You announced it earlier: Budget Day is D-Day for the UT. How did the Troonrede and the Budget Memorandum land?
‘I'm worried. Very worried. You can see that the government is pushing through the announced cuts. Only the funding for the sector plans has not been affected. But one way or another, the cutbacks are coming our way. Even without a crystal ball – because it is still largely unclear what the exact effect will be – it is safe to say that these cuts will have an effect on the UT.'
What did you think of the tone in the speech by the king? Study migration was mentioned as a problem and attention should be paid to 'education and research focused on what the Netherlands needs'.
'Those words, and the cutbacks included in the Budget Memorandum, make it clear that the plans for the Internationalisation in Balance Act will be continued. There is talk of exceptions for universities in border regions and for sectors with shortages, but I am certainly not yet reassured. The rhetoric continues to focus on curtailing study and labour migration. That's why the signal that has been given by the Twente Board is: be careful, don't focus too much on the short term.'
That tendency could be heard yesterday?
'It's mainly the contradiction that bothers me. On the one hand, it is said that there is a need for international cooperation, innovation and strengthening the economy. But, as my colleague Robert-Jan Smits of Eindhoven University of Technology says: the only raw material for our economy is knowledge. It is precisely in this area that we are falling short. The Draghi report recently proved this. We are nowhere near the target of spending 3% of our gross domestic product on research and innovation. The planning agencies also expressed their concerns, which are important signals that apparently nothing is being done about it. The effect of these cuts is disastrous.'
'The previous minister only filled the gap that had fallen, but not on a structural basis'
Last week it became clear that the government wants to cut the start-up and incentive grants – a sum of 8.5 million euros annually for the UT. This must happen from 2025 onwards. Is that blow already being taken into account?
'Absolutely, we can include such a measure when drawing up the budget for next year. Look, you can't just revoke a grant that has been paid out as of 1 January 2025. But we will take the effects of this austerity measure into account in next year's budget.'
The Budget Memorandum also provided more insight into the other measures, which will apply from 2026. You already mentioned the Internationalisation in Balance Act, and the long-term student fine has also been budgeted. Is the UT already anticipating this?
'That is not yet possible, as it depends on possible exceptions and implementation. That is a matter of months rather than weeks before we have more clarity on this. After yesterday, we know a little more than a week ago, but not much more. The only thing that is clear is that it is going to affect us. Not so long ago, the PwC report showed that there is a structural deficit of one billion euros annually in higher education. The previous minister only filled the gap that had fallen, but not on a structural basis. Now higher education and science are being cut by a billion euros. The scale of this is unprecedented.'
