How did 'Twente for Protest' come about?
'My colleague, PhD candidate Kristy Claassen, started the initiative. She had been in contact with Professor Ingrid Robeyns, one of the faces of WOinActie for many years. The large-scale protest on 14 November in Utrecht was discussed. So Kristy, I and our colleague Margoth Gonzalez Woge decided to start this initiative at the UT. Also because we hear that the UT itself is doing very little about it. Something simply has to be done, it can't be that this university is just reacting.'
update 21/10
UT's Executive Board and deans say they support the national protest, ‘because we think it is important that concerns about the cuts are not only expressed from the institutions, but also from employees and students. UT is drawing up some guidelines for employees and students participating.
For employees
- Employees who want to participate do not have to take a day off to do so. This falls under special leave.
- Employees who wish to participate in the protest action will coordinate with their manager. There may be weighty arguments why attendance at the university is necessary.
- The UT does not reimburse travel expenses.
- Teachers will ensure that students receive all material within the duration of a course.
- Scheduled exams go ahead.
For students
- Scheduled exams will go ahead.
- There is no attendance requirement for students on 14 November.
- Making up missed material is the student's responsibility.
Do you have many supporters?
'Certainly! We started a WhatsApp group a few days ago. It now has over 150 members. At first, it mainly started from our own philosophy department, but now more and more UT people are joining in. These cuts affect all of us – academic staff, support staff and students – so everyone is welcome to join.'
Why is it so important to protest against these government austerity measures?
'The universities can expect a kind of perfect storm. WOinActie has been fighting against the structural underfunding of universities for years. That has improved in recent years under Minister Dijkgraaf, but now there is a threat of huge cuts again. From a financial point of view, most Dutch universities are not doing well anyway and I fear that a broader reorganisation at the UT is inevitable either. So jobs will disappear, which will put even more pressure on the people who can stay. In addition, students will have to deal with the long-term fine, and then there is the internationalisation legislation that will apparently be strictly enforced. If I look at our own department alone, I am one of the few who can teach in Dutch. I don't know how to proceed. All in all, we need to take action.’
How are you preparing here at UT?
'We expect it to be a march through the city centre of Utrecht. In the run-up to this, we want to mobilise as many UT staff and students as possible. We have also asked the executive board for official support. It is important that they speak up; we hope that people don't feel inhibited to protest, since protesting is possible and allowed. On 24 October, we will host a lecture on the history of university funding in the Netherlands, previous activities of WOinActie and the predicted consequences of the cutbacks. And on November 11, we have a moment to make banners together and prepare other things.'
What do you hope the protest will bring about?
'I hope it will wake up a large part of society about the impact this has on universities. That parents of children who are studying or who are going to study are told that this government has taken a completely wrong direction. In any case, we must make clear what the added value of universities is. Suppose this cabinet falls, that seed must have already been planted.'