Press releases and news

Friday 4 June saw the Dutch universities unanimously reappoint Pieter Duisenberg as President of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU). Anton Pijpers, Member of the Executive Board of the VSNU and President of the Executive Board of Utrecht University: ‘Pieter has been working tirelessly for the universities over the past few years. The Dutch universities are convinced that he will be able to make a significant contribution to our sector over the next four years as well. We appreciate Pieter’s energy and have full confidence in him as President.’ The reappointment means that Pieter Duisenberg will hold the post of President of the VSNU until 1 October 2025.

On Tuesday, 26 January 2021, the VSNU organised a theme afternoon on plagiarism in education and research. More than 250 people attended, including members of the research integrity committees and university examination and appeals boards, policy staff, academics and students. To ensure that the impact of the theme afternoon would not be lost and also that plagiarism would continue to be a subject of discussion, the speakers and other authors then compiled a collection of articles on plagiarism in research and education under the leadership of Prof. Jonathan Soeharno and Prof. Keimpe Algra.

Dutch universities expect the number of applications for Bachelor’s programmes to increase once again in the coming academic year.

Universities represent accessible science, which is why they are working hard to provide more open access publications. In order to achieve this aim, we have been concluding agreements with publishers to make academic publications accessible free of charge. In 2020, contracts with a number of major publishers were renewed. These new deals make the results of academic research accessible free of charge to everyone worldwide rather than just to the university community and university hospitals. Researchers at Dutch universities will be able to publish their work open access in journals for which licences have been purchased – at no extra cost.

Universities are pleased with the government's decision to reopen campuses to more students from 26 April.

Growth fund provides vital boost to knowledge and innovation Today, the advisory committee of the National Growth Fund will advise the Dutch government to invest €1.6 billion in the plans for knowledge and innovation.

Not a coalition agreement for four years, but a plan for the long term, based on science. The universities of the Netherlands present - just after the elections and in the middle of the formation - an alternative coalition agreement. Fourteen students form the first Dutch Student Cabinet, each representing an own ministerial post with a suitable plan for the future of the Netherlands.

In recent years, the Netherlands has performed excellently in the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020. Dutch universities and university clinics received a total of EUR 2.56 billion: half of the total subsidy of over EUR 5 billion allocated to our country.

‘We are barely keeping our heads above water. Invest 1.1 billion euros. This is essential to restoring the level of Dutch university education to a Normal Academic Standard.’

Scientists must be able to conduct their research and publish their findings safely and freely. Harassing and threatening our people is a direct attack on academic freedom and freedom of expression.