UT Executive Board: cautious optimism about the coalition agreement

The coalition agreement aligns with our conviction that knowledge and talent are essential to addressing the major challenges of our time. We therefore recognise much of the direction we, as a university, have already chosen: the focus on education, research and innovation is encouraging, and we welcome the intention to reverse the budget cuts introduced by the previous cabinet.

The decision to invest structurally in knowledge and to undo earlier cuts supports the path we are already on: working closely with public and private partners, we develop innovative education and research with societal impact. In doing so, we fulfil a clear regional role: in Twente and the eastern Netherlands, and from there connected to national and international developments.

We also see opportunities in the attention the coalition agreement gives to cooperation in the field of defence and security. The University of Twente has strong expertise in areas such as technology, digitalisation and resilience, which can contribute to safety and stability. At the same time, cooperation in this domain clearly calls for great care, including attention to moral and ethical considerations and knowledge security.

The focus on a coherent talent strategy aligns with our daily practice. We invest in attracting, educating and retaining talent, both nationally and internationally. International students and staff strengthen the quality of our education and research and contribute to regional development. The space to continue internationally oriented education provides the stability needed to pursue this course.

In the area of development cooperation, the coalition parties have also agreed to partially reverse previously announced cuts. This may have positive implications for the ODA budget, from which a substantial part of the activities of our ITC faculty are funded. However, it is not yet clear how the proposed investments will be allocated.

In Trouw, UNL chair Caspar van den Berg expressed the hope that the era of ‘yo-yo policy’—funding increases followed by cuts—has come to an end. We share that hope. Strong universities benefit from stable and predictable budgets.

Regardless of the political choices that will be made in the months and years ahead, we remain committed to the course we set for ourselves—for example in the institutional plan we are currently developing—and ensure that we remain sufficiently agile to seize opportunities and address challenges as they arise.