Students, staff and supporters of universities and colleges across the Netherlands have been protesting government plans to slash over €1 billion (£830 million) from higher education and research. The academic community has warned that the cuts pose a serious threat to the country’s future and could lead to the closure of multiple universities. The Dutch government says it is addressing financial constraints across the public sector, aiming to balance domestic and international students’ needs.
‘There’s no rationale for why the educational system and the science and innovation system should be able to do with less money,’ says Marileen Dogterom, a bionanoscientist at Delft University of Technology and president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science. The cuts are the result of a new four-party coalition government requiring re-evaluation of public spending.
The protest at The Hague in late November attracted thousands of participants following smaller protests that took place across several student cities including Utrecht, Leiden and Enschede. Prominent political figures also joined to show their support, urging the protestors to pressure the Dutch government to reverse the cuts. The demonstration was a coordinated effort involving several organisations, including student unions and educational associations but also attracted private companies, banks and mayors. ‘Everybody’s sort of united in their protest against the government,’ Dogterom says, adding that many more attended than organisers expected.
Students condemned the planned reduction of the basic student grant, noting that they are already struggling to make ends meet. The proposed cuts, which also affect technical training, have raised fears of a brain drain as educational institutions grapple with maintaining programmes and attracting students. These reductions have already led to the cancellation of planned funding for research fellowships and the elimination of several programmes designed to support young scientists.
Universities have already stopped hiring as a result, fearing the impact of cuts. The University of Groningen is only filling vacancies internally with external hiring being kept to a minimum. Utrecht University announced that it would close six bachelor’s programmes by 2030, primarily affecting languages and humanities and other universities have had to freeze spending on new research programmes. Despite these proposed cuts, the government is investing millions into biotechnological projects, which are being welcomed by senior researchers. However, the ongoing budget cuts threaten opportunities for early-career researchers and the long-term innovation capability of the Netherlands. ‘The young groups and the sort of fundamental science that pays off in the future is being affected and … you’re really cutting down on our future well-being and economic power,’ explains Dogterom. She adds that evidence shows that investing in fundamental science pays off in the long run.
Protestors also denounced government plans to cut €300 million from international education budgets – to limit the intake of international students to reduce overcrowding and ensure access for Dutch students.
The coming months will be crucial as the government faces mounting pressure to reconsider its policies and find other ways to address the financial challenges facing Dutch higher education. Negotiations to reduce the cuts may lead to results in the next few days according to Dogterom: ‘Ideally they forget about the complete package of cuts… but I think it’s realistic that they will have to tone it down a little bit just to get it through our democratic system.’
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