700 million for higher education
The new cabinet wants to spend 700 million euros extra per year on ‘further education/research’. The universities are counting on this money, because the amount comes on top of the new fund for research and science (five billion euros in ten years). The 700 million euros are in the financial annex to the new coalition agreement of VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie.
The money is earmarked, among other things, for untied research and development, reducing work pressure, improving student wellbeing, bridging programmes, small-scale studies and the balance between first and second-stream funding (direct and indirect science funding).
“It’s good news for students and staff that the new cabinet is answering our call to invest heavily,” says Pieter Duisenberg, president of universities association UNL. “This agreement seems to offer universities and university medical centres the space to put their foundations back in order.”
Both universities and universities of applied sciences are pleased that the arrival of a new basic grant will not affect the higher education budget. The extra government spending on higher education, which was linked to the scrapping of the basic grant, will be retained. (HOP, BB)
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