This proposed plan entails a reorganisation of the current Department of Earth Sciences, in which part of the education and research will be transferred to other departments within the faculty, while another part will be phased out or potentially integrated into other research institutions. The 37 employees threatened with dismissal will be offered career counseling and the possibility of continuing their research elsewhere is being explored.
Universities are facing a major austerity challenge due to declining student numbers, high costs and uncertainty about the impact of the law ‘Wet Internationalisering in Balans’ (a new law aiming to balance the internationalisation of universities). On top of this are the announced cuts in the Dutch government's education budget. “These developments force us to make difficult and sharper choices. In this we have to find a good balance between the strategic and financial considerations. We realise that these are far-reaching plans for the staff and PhD students of the Earth Sciences Department and for the students. It is therefore difficult for us to take this step. It is the outcome of a careful process in which we have thoroughly weighed up the future of our education and research and the substantial austerity task we face as a faculty, but also as a university,” said dean Aletta Kraneveld.
Climate and Earth
With its plans, the faculty board says it is committed to earth science education and research on contemporary climate change, focusing on pressing issues such as natural disasters and climate systems. Research in geology & geochemistry will be stopped. Dean Aletta Kraneveld: “Climate change is definitely one of the greatest challenges of our time. The consequences have global impact. It is a crucial social issue in which we as a university want to actively contribute to finding solutions. Therefore, within the comprehensive climate issue, we have looked at where we as VU Amsterdam can make a difference and in which areas we are leading in education and research. For VU, the focus is on climate and earth research and education within the era in which human activity affects climate, biodiversity and geological processes.”
Preservation of knowledge
With this strategic choice, the faculty board indicates that it will strengthen its core expertise 'climate and earth' and ensure that the important contribution in earth science research and education on climate issues is concentrated and further strengthened. For education, of the four undergraduate and graduate programs in which the Earth Sciences Department participates, the plan is to phase out one program, the Bachelor of Earth Sciences. We are currently in contact with Utrecht University (UU) to explore the possibility of continuing some of the teaching and a small part of research within UU's Department of Earth Sciences.
Sustainable future
The intention is to transfer some of the Earth Sciences Department's research to other departments within the faculty, such as the Institute for Environmental Issues (IVM) and the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE). In addition, care will be taken to ensure that doctoral students can complete their doctoral studies. Chair of the Executive Board, Margrethe Jonkman: “As a university, we highly value the preservation of knowledge and how we, as VU, can best contribute to national expertise across various disciplines. The challenges universities currently face force us to make sharper choices to collectively drive innovation and progress. These are difficult but necessary decisions in today's context. From my position, I will continue to strongly oppose the budget cuts that undermine the foundation of our education and research. I therefore make an urgent appeal to the government to halt these cuts and instead invest in research and education – sectors that are vital for a sustainable future.”
Support
Dean Aletta Kraneveld emphasizes that the board is doing everything possible to provide the best possible support for staff, doctoral students and students affected by this decision and to give students the opportunity to successfully complete their education. “We bear the utmost concern for both our staff and students affected by these changes. It is essential that staff feel supported during this time and that students receive the support they need to successfully complete their education.”
The proposed plans were submitted to the employee participation council of VU on Thursday, 3 April, which will issue an opinion. A final decision will follow this round of advice. Staff and students can read more about the impact of the financial adjustments and budget cuts of VU Amsterdam on this page.