{"id":179184,"date":"2025-05-16T14:28:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=179184"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:49","slug":"academic-freedom-in-the-netherlands-under-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/05\/16\/academic-freedom-in-the-netherlands-under-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic freedom in the Netherlands under pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Academic freedom is also under pressure in the Netherlands, warns the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Budget cuts, intimidation and two new legislative proposals threaten the autonomy of researchers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Of course, the KNAW is concerned about the\u00a0<\/span>consequences<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of Donald Trump\u2019s attack on science. But academic freedom is also threatened in the Netherlands, as stated in a report<\/a> released on thursday by the KNAW.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Budget cuts<\/h2>
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Due to significant government cuts, researchers must increasingly seek funding from other sources, such as businesses, or conduct research on behalf of governments, the report states. This means that \u2018the risk of influence increases\u2019. In other words, researchers may feel pressured to align with the interests of their funders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The KNAW also criticises the new law on Internationalisation in Balance. The minister aims to reduce English-language education, but according to the KNAW, universities lose part of their autonomy if they are not allowed to determine the language of instruction themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Furthermore, the report states that the\u00a0<\/span>systematic screening<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of staff and students who come into contact with \u2018sensitive knowledge\u2019 goes too far. The cabinet wants to implement this to improve knowledge security, but\u00a0<\/span>like the universities<\/a>, the KNAW believes this infringes too much on academic freedom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Intimidation<\/h2>
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Moreover, the \u2018polarisation and hardening of public debate\u2019 poses problems for researchers. An earlier published monitor by the KNAW shows that researchers (particularly women and young researchers) are regularly intimidated or threatened, especially when they speak out on sensitive topics such as climate change, (de)colonisation, and the war between Israel and Hamas. This often occurs online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Fear of intimidation can lead to academic self-censorship. Other research indicates that some researchers have applied self-censorship multiple times in the past three years, according to the KNAW.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One of the proposed solutions in the report is regulating social media. According to the report authors, the government has a responsibility \u2018to effectively combat harmful online content\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Academic community<\/h2>
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However, even\u00a0<\/span>within<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>the academic community, social safety (and thus academic freedom) is not sufficiently safeguarded. The prevailing hierarchy and pressure to perform mean that both staff and students feel restricted in what they can and cannot say.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The KNAW therefore calls on universities not to refuse external speakers solely based on their dissenting political or social views. There should be room for debate, after all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Regarding (student) protests, the KNAW states that universities \u2018should not only provide society with scientific knowledge\u2019 but must also facilitate dialogue, \u2018especially on controversial issues, such as the war in Gaza\u2019. One of the authors, professor Andr\u00e9 Nollkaemper,\u00a0<\/span>previously advocated<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>for sit-ins and lectures as a form of protest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Legislation<\/h2>
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The European Commission recently announced that the EU seeks to formalise academic freedom in a new\u00a0<\/span>law<\/a>. The KNAW is also now advocating for better legal protection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t

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