Performance agreements signed: government backs ambitious university plans31 October 2012 |
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On Monday 29 October, the University of Twente was among 17 universities that joined Deputy Education Minister Halbe Zijlstra in signing a series of performance agreements. The agreements set out concrete ambitions for the coming years and goals aimed at creating a system that is not only sustainable but first and foremost internationally competitive. In the short to mid term, these agreements are designed to deliver a higher level of performance in a range of areas. From now on, students will be less likely to fall behind with their studies. One way of achieving this is for universities to provide a more ambitious culture in which to study, by improving the quality of teaching staff, by working to ensure a good match between students and their programmes, by selective intake of students and by offering broad-based Bachelor’s programmes. Each university will adopt a more distinctive profile in education and research, both nationally and internationally. The curriculum will also allow for greater variation, to correspond more effectively with the specific needs and requirements of students. In cooperation with industry, research results are increasingly being translated into products and services. In signing the performance agreements, the government gives a guarantee for these ambitious plans with the provision of necessary funding and legislative support. Last September, the performance agreements were assessed by the Review Committee, which provides advice to the Deputy Minister. In advance, the University of Twente had based its expectations on receiving a good assessment. In fact, the university was assessed as very good, which means that the annual level of public funding for the University of Twente will now be approximately half a million euros higher than expected. The Committee justified its very good assessment of the performance agreements proposed by the University of Twente with reference to the large number of effective measures the university is taking with regard to curriculum development and educational differentiation. Through these measures, the University of Twente aims to substantially improve the pass rates for its Bachelor’s programmes, to a greater extent than other universities of technology. Another key factor is the university’s focus on excellence programmes, as evidenced by the launch of ATLAS, its unique University College of Engineering, in September 2013. The new educational model in place at the University of Twente from September 2013 with a view to enhancing appeal, quality and efficiency is regarded by the Review Committee as an example that “the University of Twente is pursuing a sound policy with regard to educational differentiation”. It describes the university’s proposals for research and commercial knowledge transfer as embodying a strong commitment to national and European priorities. Further details: http://www.utwente.nl/archief/2012/05/voorstel_voor_prestatieafspraken_met_ministerie_van_ocw.doc/ http://www.utwente.nl/bestuur/publicaties/voorstel-prestatieafspraken.pdf Note to the press: For further information, please contact Bertyl Lankhaar, spokesperson for the Executive Board: tel. +31 (0)53 489 2210, e-mail b.g.lankhaar@utwente.nl. |
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