‘Not all members under an umbrella organisation wish to be represented’
Interview with Arco Timmermans by Ingeborg van der Ven for scienceguide.nl. Arco Timmermans has been studying the world of lobbying and advocacy since 2013 as Professor of Public Affairs. ScienceGuide talked to him about the lobby in the educational landscape. ‘Does the current structure of higher education fit the idea of advocacy by an umbrella organisation? I don’t think so.’
Timmermans holds a special chair at Leiden University that was created by the Professional Association for Public Affairs (BVPA). According to Timmermans, Public Affairs goes beyond old-fashioned lobbying. ‘It is a repertoire of systematically prepared activities by an organisation or group to influence the policy process – from agenda formation to evaluation – through to its own social position.’