The SER president’s speech glanced back at the 25 year history of the entrepreneurial university, a profile where he named former rector, Harry van den Kroonenberg, as the soul father. Rinnooy Kan turned a critical eye to the 3TU federation, comprised of the technical universities of Delft, Eindhoven and Twente. He questioned if the cooperation has made a sharper profile of technical higher education in the Netherlands. ‘Although the three universities have developed five joint Masters, each university still has its own set of Masters. The profiling process is slower than expected,’ said Rinnoy Kan.
By 2015, the Dutch cabinet proposes to make budget cuts of 500 million to the budget for scientific research, according to Rinnooy Kan. The dramatic national budget cuts will result in fewer available PhD positions, scientific publications, patent requests and spin-off companies.
Alexander Rinnooy Kan (Foto: Arjan Reef)
University President Anne Flierman indicated more research must be conducted in ‘socially relevant’ key areas, naming nanotechnology, biomedical technologies, ITC, green energy, management and business administration. The university president expressed his concerns about the impact of the government’s announced budget cuts. ‘It makes you wonder when the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance gently hint at additional cuts, aside from the 18 billion already announced.’
Despite turbulent economic times for universities, Flierman drew attention to good reasons for celebration: ‘There are plenty of concerns and wishes, but it is also a festive year. The UT has existed for 50 years: 50 years of high tech, human touch.’ The Experiment in the Forest and Open House events are on 17 September and the Dies Natalis or Foundation Day in November. Rinnooy Kan delivered his own compliments: ‘With a beautiful history of fifty years, I think the 51rst year will be a resounding success.’
Robbin Engels
