The plans are outlined in `Strength in Innovation!', the sector plan for Science and Technology, which the Hermans committee presented to Nijs two weeks ago. Internationally, the TUs will present themselves as the Federative Technical University of the Netherlands, (the working title). It is the most far-reaching cooperative plan ever of Dutch technological universities, extending further than the sector plan for natural sciences drawn up by the general universities. The three TUs are requesting over 200 million euros to realize their plans.
Assistant Secretary Nijs appeared thrilled with the plans, but immediately added: `I did not bring a bag of money.' She did agree, however, to do her utmost to make the plan a success. Nijs wants first to discuss with all parties - TUs, businesses and government - who will fund what. `We will agree upon goals, the role of university councils and a time schedule until 2010. I will not be leading the operation - that is up to the three TUs - but I am not on the sidelines either,' Nijs said. She wants the agreements to be formalized in a covenant with the three TUs. A paragraph delineating financial agreements is also expected to be included.
The universities of Delft, Eindhoven and Twente want their research to be among the absolute top programs of Europe. This is the task of the future 3TU Institute of Science and Technology, which will talk to government and the business community to establish research priorities.
To solve the Dutch `knowledge paradox' (there is knowledge, but it is not reflected in the commercial market; also known as the knowledge-skill-cash principle), the 3TU Invention Lab will be founded. The lab will be working on patent policy and techno starters, entrepreneurs who will sell new inventions in new companies.
The 3TU Graduate School will consolidate the Master's programs to eliminate the overlap in the three universities. Also, barriers will be removed as much as possible. For example, all technological Bachelor's programs will connect to all technological Master's degrees, thus enabling students to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees from different universities.
Bachelor's programs intake must increase by fifteen percent, that of Master's programs by twenty percent. The TUs want to recruit thirty percent more international students, and seek to reduce the drop-out rate among Master's students to ten percent. The TUs also want to increase indirect funding (funds like NWO and STW) and international funding (for example, by the European Union): both sources of income must grow by twenty percent.
In two years, the institutes will evaluate their cooperation. That is the point of no return, though Nijs and the three Executive Board chairmen admit that there is already no looking back.
