Business calls for higher education quality boost

Volkskrant 15 May 2015

Dutch companies have written to Education Minister Jet Bussemaker urging her to boost the standard of Dutch university and college education, the Volkskrant reported recently. The two big Dutch employers’ organisations, VNO-NCW and MKB Nederland, say they are unhappy with the quality of the Dutch higher education system.

Their report is in the hands of the Volkskrant. “The enormous increase in the number of students has been at the cost of the quality,” the organisations say in their report. “The challenge now is to improve the quality of education and increase the number of highly educated graduates in the coming years.”

“Eventually, 20% of university funding could be made dependent on their performance,” the employers say. That figure is currently 7% and depends on a variety of statistics, from how fast students complete their degrees to the number of teaching hours. The rest of university funding is based on the number of students they attract. The employers’ input comes at a time when university students and professors have been calling for more independence and less focus on performance. The current system of university funding is due to be evaluated next year.
Full report on the Dutch News.nl site

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.