New party and turbulent outlook in the university council

With the first meeting of the new academic year, the University Council of Tilburg University officially convenes. Alongside the existing factions, the new student party PSA takes a seat for the first time, represented by Panka Toma.

During the opening speeches, several parties pointed to the turbulent times the council is facing. Dutch national politics is not favoring higher education, as evidenced by significant budget cuts, and it remains uncertain whether this will change in the future. The upcoming parliamentary elections carry an unpredictable outcome, and according to the factions, this will have consequences for higher education.

Katya Ivanova of the Independents faction stressed that cooperation within the council is crucial, especially in difficult times. She argued that communication from the Executive Board often leaves much to be desired: ‘Too often we receive too little information or are informed too late. Too often decisions are made behind closed doors. Decision-making must be timely, transparent, and realistic.’

On behalf of TiU International, Gaëtan Mertens expressed concern about the position of international students and staff, who are heavily affected by the Internationalisation in Balance Act (WIB).

Debut of PSA

For newcomer PSA (Progressive Student Alliance), Panka Toma took the floor to draw attention to two issues. She stated that during the Opening of the Academic Year she was denied entry to the Cobbenhagen building because she was wearing a keffiyeh, which she called ‘unacceptable.’

She also urged the university to take a clear and unequivocal stance on the situation in Gaza and to act accordingly. ‘If we as students dare to speak out against injustice, what is holding you back?’

Student parties SAM and Front adopted a more reserved position. They stated that they are committed to doing everything possible to improve the position of students and look forward to constructive cooperation. Later in the meeting, however, Toma received support from the SAM faction, which called on the Executive Board to cut ties with Israeli universities.

Response from the Executive Board

University president and rector Wim van de Donk described the current period as ’turbulent and grim’ and noted that higher education is under great pressure. He emphasized that transparency must be the standard and that everyone is ‘committed to making this university a better place.’

On Toma’s remarks, Van de Donk said that an independent evaluation is underway regarding the incident of denied access. ‘If it is true that you were denied entry because of wearing a keffiyeh, then that is not correct.’

He also stressed that the university condemns the horrors in Gaza but continues to seek careful, dialogue-based approaches to address the situation. ‘Those who founded this university almost a hundred years ago did so based on hope and perspective. We will never lose that foundation.’