Press releases and news

Minister Dijkgraaf today approved the first part of the university sector plans based on the positive recommendation of the National Sector Plans Committee. The Minister will make a total of €60 million available for 2022. In the spring of 2023, the remaining funds – amounting to a structural total of €200 million – will follow. Pieter Duisenberg, president of Universities of the Netherlands: 'We are making substantial investments in the foundations of universities by means of the sector plans. For example, universities and university medical centres wish to appoint around 1500 extra FTEs in the coming years. This will allow us to seriously reduce the workload and make a targeted contribution to major social challenges such as the digital transition, climate change and safety.'

Substantial investments will be made in universities in the coming years, totalling more than €1 billion per year in higher education and research. Before the summer, universities reached an administrative agreement with Minister Dijkgraaf regarding the allocation of these investments. On this basis, the 2023 Dutch national budget earmarked €300 million for starter and stimulation grants and €200 million for sector plans. The government is also investing in other areas such as student well-being, research facilities and knowledge security.

The shortage of student accommodation has grown continuously in recent years. According to the National Student Accommodation Monitor (Landelijke Monitor Studentenhuisvesting), presented today, there is now a shortage of almost 27,000 student housing units. The shortage is expected to increase to a total of 44,800 units in the twenty largest university cities by the 2029/2030 academic year. The National Action Plan for Student Accommodation (Landelijk Actieplan Studentenhuisvesting) was signed today to address this problem. The plan presents agreements among the government, accommodation providers, universities and student organisations on actions to be taken over the next years. The action plan’s goal is to make an additional 60,000 affordable student housing units available over the 2022-2030 period. 

On Monday 5 September all Dutch universities will be starting their academic year. This time the Opening of the Academic Year (OAY) has a specially festive aspect because this year the first of the new government investments are reaching universities.

On the 27th of June Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) organised, in collaboration with ARMA-NL, a Learning Community session for Research Support Offices (RSO). More than one hundred grant advisors, RSO heads, research managers and other interested participants from all over the country joined the event. The main aim was to exchange knowledge and best-practices to further strengthen and professionalise Research Support Offices.

Research universities adopt common internship agreement

Research universities, universities of applied sciences and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science conclude administrative agreement on higher education and research

Research and innovation are key enablers for the implementation of the Green Deal. There is an enormous urge to work together among different types of stakeholders. Long term mission-oriented funding schemes and sufficient human capital are needed to deliver on the ambitions. These were some of the key points raised during the hybrid event on the Green Deal and research, jointly organized by Neth-ER and Universities of the Netherlands on June 21st, 2022.
 

Pieter Duisenberg, president of Universities of the Netherlands: ‘The universities will use this money to reduce the heavy workloads of staff and give researchers the opportunity to conduct further research. We are pleased that we will now be able to work towards a Normal Academic Standard.’