Universities say they face policy obstacles to collaboration

Universities in the Netherlands want to collaborate more and compete less, but government policies prevent them from doing so, according to Universiteiten van Nederland, the umbrella organisation representing Dutch universities, reports ANP.

The group responded on Friday 14 March to a proposal by Education Minister Eppo Bruins, who announced plans to encourage more cooperation in higher education.

A spokesperson for Universiteiten van Nederland pointed to current funding rules as a key obstacle. Under the current system, the number of enrolled students directly affects how much government funding a university receives. Bruins wants to change this, but “how that should be implemented remains unclear”, the organisation stated.
Full report on the NL Times site