Universities of Technology extend partnership
On condition of government support
10 September 2009
In the interests of the Dutch knowledge economy, the three universities of technology (Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente) in the Netherlands intend to further intensify and extend their partnership in the 3TU.Federation. This is announced in the federation’s ‘Strategic Plan 2009-2012’ which is published today. However one condition is that the government provides financial support for the joint initiatives of the three universities by providing annual funding of 65 million euro.
Partnership and coordination are intended to make the
universities of technology more attractive and to increase their
value to students, researchers, companies and government, and as a
result to further enhance their positive role for the Dutch
knowledge economy and the country's competitive position on a world
scale. These are essential requirements if the Dutch knowledge
economy is to achieve its ambitions. After a period of competition,
the universities of technology started working together in 2002. In
2004 they jointly published an ambitious sector plan announcing
their intention of forming a federation before 2010. From then
onwards, the process of mutual coordination and partnership was so
positive that the planned federation had already been established
at the beginning of 2007. Since then the federation has taken
numerous initiatives aimed at enabling the three universities of
technology to join forces in the areas of education, research and
technology transfer.
Plans
In the shared view of the three universities, it is now
time to further roll-out and develop the activities that have been
jointly initiated, and to form a united front for the interests of
the Netherlands as a high‑technology country. For example the three
universities intend to form a single educational community,
offering students a broad, shared range of educational programmes
from which they can choose the elements that appeal to them most.
If they wish they can also change from one university to another,
for example when they move from the Bachelor's to the Master's
phase of their education. One of the ways in which this is being
done is by setting up a single, shared digital learning and working
environment for the three universities of technology, including
'virtual' lecture halls. In the field of research, the three
universities intend to broaden the alignment of their research
portfolios by creating new coordination platforms alongside the
five joint Centres of Competence which have already been
established, for example in the areas of applied mathematics,
logistics and construction. They also intend to set up new shared
research centres to give the Netherlands a unique world position,
as well as the six joint Centres of Excellence which are currently
in development. In addition, they aim to jointly raise the level of
their research infrastructure to an internationally competitive
standard, which is essential to fight the problem of 'brain drain'.
To promote the social and economic application of the technological
knowledge developed within the universities, they also intend to
intensify their partnership with industry, and to play a leading
role in supporting new business activities by young technological
start-ups.
Extra funding
To enable them to implement their joint plans, the three
universities of technology are asking the government for financial
support by providing extra funding as follows on an annual
basis:
- 15 million for the realisation of a joint educational community
and the implementation of a range of new research initiatives;
- 40 million for bringing the research infrastructure up to, and
maintaining it at, the desired level;
- 10 million for intensifying the partnerships with industry and
promoting new commercial ventures on the basis of technological
knowledge.
Government Reaction?
Up to now the government has not given a clear positive answer
to the request by the three universities of technology for extra
funding, although grants for the 3TU.Federation have already been
reserved in the government's multi-year budget forecasts. The
3TU.Federation in turn is responding actively to the wish of
government to consider a further-reaching form of joint governance.
Examples of successful partnerships between universities
themselves, and between universities and research institutes,
elsewhere in the world are being identified and analysed for this
purpose. Based on the findings, the 3TU.Federation hopes in the
foreseeable future to be able to present ideas for further‑reaching
joint governance and for a broadening of the coordination and
cooperation process of the three universities of technology to
include other higher technological education and research
institutes in the Netherlands. A joining of forces within the
technology community in the Netherlands is considered essential to
be able to keep pace with competition at a world level.
Note for editors
The '3TU.Federation Strategic Plan 2009-2012' is available for
download at www.3tu.nl. For
further information or to make an appointment for an interview with
the chairman of the 3TU.Federation, Amandus Lundqvist, please
contact the 3TU.Federation secretary, Mrs. Mirjam Bult-Spiering,
tel. +31(0)15-2787929, e-mail secretaris@3tu.nl.
