Update 20/01/2026
On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the Task Force's final report was presented to the Executive Board. The Executive Board subsequently decided that VU Amsterdam would continue to offer the Bachelor's program in Earth Sciences and that the Earth Sciences department would not be abolished! This was announced on November 18, 2025. However, according to the boards, a reorganization of the department is still necessary. Therefore, the management team (MT) of the Earth Sciences department will develop a reorganization plan, with the support of the Faculty Board. The development of a new reorganization plan will take at least several months. Exactly how long is unknown. The implementation date of February 1, 2026, is therefore no longer valid.
Although the bachelor's program will be retained in any case, the bachelor's and master's programs will be reformed in order to rationalize the programs. The program committees (OLCs) are working on this, with advice from the Student Interest Group (SBB). Because radical changes must first be approved by a Curriculum Committee (CuCo), no major changes will take place in the coming academic year (2026-2027).
At the end of the year, two students were interviewed by Trouw as part of a series of articles looking back on 2025.
Update 04/09/2025
After the last update a lot has happened during the summer period regarding the reorganisation of the Earth Sciences department.
Following the appointment of the Taskforce, it was announced during the public meeting of the Executive Board and the Works Council on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, that no final decision would be made on July 15, 2025. One of the reasons for this was that new information had become available from the report of the Taskforce led by Roland Berger. On Friday, July 11, 2025, a meeting was held for staff and students to ask questions to representatives of the Bèta Faculty Board and Executive Board. It was announced that a new Taskforce would be appointed to work on a plan for the department. Representatives of the VU boards, department staff, students, and external stakeholders will be involved in this process. It is still unclear exactly what kind of report the new Taskforce will produce, but it is already known that it will not be ready before mid-October. No clear answer has yet been given to the question of whether the implementation date of February 1, 2026, is still appropriate.
During the summer period, the reorganization of the Earth Sciences department was once again featured in the media:
- At the end of July, students were interviewed by the Haarlems Dagblad and Noordhollands Dagblad about the reorganization and what it would mean for students and for the Netherlands.
- On August 29, a student appeared as a guest on the program Vroeg! op NPO Radio 1 to talk about the reorganization of the Earth Sciences department in a segment about disappearing study programs.
Update 07/07/2025
Following discussions between the Executive Board and the workfield, a Taskforce has been appointed, consisting of people from the workfield, a representative of the Earth Sciences department, and student representatives. The Taskforce has been working on identifying new frameworks that can be used to develop a new alternative plan. Under the leadership of external company Roland Berger, a report was written, which was completed in the first week of July. The content of the report is not yet public, but a version (modified due to possible privacy requirements) will be shared with employees, stakeholders, and students in the run-up to the final decision. The final decision is expected to be announced on July 15, 2025.
Update 12/06/2025
On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, the Faculty Board of Science announced that the implementation of the reorganization has been postponed until at least February 1, 2026. This news came after meetings for students on May 8th, 9th and 15th, about the future of the educational programs. It quickly became clear that there was no education plan that would comply with the OER (Onderwijs- en Examenregelingen - Teaching and Examination Regulations). On Monday, June 2, and Thursday, June 5, there were meetings for staff and students to ask questions about the new implementation date and what consequences it would have for the educational programs, among other things.
After the decision was announced, there was a public meeting of the Executive Board and the Works Council, where the Works Council was able to ask questions about the proposed decision. The main message from that meeting was that the Works Council recommended postponing the final decision as well, because the Works Council was unable to give advice based on the limited information they had. It is still unclear whether this advice will be followed. The Executive Board emphatically stated that they want to make a decision by July 15, 2025, at the latest.
On June 11, 2025, a meeting took place between four spokespersons from the Red Aardwetenschappen actiongroup and the Rector Magnificus, the dean and vice-dean of the Bèta Faculty Board, and the Works Council. Among other things, communication between the parties and the drafting of an alternative plan were discussed. Following this meeting, a meeting took place between the Executive Board, the Bèta Faculty Board, and several representatives from the workfield.
