A Danish government economic reconstruction plan which squeezes university budgets is now heavily criticised by university interest groups. <\/p>\n
Along with a down-adjustment for research, which counts 1 percent of GDP, savings are set to be DKK 328 million in 2012 and DKK 998 million kroner in 2013.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, one billion kroner disappears in 2013, as a special grant from the globalisation agreement in 2006 for renewing laboratories expires.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Science claims that the plan was never to lengthen the grant in 2013. But Jens Oddershede, chairman of the association Danish Universities, understands things differently:<\/p>\n
\u00bbIt has always been our interpretation that the billions given to us for the renewal of laboratories, would later return to us as a part of the research budget\u00ab. <\/p>\n
Oddershede says the budget cut will bring consequences.<\/p>\n
\u00bbIt is hard for me to imagine how you can carry out these budget cuts in 2013 without affecting the employees at the Universities\u00ab.<\/p>\n
Moreover, a circular from the Rector of the University of Copenhagen just announced that 400-700 positions are expected to disappear in the coming years as a result of the budget cutbacks.<\/p>\n
Oddershede argues that with the tight budget, it will be difficult to build up an international competitive research and educational environment.<\/p>\n
\u00bbIt seems unlikely that these cuts harmonize with the goals of world-class universities\u00ab, Oddershede says.<\/p>\n
In the government reconstructing plan there is a the ambition of investing a further five billion kroner in education, but the proposal is not further specified.<\/p>\n
\u00bbThe proposal to invest in educating more people sound good, but the universities do not know if this money will give the already low educational taximeter a boost\u00ab, the Universities chairman says.<\/p>\n
However, Oddershede hopes that politicians get smart again by 2013, and that they realise it is short-term thinking to cut research and educational budgets:<\/p>\n
\u00bbI think we have a good case. It is a question of making a strong bid for the future, and less of a bid on us, the old ones: We need to focus on our children and the future generations\u00ab.<\/p>\n
peri@adm.ku.dk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new Danish plan forces universities to cut 10 percent starting 2013. But this is only a short-term solution, says university association. Universities’ world class status may be threatened<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","expression-news_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n