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The Research and Education Committee met on February 5, 2025, with on our agenda developments in research support, the university’s approach to international rankings, and policies affecting international PhD candidates.
Improving Research Project Support
The committee received an update on efforts to streamline the support system for research projects, covering both the pre-award (application) and post-award phases. The aim is to create a more professional and efficient process, potentially integrated into a “one stop shop” concept discussed previously.
While welcoming the improvements, the committee raised a significant point: the current system focuses heavily on externally funded research. Concern was expressed that research conducted by academics without external grants (“independent research”) might not be captured by this system. This could potentially disadvantage faculties or departments where this type of research is more common, if performance comparisons are based solely on the system’s data. The Executive Board acknowledged this concern and agreed it needs consideration.
Discussing the Future of International Rankings
Another major topic was the ongoing national and international discussion about university rankings (like THE, QS, Shanghai). Following advice adopted by Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), UM is part of a move towards a more critical stance. The core issue highlighted is the lack of transparency in how rankings are compiled and their inability to fully capture a university’s diverse strengths, conflicting somewhat with the principles of the Recognition & Rewards initiative.
The committee explored the potential impact on international student recruitment, as rankings are often a factor in students’ choices. They also questioned UM’s position relative to other Dutch universities and whether the trend away from rankings is global or mainly European (currently more European).
The Executive Board confirmed UM’s commitment, alongside other universities, to address these issues and has signed the ‘More Than Our Rank’ initiative. This doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning rankings entirely in the short term, especially given their use by entities like the IND for visas, but signifies a commitment to communicating their limitations and exploring alternatives like U-Multirank. The key message is the critique focuses on the lack of transparency in current major rankings.
Non-EEA PhD Scholarships
The Executive Board announced that a policy has been developed setting the IND (the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service) standard as the minimum requirement for new non-EEA PhD scholarships, based on requests from internationalisation offices and past agreements.