Introduction
Our strategy leading up to 2030 is based upon continuing our current direction. We will build upon what we have started, provide further depth on themes and reinforce and/or secure the established lines and results in the existing organisation. We will indicate where we are intensifying our efforts, as well as where new emphasis will be placed. Naturally, we will also take into account the developments and changes in the world around us.
External developments
The university is at the heart of society. We are living in an era of rapid and major changes, in a world that sometimes appears to be simultaneously threatening and under threat. The university can contribute to solutions for some complex, international situations and threats. With respect to other developments, however, those opportunities are limited. These developments may impact our community and our education and research agenda. Accordingly, they also affect our people. The most prominent external developments for the university in 2025 are as follows:
- There are currently hotbeds of tension and wars on several continents, including in Europe. Nationalism, populism and right-wing extremism are increasingly taking hold in societies, putting pressure on academic freedom in and the security of Europe, and therefore also affecting the Netherlands. This has an impact on domestic and international cooperation and affects our community.
- Partly as a result of geopolitical developments, increased alertness and measures are required to maintain knowledge and information security. This affects the way we share knowledge and information (Open Science), the accessibility of certain research areas and also funding flows (Collaboration).
- Democracy, the rule of law and our knowledge institutions are under increasing pressure. People are questioning the independence of institutions and are increasingly less receptive to facts and truth-telling. This necessitates openness and transparency about research processes and results and the involvement of external partners and the general public (Open Science).
- Digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) are affecting our education, research and business operations. Due to geopolitical developments, we want to reduce our dependence on ‘big tech’. This also requires us to be prepared for the opportunities and risks associated with AI and our view of them.
- Issues relating to sustainability, in particular the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity and the societal disruptions that could be the result in the coming years, are becoming increasingly urgent. Due to differences of opinion, many 'green' investments and measures are being reversed, with global consequences. We are contributing to necessary transitions by means of our education and research. In our own organisation, we apply the ‘practise what you teach’ principle.
- The world is under pressure, and with it the well-being of people, including our students and staff. Equality, safety and inclusiveness are and will continue to be important pillars of our community. We research and monitor mental resilience; look after our people and provide relevant support and guidance chains (Community).
- Falling student intake, autonomous personnel and material cost increases and shrinking government resources call for the university to make financial adjustments (Organisation).
Internal developments
Differences in views on the developments outlined above and on how to relate to them sometimes lead to polarisation and feelings of unsafety, including within the university. This leads to the question of whether academic activism is accepted, or necessary. The question also arises as to whether the university as an institution should take a position, for example in relation to war situations. Recent experience reveals that finding a path through this is difficult in a large, diverse, free and open community like ours. In accordance with our academic identity, we continue to make nuanced considerations. We do this using assessment frameworks, which are partly based on academic insights, and we continue to discuss them. This can lead to the adoption of positions, but need not do so.
Independent and transparent science
The university possesses a great deal of knowledge on topics that touch on the aforementioned developments and other relevant themes. Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ continues to contribute to a free, safe and democratic society and a healthy world precisely by applying our knowledge independently. Based on our social mission and engagement, we continue to participate in the public debate, standing up for our academics, who share their knowledge with society in a polarised, sometimes even hostile, environment. We actively offer them support and, where necessary, protection. Openness, transparency about who we are, how we arrive at insights and produce knowledge, and reciprocal collaborations with community partners and the wider public are more important in this than ever before.
Decisive and agile
Solid finances and the organisation’s decisiveness and power are essential preconditions for implementing our strategy. We therefore continue to work on strengthening leadership, transparent policy and decision-making processes, appropriate governance structures and improving managerial and internal communications. Perhaps even more important than these instrumental adjustments, is working together to create a culture based on respect for each other's roles and responsibilities. In this culture, we trust each other and are generous in granting each other concessions, we adhere to agreements, we have the courage to call each other to account, and we reduce the number of consultations and e-mails. The university is doing well, partly because we are permanently working on this and continuing to develop.