Leiden drops state connection in protest at cash cuts

Dutch universities are preparing to face more cuts from the new government.

Heads of many universities fear for their future under education minister Loek Hermans, who is expected to carry out a series of drastic cutbacks recommended by his predecessor, Jo Ritzen.

In protest at government policy, the Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (state university of Leiden) has dropped its official title, and will now simply be known as Leiden University.

The board chose to break with 100 years tradition because of its anger at the growing demands on universities while the education bud-get is simultaneously reduced.

Delft and Maastricht universities concluded that they would be better off looking to the business sector for funds.

Research has shown that an extra 10,000 Dutch students a year should be graduating to meet market demands.

Yvonne van Rooy, chairwoman of the Catholic University of Brabant, warned that a shortage of graduates would soon take its toll on the labour market. She called for the government to take action now to prevent a crisis in two or three years time.

"For people driven by intellectual passion, the university remains an eminent place of work. But we cannot close our eyes to the fact that in order to attract young talent, we have to compete with the business and public sectors," she said.

Ms van Rooy, a former state secretary of economic affairs, said that whoever reads the new government agreement "will feel cheated" when they see that, out of 83 pages, just ten lines are dedicated to higher education.

She saw the lack of any plans for further investment in higher education as a sign that the government had little regard for the achievements of its universities, especially in research.

Mr Hermans is expected to announce further cuts to the 300 million guilders (Pounds 100 million) education budget .

The government also intends to continue deregulating the university system and introducing more independent governing bodies. The controversial appointment of a former Shell executive to a top university post may be paving the way towards even closer links between the commercial sector and academic life.

Cor Herkstroter, chairman of the supervisory board of the Erasmus University, Rotterdam, is known to favour greater business input in the running of universities' affairs.

Pre-studies recruitment has taken place in the Netherlands for the first time this year with six students being sponsored by a financial services company.

The students, who are taking degrees in business studies and information technology, have all of their fees paid in return for eight hours a week of paid work.

While this shift towards the private sector is being greeted cautiously by many academics there is a sense that a more pragmatic approach may not be such a bad thing.

Jan Veldhuis, chairman of Utrecht University, was the only person with anything positive to say about the new minister of education. Mr Veldhuis called on his colleagues at other universities to support the proposed cutbacks.

He said: "I have confidence in this minister. That's why I dare to call for the cuts to be dutifully carried out, however painful. I trust that if there is any extra money available from the govern ment, this minister will skilfully claim some of it (for education)."