Raad van State: vooral bètastudenten zijn de klos

In zijn advies waarschuwt de Raad van State dat de financiële toegankelijkheid van het hoger onderwijs voor sommige groepen studenten in het geding is. Met name voor masterstudenten in exacte studies kan de opeenstapeling van maatregelen negatief uitpakken.

Studenten mogen van staatssecretaris Zijlstra vanaf volgend collegejaar minder lang gebruik maken van hun ov-kaart en hebben niet meer zo snel recht op een aanvullende beurs. Voor het bepalen van de hoogte daarvan wordt niet langer rekening gehouden met minderjarige broertjes of zusjes in het gezin of met de studieschuld van ouders. Een student met onvindbare of weigerachtige ouders verliest de aanvullende beurs helemaal. De Raad vraagt de staatssecretaris om cumulatieve effecten “weg te nemen of te compenseren”.

Maar volgens Zijlstra valt het wel mee met de aantallen studenten die door meerdere maatregelen tegelijk getroffen worden. In totaal zullen zo’n zeshonderd studenten aan een meerjarige masteropleiding minder of geen aanvullende beurs meer krijgen. Van het ingeperkte reisrecht hebben zij in principe geen last, schrijft Zijlstra, tenzij ze te lang studeren.

De Raad van State had ook kritiek op het aanpassen van de fiscale aftrekregels voor studiekosten. De wijzigingen moeten voorkomen dat masterstudenten te veel studiekosten kunnen aftrekken en zo alsnog een deel van hun basisbeurs ‘terugverdienen’. Maar ook mensen die zich op latere leeftijd laten bijscholen ondervinden er negatieve gevolgen van, schrijft de Raad. Die kunnen de kosten van bijvoorbeeld een laptop niet meer aftrekken.

Zijlstra heeft liever dat voor iedereen dezelfde regels gelden. Hij vindt niet dat mensen worden beperkt in hun studiemogelijkheden. Noodzakelijke en verplichte kosten worden immers nog steeds gedekt en die laptop zouden ze waarschijnlijk toch wel hebben aangeschaft, redeneert hij.

Tougher admissions
Dutch universities and polytechnic will be allowed to select students according to admissions interviews with prospective students. Dutch students who possess hbo-propedeuse diplomas will no longer be automatically admitted. State secretary Halbe Zijlstra announced these measures last Tuesday, in reaction to recommendations put forward by a committee led by the former Agriculture Minister, Cees Veerman. By instituting more stringent admission procedures, the quality of Dutch higher education is expected to increase.

Iran lawsuit
In a move bound to interest TU Delft’s sizeable Iranian student community, the Dutch Parliament adopted a motion to study the feasibility of filing a lawsuit against Iran at the International Court of Justice. The move stems from the Iran government’s decision to deny the Dutch embassy in Iran permission to assist Dutch citizens who also hold Iranian nationality. Dutch-Iranian human rights activist, Abdullah al-Mansouri, currently imprisoned in Iran, has been denied Dutch consular assistance.

Workload
The workload of the TU Delft’s academic teaching staff is high and will
increase, says the Works Council. The council therefore advises TU Delft’s
Executive Board to take some efficiency measures. TU Delft, for instance, should not develop digital academic teaching resources alone, the council
suggests, but rather do so in partnership with other universities of technology. The council moreover states that PhD students should be allowed to supervise MSc students.

Government cash
Good news for students contemplating starting their own companies. The Dutch government has announced plans to invest hundreds of millions of euros into nine specific sectors over the coming years and offer 500 million euros in tax breaks to small businesses. The nine chosen sectors are: water, agri-food, horticulture, high-tech, life sciences, chemistry, energy, logistics and creative industries. These sectors will receive an investment of 1.5 billion euros annually, starting in 2015. Moreover, an innovation fund will be established, allowing companies to borrow funds for certain business ventures.

Ladies’ night
On Tuesday evening, 15 February, TU Delft will host its second annual ‘Ladies Night’, when various prominent alumni and staff – including Hester Bijl, the first female professor at the faculty of Aerospace Engineering, and Civil Engineering alumnus Karin Sluis – will talk about their experiences as female engineering students and their work in a technical environment. 

ladiesnight.tudelft.nl

Professor of ports
Tiedo Vellinga has been appointed a part-time professor of Ports & Waterways at the CEG faculty. He succeeds Professor Han Ligteringen, who retired last year. Professor Vellinga’s duties will include the planning and design of infrastructures for the benefit of maritime and inland shipping. As a professor of Ports & Waterway, he will closely collaborate with the Port of Rotterdam, which aims to become the world’s smartest and most sustainable port.

Weed pass
International students in Eindhoven may not receive OV passes to ride buses and trains for free, but at least they won’t need a special ‘weed pass’ to buy marijuana if they’re so inclined. Eindhoven city council rejected a plan to implement a ‘weed pass’ scheme for the purchasing of marijuana in the city’s ‘coffeeshops’. The scheme would have limited the sale of cannabis to Dutch residents only. The move was intended to help reduce the problems of violent crime in the city associated with the tens of thousands of ‘drug tourists’ from neighbouring Belgium and Germany who annually flock to the city to buy
marijuana legally.

Mobile monument
The medieval Bagijnetoren (Bagijne tower), situated in the centre of Delft, was moved on Wednesday. The ancient, 280-ton tower, which was built around year 1500 and is now a national monument, had to be moved in order to protect it from construction works currently underway on a new railway tunnel intersecting the city. A high-powered, hydraulic lifting machine will move the tower some 15 meters from its present location in a complex operation that has involved the National Cultural Heritage Service and the city archaeologist in its year-long preparations. Delft formally became a city in 1246, and this decree included the rights to build walls around the city for protection. The Bagijnetoren was originally an observation tower and later became part of the city’s defences. The tower will be returned to its original location when the tunnel works are completed this summer.