Liveblog: Leiden University strikes against government cuts
Staff from Leiden University are starting the Dutch universities’ staggered strike against the government cuts on 10 March. Follow the strike in this liveblog.
There are teach-outs at schools and in public buildings throughout the day, and a rally will be held at Garenmarkt in Leiden (11.00-13.00 hrs.) with various speakers, performances and music.
13.45 In Waalse Kerk, linguist Benjamin Storme explains how his discipline of linguistics helps discover patterns in languages.
13.15 There are also public lectures in protest at the cuts at Waalse Kerk on Breestraat. Four researchers from the Faculty of Humanities make it clear how their expertise benefits society. Claudio Di Felice, who researches the Italian language, explains how over time Dutch incorporated Italian loanwords.
13:10 Alderman Wietske Veltman (Economy, Knowledge, Sport and Health) opens the session at City Hall. The Municipality of Leiden fully supports the strike, also as a real city of knowledge, she says. Then university lecturer Anne-Isabelle Richard begins her microlecture on European cooperation.
12.45 The rally at Garenmarkt comes to an end. The teach-outs at Waalse Kerk (Breestraat 62) and Stadsfoyer in Leiden City Hall (Stadhuisplein 1) will begin at 13.00 hrs.
12:40 Abdelkader Karbache from LSVB student union is one of the last speakers at Garenmarkt. ‘Protest works! The late graduation penalty is now off the agenda. Change is possible and students and teaching staff must stand side by side. Students are the ones who will be at the controls in the future!’
12:10 Many students are also demonstrating, including Veerle and Juno. Veerle: ‘I’m here because the generations of students after me also need to be able to study.’ Juno: ‘I teach primary school children in The Hague every week who need extra support. So we’re here for all stages and levels of education!’
11:59 At Garenmarkt, Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl is sad yet defiant. ‘It’s amazing to see all these students and staff here together with the support of the municipality and secondary vocational and higher professional education. We won’t give up.’ There is a lot of fear and uncertainty among staff, she says. ‘We’re facing a perfect storm. We’ve got underfunded education, decreasing student numbers at some programmes and universities and on top of that, these huge cuts. It’s awful. It’s not clear where the impact will be felt, particularly with internationalisation. So that uncertainty is everywhere. I really want to do all I can to stop these cuts. And I also want to make sure that we stay together and continue to stand together for education.’
11:50 Annetje Ottow, President of the Leiden University Executive Board, is proud to see so many people at Garenmarkt. See the video below.
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Watch the video on the original website or11:40 Rob Jetten, leader of the D66 party, takes to the stage. ‘Whoever thinks education is expensive doesn’t know what stupidity costs. My message to the government is: don’t do it! In these times of geopolitical tensions there’s no way we should be cutting back on education. Knowledge is our weapon.’
Frans Timmermans, leader of the GroenLinks-PvdA party. ‘This is not just a fight for your jobs but a fight for the country that we want to be. We have to make our society resilient and we can do so with good education.’
11:34 Claire Weeda from WOinactie gives the first speech to the crowds at Garenmarkt. ‘We’re proud that Leiden University is starting this strike against these drastic cuts. Education is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. We are expanding the campaign with public partners.’
11.31 It’s not just staff from Leiden University that are striking – staff from University of Applied Sciences Leiden and mboRijnland have come along too. Diana Wittendorp, for instance, a lecturer on the Biology and Medical Laboratory Research programme at University of Applied Science Leiden. ‘There are masses of cuts coming and they will also affect universities of applied sciences. We are already suffering from a drop in student numbers and the NPO funding that is disappearing.’ She is in regular contact with the university because the government wants universities of applied sciences to conduct more research. ‘That’s all very well, but I’m already hearing from colleagues that certain grants that we need to conduct research at our departments will not be forthcoming. On the one hand, the government is asking this, but on the other, it’s not providing the funds – in fact, it’s making cuts. You can’t do that!’
11:20 Ethan Mark, who researches Asian history, is deeply concerned. ‘The government is on a path of destruction. Education is being undermined when it is crucial to the future of our country.’
11:04 Hundreds of demonstrators have come to Garenmarkt. Researchers Yuanyuan and Lingli want their voices to be heard. ‘Our research at the Institute of Environmental Sciences is completely international. We mainly have contact with researchers in the US. We would no longer be able to do our work if we had to do all our research and teaching in Dutch. As PhD candidates from China, we are proud to be here at the strike.’
10.50 Garenmarkt is filling up. ‘The humanities will be hit hard when it’s so important to preserve and explore different perspectives on the world’, says Lieke Smit, a researcher at the Faculty of Humanities.
‘We are striking because we are deeply concerned about the quality of our education. We are understaffed. And people are concerned for personal reasons too: many of us are worried about losing our jobs’, says Flor Gonzales, a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities:
10.50 Joanne Stolk, a Greek papyrology lecturer, is joining the strike today and has come to Garenmarkt where the speeches will start at 11.00. She is particularly concerned about the smaller programmes at the university, such as the classical languages. ‘They are an important element of the teaching here in Leiden. That really is our strength – it’s why people come here from abroad. They absolutely have to remain. I’m worried that if programmes are looked at through commercial eyes, small programmes will disappear.’
10.42 Hilbert Bredemeijer, Alderman for Education, Youth, Sport and Services in The Hague, addresses those present at the Atrium in City Hall. ‘We are all concerned about the cuts to higher education and the Balanced Internationalisation Act. This will have a huge impact not only on universities but also on us as a city, a society and a country. That’s why we need to continue expressing our concerns.’
Timo Kos, who took up the role of Vice-President of Leiden University’s Executive Board last week, is also there in The Hague. ‘It’s incredibly misguided what has been decided, just a stone’s throw away, will be done with higher education, especially given what is happening in the world.’
10.25 The last preparations are made at Garenmarkt in Leiden. The rally there with various speeches, performances and musics starts at 11.00.
10.15 The strike has begun in Leiden with a talk about financial stress by Professor Wilco van Dijk at Stadskamer. ‘Cutting the education budget is the dumbest thing you can do. Education is essential if you want a better world. These cuts will affect everyone in the Netherlands.’
10.10 Maatijs van de Wiel, a reporter from NPO Radio 1, came to Campus The Hague this morning to cover the strike. He interviewed Ebrar Kaya from the Leiden Student Union, who called on students to join the protest during the strike. ‘It’s not that the cuts will only affect staff and that’s it. For students, they will mean smaller classes, less thesis supervision and less support at the university.’ Listen to the clip online.
10.00 The staggered strike has officially started in The Hague, in the Atrium at City Hall, with a public lecture by Otto Spijkers, a lecturer and researcher at Leiden University’s Campus The Hague. ‘I’m concerned about the cuts and the critical stance towards English-taught bachelor’s programmes’, he said. ‘I was born in the Hague and know it has been the international city of peace and justice for decades. With institutions like the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the many embassies, the city has a strong reputation in international relations. This attracts students from around the world who want to learn how to tackle global challenges. It is crucial we keep these programmes if we want to continue to play an important international role in the future.’
9.30 Throughout the day there will be teach-outs at schools and in public buildings, and a rally will be held at Garenmarkt in Leiden (11.00-13.00 hrs.) with various speakers, performances and music.
The strike is the initiative of WOinActie, student unions and the AOb and FNV unions. It is in protest against the over one billion euros in cuts to higher education announced by the government. For more information see our previous news article.
