There will be an insufficient number of positions for foreign PhD students starting from as early as next year, the RUG thinks. The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMNS), among others, needs more PhD student positions. However, ‘The Hague’ does not feel it is such a good idea to increase the amount of positions.
‘It’s great that the RUG is so excited,’ PvdA MP Amma Asante says. But she wants to wait for the evaluation of the experiment first, which will not be until the end of 2021. ‘Based on this evaluation, I can assess if and how we could structure a second wave.’ PVV’s Harm Beertema agrees. ‘I’d say: be happy with the influx, but don’t go overboard until there’s been a decent evaluation.’
Expansion
Pieter Duisenberg of the VVD is ‘certainly not against the idea,’ he says. ‘A second registration round would need to be organised, but if there’s good reasons to do so, then I’d be all for it. I assume there are major benefits for those who want this, so why stop it? However, any disadvantages or risks need to be determined.’
D66 and SP not in favour of the PhD student experiment and, as such, do not want it expanded. ‘We are absolutely against it. The sooner this form of exploitation stops, the better,’ Paul van Meenen (D66) says. ‘It’s a terrible plan. PhD students are employees, not students,’ MP Jasper van Dijk for SP says.
Faculties
Lou de Leij, dean of the Groningen Graduate Schools and driving force behind the PhD experiment, is not surprised by these reactions. He knows how the political parties feel about the experiment. ‘The experiment is going better than planned, but it is slightly premature to talk about expanding the programme. We first want to ask the faculties whether or not they need more PhD students. FMNS really wants to add more. I want them to tell me how many PhD students they think they need. Other faculties may feel the same or say they have enough PhD students. I also want to consult with the PhD student organisations. Only then, once all faculties and other stakeholders have had their say, will it be time to talk with the minister,’ he says.
In total, the minister provided for 2,000 positions over eight years. The RUG has taken up 850 of these positions. Erasmus University Rotterdam was assigned fifteen.
The RUG wants to ask the minister to start a second round within the current experiment so the universities can once again apply for the remaining 1,135 positions. ‘It would be great if we can convince the minister to do so,’ De Leij says.
The RUG is especially aiming for additional foreign PhD students with their own scholarships. The PVV is not happy about that. Beertema: ‘We feel the focus should lie on Dutch students. I feel that the way in which the RUG now wants to focus on foreign students does not befit the experiment.’