{"id":200452,"date":"2026-11-12T15:07:01","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T14:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=200452"},"modified":"2026-11-12T15:07:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T14:07:08","slug":"harde-bezuinigingen-in-argentinie-we-zetten-de-toekomst-van-onze-universiteiten-op-het-spel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/11\/12\/harde-bezuinigingen-in-argentinie-we-zetten-de-toekomst-van-onze-universiteiten-op-het-spel\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep budget cuts in Argentina: ‘We are putting the future of our universities at risk’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Empty classrooms, crumbling facilities and lecturers leaving. Since President Javier Milei came to power, Argentine universities have been under considerable financial pressure. During his exchange, IBCoM student Stef Straver set out to explore the impact of the cuts on university education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Banners in the University of Buenos Aires building. Remate<\/em> means ‘sale’ and the word refers to a protest from the end of the last century.<\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStef Straver<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I am on an exchange in Buenos Aires, sitting with a group of fellow students in one of the city’s many caf\u00e9s, talking about my experiences. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by my university, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. The campus is modern, the classes are good and the lecturers are capable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is far from the case everywhere, one Argentine fellow student points out. Many public universities have been in serious financial difficulty since Milei took office in 2023. You would hardly notice that at the private university where I study, but only a small group can afford to study here. My fellow student has a scholarship. Students without one pay thousands of euros in tuition fees each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\t

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Stef Straver is studying for a bachelor’s in International Bachelor Communication and Media in Rotterdam. He currently lives and studies in Buenos Aires. Before leaving for Argentina, he worked as an editorial intern at Erasmus Magazine.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The subject immediately piques my interest. In the Netherlands, too, the previous government wanted to make ‘unprecedentedly deep’ cuts to higher education. Although most of these plans were reversed, the financial future remains uncertain. I wonder: can the Netherlands learn anything from the situation in Argentina?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university as a springboard<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My search begins with an email to Marcelo Rabossi. He specialises in higher education policy and university funding. I hope he can tell me more about the current situation. A week later, we meet in his office at Di Tella University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabossi explains that about 80 per cent of Argentine students attend a public university. Studying there is free, and there are no admission requirements or exams. The remaining 20 per cent go to a private university, where students do pay tuition fees. These universities often have entrance exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination of free education and freedom of choice made public universities a source of national pride. “These universities played a central role in Argentina’s development and are therefore highly regarded in society”, Rabossi says. “Studying at these universities is something to be proud of.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No one questioned this Argentine tradition”, he continues. Milei’s arrival changed that. “For example, he wanted students at public universities to pay for their education. The universities rejected the proposal.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that public universities do not charge tuition fees makes them vulnerable. “90 per cent of their income comes from the government”, Rabossi notes. “Milei significantly cut the budget after taking office. That’s where the problem began.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire sale<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, I got in touch with Eugenia through a fellow student. She studies at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina’s largest public university, and is active in the protest movement against the cuts. She invites me to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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Een lijst met artikelen<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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