Amsterdam Universities condemn ‘reckless’ education cuts, demand reversal

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) are calling on the Dutch government to reverse planned budget cuts to higher education, warning of severe consequences for research and teaching.

During a protest Monday on the Dam, UvA board chair Edith Hooge sharply criticized the cuts. “This government keeps saying knowledge and expertise are essential to solving the country’s problems. Yet what do they do? They slash funding—mercilessly. That is reckless, reckless. Stop it,” she told ANP.

HvA board chair Jopie Nooren called the cuts unsustainable, saying they would force institutions to do “even more work with even fewer people.” Addressing Education Minister Eppo Bruins directly, she said, “Step out of your ivory tower. Do your job—protect education and research in the Netherlands. Don’t hide behind coalition agreements.”

The protest, organized by activist group WOinActie and led by Rens Bod, drew thousands of students, faculty, and university administrators. Bod accused the government of implementing “revenge cuts” and warned of lasting damage. “Time and again, history proves we fail to anticipate what knowledge will be crucial in the future. We must safeguard science,” he said.

Organizers estimated around 5,000 people participated in the demonstration, which began with a march from UvA’s Roeterseiland campus. The protest was reportedly the largest so far in an escalating series of demonstrations against the government’s plan to cut more than 1.2 billion euros from higher education and research.

The movement began last week with protests in Leiden and The Hague, followed by demonstrations in Utrecht, Nijmegen, and Arnhem. More protests are planned at universities and colleges in Groningen, Enschede, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Wageningen, and Maastricht, as well as at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. The series of demonstrations is expected to culminate in a nationwide protest.