Planned education cuts will cost Netherlands its global innovation, research position

The new coalition’s panned budget cuts at universities will cost hundreds of lecturers and researchers their jobs and result in the Netherlands losing its top global position in research and innovation. It will also impact the Netherlands’ earning capacity, the Society of Spinoza and Stevin Laureates warns in an open letter signed by around 80 top scientists and published in NRC.

The new government’s austerity plans will result in 1,200 newly appointed young scientists at universities losing their jobs. These university lecturers have only recently received a permanent contract to teach and conduct research thanks to 215 million euros per year allocated by the previous government.

The money was intended to create 1,200 jobs to alleviate the increased workload at universities and purchase quantum computers and laboratory equipment, among other things. The ultimate goal was to allow the Netherlands to retain its top innovation and research position, specifically in fields like developing new medicines, solutions for the consequences of the climate crisis, and the application of AI in medical science.

All of that is now at risk, the Society of Spinoza and Stevin Laureates warn. The scientists speak of “an enormous breach of trust” between science and politics. Universities have created these jobs in recent years in consultation with the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science. Now the new government plans to scrap them. The Spinoza and Stevin Prizes are the most important scientific prizes in the Netherlands.

The budget cuts are not spelled out in the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB’s main lines agreement, but are mentioned in the budget appendix. It lists an “adjustment” - political jargon for cutbacks - of the “higher education sector plans” of 215 million euros per year from 2026.

Scrapping the sector plans is not the only budget cut in science and higher education that the new right-wing government has announced. It also plans to save almost 1 billion euros by reducing the influx of international students. The new government also wants to increase tuition for students who take longer to graduate and make major cuts to two funds that pay for scientific research - the Fund for Research and Science (-150 million euros per year) and the National Growth Fund (scrapped completely).