The exact amount that needs to be cut in the coming years is still unknown. “The story here is that there is still a lot of uncertainty”, Van Schoten sighs. The unknown factor remains the Law on Internationalisation in Balance, the Wib. The consequences of this have yet to be factored into the university’s budgeting, and its effects remain unclear.
Just a few days ago, the cabinet proposal was amended because, at the request of the parliament, regions where the population is shrinking had to be spared. According to the new proposal, Rotterdam will most likely not be classified as a shrinking region, which would mean that the EUR will have to bear an even greater burden.
‘Language test must be scrapped’
The law proposal currently contains a language test for non-native education for existing programmes, criteria that decide which studies can remain and which can’t. The universities want the test to be completely scrapped, says Van Schoten. “Give universities control over which programmes remain and which are phased out, as this could help mitigate the effects of the Wib on universities.” The EUR has several large, fully English-taught programmes, such as International Business Administration, the International Bachelor in Economics & Business Economics, and the International Bachelor of Psychology.
“As things stand, the expected shortfall still falls within the ranges we had anticipated”, Van Schoten remains optimistic. This range is between 15 and 75 million euros in total, with the vice-chair expecting that the 75 million figure is on the high side. “Moreover, the peak financial impact of the Wib is not expected until around 2029, so we have time to implement measures.”
Already saved 25 million
For 2025, approximately 25 million euros have already been saved through the cessation of several strategic projects and other measures. For instance, the IT department has reduced the number of software licenses, external hiring has been ‘significantly limited’, and the Eurekaweek has been shortened. Each faculty and support service is actively working on cuts. “For 2026, we will likely need to take additional measures”, Van Schoten anticipates.
Closing buildings
When painful choices need to be made, Van Schoten prioritises staff over facilities. “In that case, we explicitly choose our people, not bricks.”
One consequence of this is the intention to close five buildings on the Woudestein campus earlier than planned. The F-, G-, and Q-buildings, which house student accommodation, lecture halls, a meditation room, Erasmus Enterprise, Erasmus Magazine, and the faculty association EFR, will close at the end of 2025 and will then be demolished. The N-building, which is also used by Erasmus Enterprise, will likewise disappear. The V-building, originally intended as a temporary structure (located between Polak and Van der Goot), will close first: following its closure in August, it will be demolished.
The early closure of these five buildings is expected to save 5 million euros, as maintenance, cleaning, and utility costs will no longer be necessary.
More enterprising
Moreover, Van Schoten hopes to generate additional income on the balance sheet. “We do not want to be overly dependent on the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. We need to diversify our revenue streams.” She sees opportunities for more contract research. “We are already an enterprising university, but we can definitely become even more entrepreneurial. There are opportunities in the field of AI. Rotterdam aims to become an AI city, and we have much to offer in terms of ethics. We can also collaborate well in this area with Erasmus MC, TU Delft, or other institutions.”
Van Schoten also hopes to reach new target groups for additional revenue, such as alumni and professionals. “We are exploring how we can expand lifelong learning (for example, education for working individuals). We can also capitalise more on our alumni network by asking all our former students for a small annual contribution. Some universities, like Utrecht, already do this.”
Additionally, she hopes for cooperation from the entire academic community. “We really need to do it together. No longer thinking: ‘I have my own reserve in my department.’ But thinking from the perspective of the university as a whole. Build your relationships further. If you receive a research assignment but lack the capacity or time, reach out to colleagues so they can take it on. We all need to pull together.”
English tests not for students but for teaching staff, a great part of which speaks ‘pigeon English’, good for the supermarket or the pub but not for the classroom.
Perhaps Ms Van Schoten can attend a class of, say, the MSc in Maritime Economics and Logistics to get an idea of what I mean, if she doesn’t have one already.
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