Research organisations say cuts will harm education and research, casting doubt on innovation target
The Dutch government’s higher education and research budget cut is set to be implemented earlier than previously announced, hitting universities harder than expected.
Announced on 17 September, the Dutch National Budget includes €257 million of the planned €1 billion in cuts taking effect as early as 1 January 2025, with €175m being implemented a year earlier than originally stated in the outline agreement.
This unexpected shift will directly affect staff and students in the current academic year, sector leaders said.
Caspar van den Berg, president of the UNL association of Dutch universities, expressed concern about the move, saying that it would heap more financial pressure on universities.
“This will make the shock effect for universities even greater,” he said. “The government is withdrawing funding already allocated to young researchers, putting universities in a difficult position.”
The Knowledge Coalition, an alliance of Dutch knowledge institutions, also reiterated its concerns about the cuts to universities and research more generally. While it acknowledged some positive points in the government’s policy, such as the introduction of a favourable tax scheme for knowledge workers, it remained critical of the overall cut.
Spending target
The coalition expressed doubt that the government could achieve its ambition for the Netherlands to invest 3 per cent of its GDP in R&D by 2030 while also cutting €1bn from public spending in the sector.
“The total package presented by the government is, in effect, a cut to our future earning capacity,” said Knowledge Coalition chair Marcel Levi.
“Research, innovation and productivity growth go hand in hand. Only in this way can the Netherlands remain competitive.
“Private and public investments really must and can increase if we want to spend 3 per cent of GDP on public and private investments in R&D in 2030…It is encouraging to see that this government is sticking to the 3 per cent standard, but it is unclear what options the government has in mind to achieve [it].”
According to recent figures, the Netherlands invests 2.3 per cent of its GDP in R&D, which lags significantly behind countries such as Germany (3.1 per cent), Belgium (3.5 per cent) and South Korea (4.9 per cent).
The coalition called for further dialogue with the government on its policies and the impact of the cuts on the Dutch knowledge and innovation landscape.
Van den Berg also criticised the apparent contradiction in government policy, saying: “The government says it is committed to a good, competitive position and an excellent business climate, but with these cutbacks it is doing exactly the opposite.”
Not set in stone
Science and education minister Eppo Bruins acknowledged the impact of the cuts, but indicated that their exact implementation is not yet final.
“The cuts in our budget add up significantly. How we will shape these cuts is not yet set in stone in all cases,” he said.
“In the coming period, I want to work together with people in education, science, journalism and the cultural sector to make sensible choices so that we retain what is good and continue to invest where possible.”
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