This week: a new government adviser, quantum collaboration and postdoc precarity
In depth: The Dutch government’s higher education and research budget cut is set to be implemented earlier than previously announced, hitting universities harder than expected.
Full story: Alarm as Dutch university budget cuts brought forward
Also this week from Research Professional News
NWO reorganises work on international collaboration—Netherlands’ main research funder changes internal structure and focus of schemes
Here is the rest of the Dutch news this week…
New AWTI council member appointed
Gerben Edelijn, chief executive officer of engineering company Thales Netherland, will become a member of the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI). The AWTI consists of 10 experts from the scientific and business worlds, who advise the government on science, innovation and technology policy in a personal capacity. The government approved Edelijn’s appointment following a proposal from science and education minister Eppo Bruins. His appointment, effective since 1 September, is for a period of four years.
Call to join quantum project
The Dutch innovation agency TNO and multinational aerospace company Airbus are collaborating on a project to lay the groundwork for a global satellite-based quantum communications network, and are inviting other organisations to join them. The Qu-Star project aims to overcome distance limitations to ground-based quantum networks, building on the Netherlands’ expertise in fields including optics and photonics.
Warning over postdoc precarity
Dutch postdoctoral researchers are in a precarious position due to limited support from universities and funders, the Rathenau Institute has warned. Its researchers Laurens Hessels and Lionne Koens said they were shocked to learn from surveying postdocs that some were delaying having children, working under threat of deportation or unable to afford housing. “You would hope that these situations would be a thing of the past,” they said, as they called on universities and the government to provide more support.
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