For more information and current updates, keep an eye on the Instagram and LinkedIn pages!
Update 06/05/2025
On April 3, 2025, the Executive Board announced that 42 employees of the Earth Sciences department will be laid off as of August 1, 2025. This will result in the phasing out of the bachelor program in Earth Sciences and the master track Geology & Geochemistry, and ultimately in the disappearance of the Earth Sciences department. How the Earth & Climate master track will be “strengthened” while employees are also being laid off, is unclear.
However, the Red Aardwetenschappen (Save Earth Sciences) action group has not been silent. Since April 3, several students and employees have appeared in newspapers and on news platforms, including:
- Articles appeared on April 3 in Trouw, Het Parool, and AdValvas (the VU newspaper). However, this article was provided by the Bèta Faculty Board and misrepresents the situation.
- On April 4, an article was published in NRC from the perspective of the staff. AT5 posted an item with a video message in which students share their experiences.
- On April 7, there was a strike at VU Amsterdam against the political cuts as part of the nationwide protests at universities. Red Aardwetenschappen was, of course, present. A live blog by AdValvas reported on the day.
- On April 18, EenVandaag published an article about the national budget cuts, featuring an interview with an employee of the Earth Sciences department.
- On April 25, De Volkskrant published an extensive article featuring interviews with several employees and students, explaining the real situation.
- On May 6, the NOS published an item about the Earth Sciences workfield sounding the alarm. Several people from the field spoke about the consequences of discontinuing the program at VU Amsterdam for the Netherlands and Europe.
In addition, various protests have been organized. On April 7, the action group participated in VU Amsterdam's protest against the national budget cuts. On May 6, the action group organized a sit-in in the hallway outside the office of the Bèta Faculty Board, where several staff members, students, and a member of the House of Representatives spoke. A petition has also been started, which has already been signed more than 8,000 times.
For more information and current updates, keep an eye on the Instagram and LinkedIn pages!
02/04/2025
Although most GeoVUsians love rocks, even those who live under a rock will have noticed that things are not looking too good for the Earth Sciences program and department. But just like that annoying rock during fieldwork, Earth Scientists are not easily discouraged! A group of bachelor and master students and staff from the Earth Sciences department have joined forces in the action group Red Aardwetenschappen (Save Earth Sciences). This action group has taken up the (geological) battle hammer and is committed to preserving the Earth Sciences department, its associated lines of research, and study programs.
Why is Earth Sciences important at VU Amsterdam?
After all, the universities of Utrecht, Wageningen, and Delft also have Earth Sciences departments. According to Anouk Beniest, assistant professor of Earth Sciences, the link between geology and geochemistry, which is established in the laboratories at VU Amsterdam, is very special. Brecht Reintsema, master student in Earth & Climate, adds: “All our expertise, whether it concerns climate models, hydrology, or ore geology, is what makes our department so special.” As Earth scientists, we know better than anyone that all these specializations are connected within the Earth system and that we need them together to better understand the Earth.
Despite this important role, the VU does not seem entirely convinced of this, and has been threatening measures for over a year. What those measures entail is very unclear, but it seems that the BSc Earth Sciences program will be discontinued, various lines of research will be discontinued, and 40-45% of permanent staff will be forced to leave. And all of this in order to find a new “future-proof form” for the field, according to the Faculty Board (FB). Anouk does not view this future-proof form positively: “In my opinion, this is tantamount to closing down the Department, because the field of Earth Sciences is so broad that no remaining colleague will ever be able to take on the entire expertise of a dismissed colleague.”
