The universities of Delft, Eindhoven and Twente will be combining all their technical master's programmes in a joint Graduate School. This is expressed in the Sectorplan Science & Technology sent to minister Nijs. It is the first fundamental step towards an intensive co-operation between the three institutes.
According to rector magnificus Frans van Vught this means that the rivalry between the tree TUs has run its course and the collective interest is paramount from now on: turning the tide of the ever decreasing inflow of (technical) students, giving the Dutch knowledge economy a substantial boost, and compete jointly with recognised top institutes in the world. 'Because together we dare take on the challenge', according to Van Vught.
The plan has been set up under the leadership of former education secretary Loek Hermans by Van Vught and his two chairman-colleagues and contains agreements on far-reaching co-operation between the institutes that consider themselves 'one virtual technical university the Netherlands' from this moment onwards.
By establishing one joint Graduate School the three TUs want to offer a æmacro-efficient national palette of technical scientific master's programmes. The customers of the Graduate School, which is supposed to start in September 2004, are Dutch and foreign master's students who will be recruited jointly. The students can choose from all master's programmes on offer at the three TUs and will get their degree (for the moment) from one of the three institutes. A more detailed plan for the Graduate School will by published in the second version of the Sectorplan later this year.
At least 20 students for each master's programme is, according to the steering committee, a 'definite requirement' except for the basic disciplines (chemical technology, technical physics, technical mathematics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering). If a master's programme will be too small to maintain at all three TUs, it will be decided, probably lead by an independent adivisory committee, at which TU the programme will be abolished.
The steering committee Sectorplan is still working on concrete agreements on the exchange of complete programmes and associated research. A report on this is planned for September. For a limited number of educational areas agreements have been reached on the 'combining of master's programmes'. The focus of the master mechatronics will be in Twente and the UT will keep its newly netted programme clinical technology (technical medicine). Eindhoven is responsible for the master medical engineering and Delft does aerospace engineering, applied earth sciences, life science & technology and marine techology.
The agreement on the bachelorÆs programmes is that the regional distribution of what is on offer will be 'optimalised'. This should increase the student inflow, as increasing numbers of student select to continue their education within the region.
