Verhagen verwerpt kritiek op innovatiebeleid

Vorige week uitte werkgeversvoorman Bernard Wientjes van VNO-NCW in het Financieele Dagblad zijn zorgen over het nieuwe innovatiebeleid. Natuurlijk stelt hij het op prijs dat het kabinet de vennootschapsbelasting verlaagt en de fiscale voordelen voor research & development (R&D) uitbreidt, maar hij vindt het jammer dat hiervoor gerichte subsidies moeten sneuvelen. Er mag wat hem best iets op bezuinigd worden, maar het kabinet moet waken voor ‘hakken om het hakken’.

Waardering
Verhagen is niet onder de indruk, blijkt uit zijn antwoord op kamervragen. Hij waardeert de betrokkenheid van Wientjes zeer, schrijft hij. En dat het bedrijfsleven hecht aan het innovatiebeleid van EL&I “beschouw ik als een blijk van waardering”.

Belofte
Maar hij keert vooralsnog niet op zijn schreden terug. Hij legt nog eens uit dat de bezuinigingen op de innovatiesubsidies ten goede komen aan het bedrijfsleven, dat daardoor zelf meer budget krijgt voor R&D. Wel belooft hij met alle partijen te praten bij het uitwerken van de kabinetsplannen, dus ook met VNO-NCW. Maar dat was hij al van plan.

Germans rising
The number of Germans students studying the Netherlands has risen by a few thousand in recent years, while there are now fewer Chinese students studying in the country, according to recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). For the academic year 2005/06, some 12,000 Germans students were enrolled at Dutch universities and polytechnics. Last year that figure had risen to 19,000 German students. In comparison, over the same period of time the number of Dutch students rose by less than six percent. Germans students increased from two to three percent of all students studying in the Netherlands. The number of Chinese students studying in the Netherlands over the same period dropped slightly from 3,880 to 3,470 students. Of all international students in the Netherlands, approximately 40 percent are from Germany, followed by students from China and Belgium. Approximately 45,000 international students were enrolled in Dutch universities or polytechnics last year, which accounts for a 28 percent increase from three years ago.

Bike racks
Beware when parking bicycles at and around Delft’s NS train station. Owing to the construction works on the new Spoortunnel, as of Wednesday January 20 it is forbidden to park bicycles in the area in front of the station, except for in the new bike racks situated at the Blauwe Panden. Bikes parked in front of the station will be removed by the city. For the foreseeable future it is advised to park bicycles in the rear of the station.

New paymaster
Mariëlle Vogt-Claessens will become the new director of TU Delft’s Finance & Control department, as of 1 May 2010. She will succeed Ton Ruhe. Vogt (44) has worked at KPN since 1991, in various financial roles such as control, treasury and business analyses. She completed the certified management accountant program at VU University Amsterdam. Prior to that she studied at TU Delft, graduating with a degree in applied mathematics in 1990. Her specialist area was expert opinions.

City poverty
TU Delft will participate in the 7th Forum of the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (Wacap) in Rotterdam, from February 24-26. Professor Wubbo Ockels, director of the new Interfaculty Institute for Applied Sustainable Science, Engineering and Technology (Asset), will deliver the keynote lecture on sustainable development. The Wacap forum, organized by the United Nations Development Programme and the city of Rotterdam, aims to address the challenges associated with energy, food, climate and financial issues, while supporting the sustainable development of our societies. The forum brings together key players to identify poverty reduction strategies and create shared visions between cities, communities and countries. Some 1,500 representatives from EU and UN institutions, and municipalities throughout the world, will attend the free conference. Registration requests from TU Delft students and staff submitted through Asset will be granted automatically. To register email  n.o.saaneh@ tudelft.nl, mentioning ‘Wacap’.

Fastest sailboat
Team 10’s boat, named ‘The Green Dragon’, is the fastest model sailboat in Netherlands. The team, whose members include Stephanie van den Brink, Wouter Dubois and Robert Hooft, recently won the championship race held between fifteen competing student teams from TU Delft and InHolland University. The race was held in the offshore basin at the Marin Research Institute in Wageningen. The race is part of a minor course in ‘Sailboats’ jointly offered at TU Delft and InHolland.

Website secretaries
TU Delft’s secretaries will soon have their own website on the TU Blackboard. This website will offer all types of ‘handy information’, such as telephone numbers and internet and intranet links. This new site will be launched during an event held on February 2 in the Berlage hall of the faculty of Architecture. All TU Delft secretaries are invited to attend. The event will be held from 11:00 to 13:00, and will include lunch. Register before January 27 via secretaresses-tud@tudelft.nl.