Since early 2025, Arjen van Witteloostuijn has been Programme Director for the financial adjustments programme of VU Amsterdam. Together with a programme team, he leads this work as part of the broader effort to ensure VU Amsterdam remains financially healthy and future-proof. In this update (June 2026), Arjen shares where things stand on the road to 2028, what stands out in the overall picture, and what we can expect in the coming period, also in relation to the 2027 budget framework and other ongoing dossiers.
Where do we stand with the financial adjustments programme towards 2028, halfway through 2026?
"We are now more or less halfway through the adjustments programme. That is why the programme team has produced a kind of mid-term review, setting out where we stand. Although there are many caveats, we can broadly say that, in addition to being halfway in terms of time, we are also roughly halfway financially: around €30 million of the intended €60 million. We see that units are spending more sparingly and more consciously. On the expenditure side, everyone is running very lean. That deserves real credit."
What does the 2027 budget framework mean for financial adjustments and for the choices in the second half of 2026?
"Although the mood in The Hague regarding cuts to higher education seems to have shifted somewhat in a better direction, we should not count our chickens. The agreements aimed at reducing international intake still stand, even if the WIB is ultimately softened. And additional education funding is mainly directed at primary, secondary and vocational education.
Where extra funding is made available for higher education, it will largely be funding with specific conditions attached, with little or no effect on structural resources. How much of this earmarked funding and other funding streams VU Amsterdam can make use of also depends on what we are able to achieve ourselves. Unlike the government grant, this funding does not arrive automatically. It requires targeted effort to secure additional funding; by faculties and with strong support from the services. That is also an important focus in the annual plans. On top of that, we still have to wait and see what the minority government will ultimately agree with shifting majorities, at a time that unfortunately looks set to become even tougher. The upshot is that we have to assume - regrettably - that the €60 million remains the guiding figure for financial adjustments."
The policy letter of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) mentions investments and a partial reversal of earlier cuts. Much still depends on the details and political support. How do you view this, and what does it (and does it not) mean for the financial adjustments programme of VU Amsterdam right now?
"As I said: we should not count our chickens. That would be naïve. Some relief may come through sector funding, but there are costs directly attached to that. Some funding has been promised (on paper), but it is less than what at one point seemed likely under the cabinet before last.
What makes me most optimistic is that we are hearing less about restricting international intake. I do not rule out that there may ultimately be more room. That could translate indirectly into additional resources, for example, if VU Amsterdam manages to benefit more than other universities, or if we succeed in attracting more students from outside the EEA."
What stands out in the overall picture? How are student intake and market share developing?
"Student intake is and remains crucial. Last year was disappointing; this year we still have to wait and see. Early figures are highly unreliable, because Dutch students now seem to register at five institutions at the same time. And it is uncertain whether we will manage to reverse the trend of declining conversion among international students. A lot of work is going into this, including through a dedicated Intake Taskforce led by our Chief Education Officer, Jacqueline van Muijlwijk. Fingers crossed that this will have a positive effect. After that, it is always a question of how we perform relative to other universities. That remains a source of uncertainty."
How do you look back on the reorganisation process at the Communication & Marketing (C&M) department?
"It has been, and remains, a painful process. It is never easy to be forced to say goodbye to valued colleagues; no one finds that easy. And certainly not colleagues who have been told they are redundant, but also not those who remain.
On top of that, it is a double challenge: not only did C&M have to reduce headcount, the way of working also had to change substantially. We have tried, together, to run the process as carefully and respectfully as possible, and that seems to have worked reasonably well, but it will never be ‘nice’. C&M is now in the transition phase between how things were and how they will be. That is hard work and comes with a lot of uncertainty. But everyone is engaging constructively. The messages I receive are hopeful. That deserves real credit from everyone involved."
A new proposed decision is being prepared at Beta/Earth Sciences. What can you say at this stage about the process towards the summer?
