Dutch researchers facing increased political pressure, threats of violence
Academic freedom is under pressure in the Netherlands, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) said in a report on Thursday. Politicians are increasingly interfering in research, the freedom to collaborate with foreign colleagues is under pressure, and threats and harassment force researchers to withdraw from the social debate. “Take measures to better protect academic freedom in the Netherlands,” the KNAW said.
The KNAW has major concerns about Donald Trump and the American government’s policy against science, including requirements for the use of language and content of research, freezing the funding for research they deem undesirable, and hampering the international exchange of scientific data. “This has an impact on global science and also on science in the Netherlands.”
But it is not only American politicians interfering in academic freedom. Dutch politicians are also “increasingly interfering directly with freedoms that actually belong to science,” the KNAW said. The academy referred to legislation on the language test for higher education courses and the Internationalization in Balance Act aimed at lowering the number of international students.
“That the number of international students in the Netherlands remains manageable and that Dutch remains protected as an academic language are reasonable requirements for which various solutions are available,” the KNAW said. “However, by placing the decision on the language of instruction with the government, academic freedom is directly infringed. Moreover, it has negative consequences for our quality of education and international position.”
The KNAW also has concerns about the Knowledge Security Screening Act that the government is currently working on. The government plans to screen around 8,000 researchers and students per year, not only for criminal records but also for past education, employment, family background, and potential links to foreign regimes. According to the KNAW, the bill, “in the form that it now seems to be taking, mainly limits the academic freedom and innovative capacity of the Netherlands with all the consequences for our society that entails.”
Dutch researchers are also increasingly limited by funders, such as the government and industry, setting requirements on the themes and goals of their studies. “The space for ‘unfettered’ research, inspired by the curiosity of the scientist, is becoming smaller and smaller.”
And polarization in society means that scientists are increasingly faced with intimidation and threats. “A significant number of Dutch researchers, therefore, avoid the public debate to a greater or lesser extent,” the KNAW said.
“The KNAW calls on the government and political parties to contribute to a science-friendly climate, and to publicly condemn the intimidation of scientists.” The academy also wants politicians to consider adding academic freedom to the Constitution.
