Letschert: hundreds of millions more for higher education

Universities and universities of applied sciences will receive hundreds of millions of euros more for research, innovation and recruiting international students. The basic grant for students living away from home will increase by 50 euros. At least, if the cabinet gets its way.

In a letter to the House of Representatives minister Rianne Letschert (D66) and state secretary Judith Tielen (VVD) set out the markers of their policy. They allocate the 1.5 billion euros that the new coalition has earmarked for education and research.

The minority cabinet of D66, CDA and VVD will need support from opposition parties for all plans, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate. They can therefore still adjust things. The ‘policy letter’ of the ministers is thus an opening bid.

Of the 1.5 billion euros the cabinet wants to spend 582 million euros on higher education, research and innovation. For raising the basic grant for students living away from home (50 euros per month) 109 million euros is reserved in the longer term.

Talent

The previous cabinet wanted to curb the number of international students, but the new coalition takes a different view. Universities and universities of applied sciences will again be able to attract talent from abroad. Letschert has set aside 154 million euros for this.

It must be targeted, the cabinet says. The relaxation therefore applies mainly to sectors ‘where the social challenges are most urgent and which preserve knowledge and innovation ecosystems in the region’.

There is also a limit: if the number of international students grows in one sector, the supply of English-taught places in another sector must be restricted. Universities and universities of applied sciences may make mutual agreements about this: they wanted self-direction after all.

Research

Of the 428 million euros for research, 128 million euros will go to the so-called sector plans of universities. In these they make national agreements about the division of tasks and specialisations in teaching and research. The cabinet therefore wants more cooperation and less competition.

Another part goes to practice-oriented research by universities of applied sciences. Over the coming years the budget will rise by 20 million euros, but in the longer term that grows to 68 million euros. On top of that comes 17 million euros for practice-oriented research in vocational secondary education (mbo).

For European cooperation in scientific research the cabinet reserves 127 million euros from 2030. That money is intended for partnerships with other universities, but also for matching of European research funds: sometimes Europe only reimburses part of a research project and the rest must come from the national government.

Einstein Telescope

Letschert also wants to allocate an extra 25 million euros for the possible construction of the Einstein Telescope, an underground observatory with kilometre-long tunnels for laser beams with which gravitational waves could be measured.

It’s not yet certain that the ‘telescope’ will actually be built here. The Netherlands wants to build it in Limburg, together with (scientific) partners from Belgium and Germany. But there are two other candidates that want to win the telescope: the Italian island Sardinia and the German state of Saxony.

Former minister of Foreign Affairs and state secretary for European Affairs Ben Knapen will become, from the summer, a ‘special envoy’ for the Einstein Telescope.

Digital infrastructure

The cabinet will also invest in the digital infrastructure of science, the letter to the House of Representatives says, ‘for example via an extra one-off contribution to the successor of the national supercomputer Snellius of 185 million euros’.

After that, there will be no more money for supercomputers: “We expect institutions to then take responsibility themselves to set aside sufficient funds each year for a potential successor.”

Reactions

The universities are enthusiastic. Umbrella association UNL supports this first elaboration of the cabinet’s plans, its press release says. Chair Caspar van den Berg: “After two years in which the Netherlands as a knowledge nation has been hit hard by the cuts, this change of course is an important step towards recovery and strengthening our universities.”

Universities of applied sciences are also positive. “We appreciate that the cabinet wants to invest in the education and research of universities of applied sciences over the coming years”, says chair Maurice Limmen of the Vereniging Hogescholen.

The National Student Union (LSVb) isn’t celebrating yet. “It’s good that the basic grant is being raised by 50 euros per month, but that will not solve students’ problems”, says Maaike Krom. “We face a significant shortfall.” The student union is also worried about the dismantling of social security. On 1 May, Labour Day, the LSVb will demonstrate together with other trade unions in Amsterdam.