Little hats, the golden carriage, the briefcase. Just as the opening of the academic year at HZ University has its ritual moments, so does The Hague. The third Tuesday in September, Prinsjesdag, might seem exactly the same every year for some. Still, along with many other colleagues, I was very curious this year about what was in that briefcase with the budget.
Curious, although you could also say apprehensive. The entire higher education sector is deeply concerned about the cuts announced in the main agreement. During protests in Utrecht, in opinion pieces, and at all the academic year openings of universities of applied sciences, the same message was heard: "Choose the sensible path, abandon the penalty for students taking longer to complete their degrees." Show courage and invest in higher professional education (hbo). The hbo sector directly prepares students for the job market. Applied research accelerates economic knowledge. When it comes to international students, hbo is not the problem, nor will we become one.
Double shrinkage
It is so important that this message is heard in The Hague, especially for hbo. And even more so for a university of applied sciences like ours. We are, after all, facing a double shrinkage: fewer people nationwide are attending hbo, and fewer young people have been born in Zeeland in recent years. If we want to continue doing what we do so well, to retain young people in Zeeland and the region, it requires extra investment rather than cuts.
That said, after reading the government program, I do have some hope on certain topics. All those visits to and from The Hague. All those times we've explained that the region is not the Randstad. How important our regional role is, practice-based research, our collaboration with mbo (vocational education) and wo (academic research universities), and how that deserves additional investment.
Regional innovation
You can indeed see some of this reflected in the plans. There is genuine attention to the importance of regional innovation. The cuts to applied research seem to have been averted. There is talk of a new form of funding. Regarding international students, there is a promise to focus on regional considerations.
All just words. We know what they say about that in Rotterdam. But it shows me one thing: it pays off to tell our story wherever possible. Just as we struggle with double shrinkage, we sometimes struggle with double modesty: the modesty inherent to Zeeland and that of hbo. Twice the reluctance to boast or ask for help.
Lots of attention
Still, it turns out to be the only way: making our voices heard. In protests, during work visits, on social media, and in one-on-one conversations. It’s no coincidence that there is so much interest from politicians. At those moments, we show the wonderful things we do here and why we deserve this attention and support. Of course, we like to get a compliment, but above all, we hope that it translates into more than just nice words about the region.