"A great deal of work is going into the new plan by the Earth Sciences management team, together with the faculty board. The subcommittees (ODC) and the Works Council are updated on progress in monthly meetings. As things stand, the proposed decision will be taken at the end of June. Staff will then be informed in detail. The Works Council intends to issue its advice before the summer recess. The expectation is that the final decision can be taken at the end of August.
Although this takes a little more time than initially planned, the programme team sees a well-running process with good alignment. As things currently stand, the bachelor’s programme will remain in place and stakeholders in the field are willing to invest. It remains a painful reorganisation, but thanks to the constructive attitude of all those involved, more will remain in place than was initially feared."
DURF, IXA-GO and DLAB are being brought together; why, and what will researchers and colleagues notice?
"Over recent years, VU Amsterdam has built a strong foundation: expertise in impact, entrepreneurship, grant advice, business development and fundraising has been further developed and support has been better organised. At the same time, conversations, evaluations and analyses show that support is still too fragmented and does not yet work as one coherent system for researchers and faculties.
By placing IXA-GO and DLAB organisationally within DURF, expertise is brought together across fundraising in the second, third and fourth funding streams, relationship management, partnerships, network and consortium building, grant advice, business development and entrepreneurship. This lays the foundation for better coordination, more knowledge-sharing and further professionalisation.
On 19 May, the Executive Board took the proposed decision to transfer IXA-GO and DLAB organisationally from Executive Affairs to DURF. This is an organisational change (not a reorganisation). The proposed decision is now with the Works Council for advice. After the advice process, recruitment will start for a new Director of DURF. For colleagues in the central services this will, in some cases, mean a different place in the organisation. In time, this can create synergy: colleagues will be closer to each other and can collaborate more easily. Ultimately, faculties should benefit from better, more integrated support in securing funding beyond the first funding stream."
What is the reason for looking at CIS now, and how does this relate to developments in internationalisation and the consolidation of support?
"It is still a little early to give a definitive answer, because the plans for CIS are still being developed in conjunction with the plans for IXA-GO/DLAB/DURF and internationalisation. By progressing these dossiers largely in parallel, we can develop a coherent overall perspective.
The fact that different future scenarios are being explored for CIS is not only related to the financial adjustments programme, but also to the drying up of external funding streams on which CIS has long been heavily dependent. In addition, an important guiding principle in reshaping the organisation of VU Amsterdam is that substantive activities take place within faculties, with support organised centrally. Historically, CIS has mixed these elements. All of this means that a new ‘puzzle’ has to be put together carefully: which internationalisation-related activities should be carried out where, and how they should be supported."
How is cooperation with the Works Council and the subcommittees (ODCs) going in this phase?
"From the programme team’s perspective, we are very positive about the cooperation with the participation bodies. We meet with the Works Council very regularly, and we hear that the ODCs are generally well involved within the units.
That does not mean everything happens automatically; you would not expect that in such a large and painful operation. It is rare for everyone to agree on everything. But when we engage openly with each other, in the shared understanding that we all want what is best for VU Amsterdam, discussions about differences of view ultimately lead to better decision-making. That is why the programme team does everything it can to ensure participation processes are as effective as possible."
What can we expect in the coming period?
"The next two years will be exciting. The low-hanging fruit has largely been picked. Now it is primarily the faculties’ turn, after the services have had to make additional efforts first. And in the meantime, the world has not become any calmer. It will only become more important that we stick together, knowing that a fundamental adjustment to a new and uncertain reality is unavoidable. And that will sometimes create friction; that is inevitable. But if we do this well, VU Amsterdam will emerge as a resilient and innovative institution in Dutch and global higher education. That is a major challenge, requiring agility and an enterprising mindset, but also solidarity. We are in this together."
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Questions or more information?
On the central page about the financial adjustments you will find frequently asked questions, general information about the financial adjustments programme and updates by faculties and services of VU. Do you have additional questions or concerns? Please contact your line manager.