Young scientists criticize Dutch government
In a protest letter to the Dutch government, a group of young scientists, united in the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), have warned for its commercial approach of science.
The government plans to use the 350-million-euros funding intended for basic research only for so-called groundbreaking projects, innovation research that will make the Dutch economy stronger. Universities should be more goal oriented in their cooperation with business, the government says.
The young scientists argue that scientific research is more than demand and supply. Innovation and quality are at issue with these plans, they say.
