It has recently come to light that during an introductory trip to Romania by the Amsterdam-based Ares chapter of the student association L.A.N.X. in November 2022, serious incidents of boundary-crossing behavior occurred. We are deeply shocked and it is disheartening that such incidents continue to take place. A student association should ideally serve as a safe social support network for new students to gain important life experiences alongside their studies. It should never be the case that the (social) safety of individuals is compromised in this context. It is of utmost importance to ensure that such serious misconduct never happens again in the future.
In collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, we have decided to terminate financial and promotional support for the student association L.A.N.X. and will no longer invite the association to academic events. Additionally, we strongly urge the association itself to take responsibility for a structural cultural change. It is of the utmost importance that such boundary-crossing behavior never be allowed to occur again. This is an absolute requirement for the continued relationship between L.A.N.X. and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam from our perspective as a university.
We will continue to engage in discussions with the association to collaborate on achieving a structural cultural change within their organization.