Although the nature of these measures is and remains very unclear, their origin is well known. It is no secret that Dutch universities are facing financial difficulties due to government cutbacks and a general decline in student numbers. The VU is no exception and was already struggling with financial setbacks due to the costs of new buildings. As a result, 60 million euros in cuts must be made across the VU. Approximately 26 million euros of this will fall on the Faculty of Science, where the Earth Sciences department now seems to be bearing the brunt. “According to the Faculty Board, the department's finances are not profitable due to the high number of staff in relation to students, fieldwork, and expensive labs,” says Brecht. However, like the measures themselves, the figures underlying these finances are not clear-cut; the austerity plan presented by the Earth Sciences Management Team has been rejected by the Faculty Board without clear reason.
What is the impact of this?
In addition to the obvious impact that this “future-proof form” has on the BSc Earth Sciences program, the consequences extend further. “In the Netherlands, the field of Earth Sciences is organized in such a way that each university has its own expertise,” says Anouk. In this way, any competition is transformed into effective and strong collaboration. The Earth Sciences department at VU Amsterdam represents geochemical (isotope) analyses, including chemical research into the Earth's mantle and support in forensic cases. Cutting back on these geochemical labs would mean that other institutes in the Netherlands would no longer be able to carry out their analyses, but would have to outsource them abroad. The ultimate result of these cutbacks would be that “scientific funding, knowledge, and the opportunity for innovation would flow abroad,” according to Anouk.
The disappearance of the BSc Earth Sciences program will also have an impact on future generations of students, for whom accessibility to study Earth Sciences will decrease. “Research shows that students mainly choose a study program based on the location where they (want to) live,” explains Anouk. And given that students are staying at home longer, that location is increasingly closer to their parents' home. If Earth Sciences disappears in Amsterdam, students from the west of the Netherlands will be less likely to choose this program, even if it is still taught at other institutions. As a result, the number of trained Earth Scientists with specific knowledge of the Dutch subsurface will decline. And it is precisely in the coming years that these Earth scientists will be sorely needed, according to both Brecht and Anouk. After all, we are facing major challenges: think of the housing shortage, the energy transition, and climate change. The knowledge of Earth scientists is essential to keep everything on track. The loss of Earth Sciences knowledge will have to be compensated for with foreign talent, who have not gained expertise in the specific knowledge and issues relevant to the Netherlands during their studies. “This will mean that projects related to the energy transition, for example, will take longer and cost more money,” warns Anouk.
What does the action group do?
Despite, or perhaps because of, these worrying circumstances, the Red Aardwetenschappen action group is making its voice heard. They have been campaigning since June 2024. This started with a number of discussions, mainly between staff and the Faculty Board. This was quickly followed by videos from students and staff, several campus protests, participation in the education protest in The Hague, various (radio) interviews, and the most recent protest: the memorial service. Each action carried a clear message, explains Brecht. In addition to wanting to ensure the preservation of the department and related programs, and having a say in the austerity plan, the activists have another noteworthy demand: “be transparent about decision-making towards staff and students.”
That transparency may still be lacking, but the actions have had a noticeable effect. In response to the funeral procession, the FB has agreed to the demand for an information session for students. Unfortunately, little new information has been disclosed and more answers and clarity will have to wait until early April, when the FB will announce its proposed decision; this also applies to staff members. Nevertheless, thanks to all the protests, Earth Sciences and the situation at VU Amsterdam have not gone unnoticed. Articles about the uncertain situation appeared in Het Parool, Trouw, and NRC. In addition, the funeral procession received airtime and attention on NPO Radio 1. Anouk adds hopefully that this national attention “will also scrutinize the way in which the Faculty Board is dealing with the cutbacks and that such measures cannot simply be pushed through.”
What can students do about this situation?
Anouk emphasizes that it is especially important “for students to read up on their rights and the obligations that the university has towards students by offering a specific curriculum.” In addition, according to Brecht, it is also important to share things on social media and talk about your concerns. Finally, Brecht and Anouk both emphasize that hope is not yet lost; “the battle is not over yet, and we are certainly not alone.” Would you like to join the “battle” and stay informed of the latest developments? Then join the action group and join the group app.
