Dutch universities are struggling due to being structurally underfunded. Although the number of students has been increasing for years, funding per student has dropped. This has left precious little time and financial resources to conduct high-quality research or deliver high-quality teaching, let alone both. This is why teaching staff, researchers, students, administrators and alumni of all 14 Dutch research universities will be congregating on Tuesday, 6 April, to sound the alarm. They will be calling on the new government to invest 1.1 billion euros on a structural basis. University of Twente supports the action.
Normal Academic Standard (Normaal Academisch Peil)
The call for investment is supported by the recently published PwC report commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. These investments are essential to restoring the level of Dutch university education to a Normal Academic Standard (Normaal Academisch Peil).
Dutch universities are among the best in the world. This benefits all of society. It ensures that our economy is competitive and innovative. Our universities educate the people we need to meet the challenges of our time, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis. Unfortunately, our universities are struggling due to being structurally underfunded. As a result of underfunding, students no longer receive the education they deserve, while our lecturers and professors are struggling to cope. It is high time to address this situation and to work towards a Normal Academic Standard to ensure the students of today receive the proper education they need to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
