What does the outline agreement mean for us?
The outline agreement proposed by the new cabinet will have serious consequences for higher education and research. If the plans go through, there will be significant cutbacks in our sector. We will keep you up to date with developments on this page.
Executive Board and deans: we need one another
The Executive Board and deans expressed their concerns about the proposed cuts immediately after the outline agreement was announced. After the strategic conference in June, they stressed once more that they will do all they can to limit the damage to our university community. They also called on the community to stay connected: ‘Today’s climate makes it more important still to work together and look out for one another. We need one another in this difficult time.’
Focusing attention and calculating potential effects
Budget Day on 17 September (‘Prinsjesdag’ in Dutch) will be an important occasion: this is when the new government will announce its financial plans for the coming year in greater detail. In the meantime, our university administrators and other colleagues are holding background talks with organisations, partners and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science – in conjunction with other universities that are part of Universities of the Netherlands (UNL). The aim of these talks is to focus attention on the importance of higher education and research for our society. Behind the scenes, people are also working hard to calculate the possible effects of the economic measures and to prepare plans to deal with the cutbacks.
Researchers in action
Researchers at Leiden University have sprung into action. In Leiden and The Hague, they have given short lunchtime talks explaining to policy staff and other interested parties what the disastrous impact the intended cutbacks will have on scientific research and, consequently, also on society. If you are interested to hear what they have to say, many of them have also recorded a video, which you can find on the campaign page.
