Academics strike as coalition signals rethink on HE cuts

Strikes calling for more investment in Dutch universities took place on 9 December in Amsterdam, despite indications that the new coalition government may be planning to reverse over €1 million (US$1.17 million) in budget cuts proposed for higher education by the previous government led by prime minister Dick Schoof.

Strike organisers FNV, the largest trade union in the Netherlands, said on its website: “The future of higher education is being decided now at the coalition table. One thing is certain: we won't let politicians get away with empty promises.

“Investing in higher education means not only reversing budget cuts but also making additional investments. That's why we're striking again on 9 December 9. Because recovery begins now.”

FNV said: “The Schoof cabinet has cut €1.4 billion from the education budget, with the biggest blow hitting higher education. During the upcoming coalition government, it will be decided whether to reverse or continue these cuts.

“The three parties that appear to have a key role (D66 [Democrats 66], CDA [Christian Democratic Appeal] and PVV [People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy]) have very different positions on this.

“While there's a chance the cuts will be reversed, higher education could easily be used as a cash machine to fund defence investments. During the coalition government, we must therefore strongly emphasise the importance of education and research. Therefore, on December 9th, we will send another strong message: stop the demolition of higher education!” the website said.

The FNV also claimed in online statements explaining the strike that planned cuts to internationalisation, along with the elimination of some international programmes like psychology, were “an attack on the international character of our universities” and that international colleagues were “being treated as undesirable” by the government.

It argued that the cuts were “coupled with an ideology that casts suspicion on independent and critical thinking”.

Increased R&D investment

The peak body, the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), has publicly welcomed indications from two major coalition parties, D66 and CDA, that they support a structural increase in R&D investment to 3% of GDP.

“These are important steps to keep the Netherlands prosperous, healthy, and safe. Universities are ready to help the Netherlands move forward,” said UNL chair Caspar van den Berg in response to an interim report from the coalition parties.

UNL said it is also positive about the new government’s “clear ambition to keep the Netherlands attractive to scientific talent”.

“Reinstating the expat scheme, improving the knowledge worker scheme, and connecting to the EU talent pool will enable universities to attract and retain top researchers, lecturers, and young scientists. UNL is pleased to accept the invitation from D66 and CDA to work with a new cabinet, businesses, and social partners to advance the Netherlands through education, research, and innovation,” it said in a statement.

In a move that is likely to receive further approval from the academic sector, it was announced this week and reported by Observant, the online newspaper of Maastricht University, that D66 member Rianne Letschert, currently president of the Board of Maastricht University, has been put forward by D66 as the new informateur (negotiation facilitator) for the new government. Letschert will be responsible for guiding the next phase of the formation process with her party, the VVD and CDA.

In media interviews earlier this year, Maastricht reportedly indicated she would be willing to trade her current job for a ministerial position, having previously declined the position of Minister of Education in the Rutte IV cabinet in 2021.

However, despite some optimism, many academics believe pressure on the government in the form of strike action is still necessary.

Floor de Booys, spokesperson for education trade union Algemene Onderwijsbond (AOb), one of the strike organisers, said while “optimistic” might be “too strong a word”, it was important to be “hopeful that the strikes at universities will have a positive impact upon higher education and research positions in the ongoing government negotiations,” she said.

“Previous strikes against the budget cuts were very successful, so at least we must try to convince the new cabinet not to implement cuts in education.”

A good ‘reminder’

Reporting from the strike, Delta, the independent journalism platform of Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), interviewed Jesper Cockx, who wore an AOb cap and an FNV vest.

“The parties at the coalition talks need to be reminded that this is serious. During the campaign, D66 said they wanted to invest in higher education, but now they don’t mention it at all. A big strike is a good way to remind them,” said Cockx.

Dr Julia Hermann, an assistant professor at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Twente, who spoke at the protest gathering in Amsterdam, told U-today, the University of Twente’s news outlet, the strike was still necessary “because the coalition talks are happening right now, and this is precisely the moment to make our views heard. Certain promises were made during the election campaign, so they should be kept. At the same time, we want to stress once more how important it is to invest in education”.

She told University World News her speech on 9 December touched on the fact that budget cuts decided upon by the old government are already being felt at her university.

“Two faculties underwent a reorganisation this year, with around 70 lay-offs in total. This has created an atmosphere of anxiety. The consequences are felt at many levels. PhD students lost their supervisors, courses had to be taken over, and the workload for the remaining staff at those faculties increased,” she wrote in an email.

She said a second reorganisation, of the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, was primarily due to the budget cuts in development collaboration decided under former Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Reinette Klever for the Party for Freedom (PVV).

“These cuts undermine highly important research on topics such as climate change adaptation and geo-health at one of the world’s top institutes.

“Simultaneously, UT researchers are being offered funding by the government and private companies if they carry out research related to defence and the military. This development is highly worrisome, as militarisation exacerbates the climate crisis, and by contributing to it, the university undermines its efforts in research aimed at combatting climate change,” she stated.

A ‘schizophrenic’ reality

Job Zomerplaag, a PhD candidate at Maastricht University and United Nations University-MERIT, told University World News the situation “perfectly illustrates the ‘schizophrenic’ reality Dutch universities currently face: caught between the optimism of potential new investments and the harsh reality of current budget cuts and ‘anti-woke’ rhetoric”.

“The plans from CDA and D66 to invest 3% of GDP and restore expat schemes are exactly the ‘breathing space’ we hoped for. However, the strikes on December 9 prove that this reprieve is fragile.

“Restoring the budget is step one, but it cannot be the end goal. If universities accept the new funding from CDA and D66 but fail to fix our ‘vertical connection’ to society, we are simply waiting for the next populist wave to hit us harder. We must use this money not just to compete globally for excellence but to reconnect locally for legitimacy,” said Zomerplaag.

Zomerplaag said if universities are seen only as international hubs for the elite, they become easy targets for the kind of populist “demolition” the unions are striking against. “True resilience requires us to show that our people and resources serve the public good.”

Commenting on her appointment as an informateur Zomerplaag described Letschert as “a very skilled and competent scholar and executive” at Maastricht University (UM).

“Although she has no experience as a politician in the national parliament, she has frequently appeared in The Hague in recent years, where she, as UM president, emphasised the importance of the university in the region as a driving force behind economic development in the province of Limburg.

“She also served as [an] informateur, in 2018 during the formation of a new municipality in Maastricht. In addition, Letschert has led the National Growth Fund (government investments in projects that ensure long-term economic growth). If there's one person ... able to address the vertical disconnect that I signal, it would be her.”

Independent higher education strategist Peter van der Hijden told University World News: “Common sense is back in the Netherlands, it seems. Now momentum must be kept using all possible pressure points. While Dutch governments reside in The Hague, Dam Square in Amsterdam is the most classic place for citizens to voice their legitimate concerns, as a good number of them did this week.”