in-chief, Ries Agterberg, who also serves as the chair of the Association of Editors-in-Chief of University Media, to suggest Buijs as a suitable panelist for the congress to the organisers in Groningen. 

He's since come to regret that suggestion. "Buijs radicalised himself a lot over the past few months," writes the board of the association in an e-mail to all participating outlets.

These past few months, Buijs appeared among journalists and politicians classified as conspiracy theorists. He also caused revulsion for his remarks on the Internet, such as a blog about the world reptilian government. He also liked a swastika made out of transgender flags.

Refused
The e-mail informs that the board of the association asked the organisers in Groningen to cancel Buijs' invitation. "Buijs spreads such nonsensical claims that the board considers he will only influence the debate on woke negatively," argued Agterberg and the other board members.

The editors-in-chief from UK, the news outlet from the University of Groningen, and from Hanzemag, from the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, who are organising the event, refused to do so.

On Erasmus Magazine, published by the Rotterdam-based university, Rob Siebelink, from UK, states that he understands the disgust of his counterparts but he believes it's important to hear a variety of points of view. "There will be people with completely different points of view on that stage, as well as a strong moderator," he writes. "This way, no one will have the chance to spout hate speech."

Compromise
In the end, they have reached the following compromise: the Association of Editors-in-chief of Higher Education Media is no longer responsible for the content of the conference and the chair of the association, Agterberg, will no longer open the event with a speech. That's also according to the e-mail sent by the board to its members.

That was not enough for the Delft-based editor-in-chief, Saskia Bonger, which is why she pulled out of the board. Two of the other three remaining members will not be coming to the event, either. Even so, the board says in its e-mail that the event must take place nevertheless. "You are all free to go and participate in the convention."