The Dutch Association of Tax Advisers (NOB) wants university education in tax law and tax economics to be concentrated at three universities. This is reported by Follow the Money. These programmes are currently offered at several locations across the Netherlands. According to the NOB, the education should better reflect professional practice and help address the shortage of tax specialists.

The plan has drawn considerable criticism at several universities. Staff fear that it will undermine academic independence and leave less room for regional programmes and diversity in research. The umbrella organisation Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) supports the proposal, Follow the Money reports, but tax law departments believe the professional association is trying to exert too much influence over university education. (DH)

A bachelor’s student in Law has been definitively vindicated by the Council of State (RvS) in an appeal concerning the use of a digital statute book during exams because of his disability.

The student had previously been diagnosed with a learning disorder that causes difficulties processing information that is not presented through spoken language. He therefore requested permission to use accessibility accommodations during exams. The Examination Board rejected the request, because under the rules, reading assistance is only available to students with a visual impairment.

The student subsequently appealed. The Council of State ultimately ruled that the use of a digital statute book with a search function constitutes an appropriate and effective accommodation for this student. The appeal was therefore upheld. The Council of State instructed the Examination Board to issue a new decision within four weeks. (DH)

Michel Vellekoop, Professor of Actuarial Science & Mathematical Finance at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), has been named Actuary of the Year 2026. This award, a great honour in the field of actuarial science, was presented during Actuary Day on 24 September in Zeist.

The jury honoured Vellekoop for the bridge he builds between science, education and practice. For example, he was involved in the establishment of the Research Centre for Longevity Risk, which investigates the life expectancy of various population groups. Vellekoop himself has focused on the opportunities and risks of AI for actuarial practice. He advises his colleagues not to forget to ‘think for themselves’ when applying AI to their work. (MH)

The new interest rates on student loans from DUO have been announced. For students who started borrowing after 1 September 2015, an interest rate of 2.70 per cent will apply from 2027. This represents an increase of 0.37 percentage points. Those who took out a loan with DUO before that date will see the rate rise from 2.29 per cent to 3.28 per cent.

The new interest rates will apply in any case to all students who are currently borrowing, and to anyone who has finished receiving student finance this year. The same applies to borrowers whose fixed-rate period (five years after the loan was stopped) ends on 31 December 2026.

DUO will contact students and former students regarding the scheme under which they fall. This information can also be found on MijnDUO. (MH)

Flu vaccinations for UvA staff have been postponed. The UvA reports this on its staff website. Artemis Health, the organisation providing the flu vaccinations, has said that delivery of the vaccines has been delayed. The appointments that have already been scheduled will therefore be rescheduled.

The current expectation is that the vaccines will be available from November 16. The vaccination rounds were originally scheduled to take place between October 26 and November 5. (DH)

The University Library was briefly evacuated on Tuesday afternoon. An alarm had gone off in one of the technical rooms.

As a precaution, the fire brigade was also called. After a brief inspection, students and staff were allowed back inside at around 4:30 p.m. (IS)

At the beginning of 2026, the total student debt owed by current and former students in the Netherlands stood at €28 billion, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). That is €0.8 billion less than a year earlier. This marks the first time that total student debt has fallen.

Since the reintroduction of the basic student grant in the 2023–24 academic year, the number of students with loans has decreased. The number of people with student debt has also been falling for three consecutive years. In total, around 1.5 million current and former students still have student debt, 60,000 fewer than a year earlier. (TH)

The UvA is introducing a numerus fixus for the English-language track of the Political Science programme starting next academic year. The university announced this in a message on its staff website. As a result, a maximum of 325 students will be admitted to the English-language track. The bilingual track will continue without a limit on the number of students.

The decision is necessary to comply with the self-regulation agreements made by Dutch universities to limit the intake of international students. Due to “growing interest” among international students in the Political Science programme, adjustments are now needed to achieve “a better balance between Dutch and international students and to safeguard the quality of education”.

The UvA is also tightening the numerus fixus for the English-language tracks of Economics and Business Economics (550) and Business Administration (500). (DH)

On Saturday 3 October, the annual Science Weekend will take place at the UvA. Visitors can learn about how science works through experiments, meetings with scientists, workshops and lectures at three locations across the UvA.

At the Amsterdam Science Park, visitors can take a look inside the laboratories and workshops of the UvA’s Faculty of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science (FNWI) and the research institutes AMOLF, ARCNL, CWI and Nikhef. An electric train will take visitors to the various locations. The UvA University Library is also taking part for the first time this year, and just round the corner, the Allard Pierson Museum is open to visitors once again.

The national Science Weekend takes place annually during the first weekend of October. The aim of the event is to make science and technology accessible to a wide audience, “particularly at a time when science and scientific facts are increasingly the subject of public debate”.

All three venues will open their doors between 12.00 and 17.00. Admission is free. (SvdB)