Fifty million euros for federation plans
UTNews
Minister Van der Hoeven reported two weeks ago to the board of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) that the Dutch government is giving the three technological universities (TUs) a `substantial' sum for their federation plans.
Vice-chairman of the UT Executive Board Willem te Beest, who is also a member of the above board, expects the `once-only' sum to be between 35 and 50 million euros. A policy advisor of the University Eindhoven, who claims to have spoken to Secretary Rutte, is more certain and assures us that the maximum amount has actually been promised.
The financial injection, which has not yet been confirmed in writing, is the result of the recent Easter Agreement that CDA, VVD and D66 reached in order to maintain their coalition after the resignation of Minister De Graaf. The parties agreed to use part of the natural gas income, a single sum of 500 million euros, for knowledge and innovation. An important part of that sum will be spent by the three TUs in their execution of the Sector Plans for Technology, which describes the route to a federation in 2010. Minister Brinkhorst (Economic Affairs) reported this last week at the national D66 convention.
The TUs asked for a total of 210 million euros for the execution of the Sector Plan, which was presented to Secretary Nijs last March. Te Beest is happy with this early promise as it means that the so-called research map can be realized sooner, maybe even this year. This research map should create an overview of current research at the three TUs and subsequently coordinate it. The minister's promise allows the three universities and their respective deans to start working on that immediately. The process will reveal if and where there is an overlap in research, which activities should be terminated and which should be intensified. In the sector plans, the universities agreed to refocus 15 to 20 percent of their research. That could lead to new investments, relocation of research groups and a cut in jobs. The new money is intended to help with that process.
In addition to the `one time only' investment of half a billion euros, an extra 250 million euros per year will be available structurally, out of which the universities get 100 million. This money is mostly used to compensate for the expenses resulting from the growth in student numbers. Te Beest expects the UT to get about 5% of the annual sum reserved for universities. It will start with 20 million a year and gradually increase to 100 million.
Trans. Jeroen Latour
Bert Groenman |
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