Universities Concern About New Knowledge Security Law – Human

“Big scientists will soon like to go to Germany”

The announced examination, which will start according to the minister’s schedule on January 1, 2025, caused an uproar in universities. Because 20% of all teaching staff at Dutch universities (UNL figures, 2021) come from outside Europe. And this share is much higher in technical universities: about 30%. One scientist whose research is almost certainly classified as “sensitive” is Bram Nauta, Professor of Integrated Circuit Design at the University of Twente. He is doing research in the field of microelectronics and, given the measures announced, is concerned about the future of his group: ‘It is already very difficult to find good people. This examination will soon lead to a significant delay. Then the top candidates cross the border, because in Germany they are welcomed with open arms. The examination would be a disaster for the Dutch knowledge economy.

Peter Wegeland, Director of Knowledge Security at TU Delft, is also concerned about the throughput time for the examination. Currently, about 45% of all publications from his university fall into the “sensitive” category. According to Weijland, if all researchers involved in such research were to be screened at TU Delft in the future, it would lead to significant delays in recruitment. Weijland: An examination of this magnitude therefore affects the crucial business operations of the university. We don’t yet know how many shows it will have each year, but it will probably be in the hundreds, not the dozens.