The Dutch universities will strengthen their research collaboration with the Ministry of Defence.
On September 21, State Secretary Derk Boswijk and UNL President Caspar van den Berg signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect. In it, universities and the Ministry of Defense express their desire to collaborate more closely on research for peace, security, and resilience. They also set forth key terms and conditions for that collaboration.
UNL President Van den Berg: “Universities want to use their knowledge to contribute to the major challenges facing our society. In the current geopolitical situation, peace, security, and resilience are clearly among these challenges. By collaborating with the Ministry of Defense, we can better utilize the knowledge of universities to ensure a safe and resilient Netherlands—for example, through research on societal resilience or the detection of chemical weapons. Academic freedom and scientific independence are, of course, fundamental principles.”
State Secretary Boswijk: “Collaboration between research institutions and the Ministry of Defense is crucial to strengthening the Netherlands’ national security and resilience. Through independent research, critical thinking, and the training of new generations of talent, universities provide indispensable insights to respond to a world that is becoming less secure due to increasing threats and geopolitical tensions.”
Collaboration between universities and the Ministry of Defense already exists in various areas. For example, universities are conducting research into technical solutions to protect airspace from hostile drones. Researchers are also studying the effects of PTSD on veterans and legal issues related to war, such as the protection of civilians and the prosecution of war crimes.
Through the letter of intent, the universities and the Ministry of Defence aim to further develop existing collaborations and explore new possibilities for joint research. This collaboration can take different shapes, for example through Dutch Research Council (NWO) research programmes, contract research between the Ministry of Defence and universities, or through collaboration with the Faculty of Military Sciences at the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA).
Academic freedom is central to this research collaboration. Researchers and universities decide for themselves whether to enter into partnerships. Research will comply with existing Dutch and European agreements and guidelines on Open Science, research security and intellectual property. In addition, collaborations will follow the cost-accounting system used by universities.
Letter of Intent between UNL and the Minister of Defense.pdf