Every year on Budget Day, the monarch delivers the Throne Speech, in which the government outlines its plans for the year ahead. Today’s speech covered major issues such as the nitrogen crisis, housing, security, the climate and democracy.
Remarkably, there was no mention of investment in education and research. Instead, this was addressed only indirectly, in the discussion of the “labour market of tomorrow”.
Talent everywhere
This labour market requires the Netherlands to “attract, educate and retain top talent in crucial sectors such as AI, digitalisation, energy and biotechnology”, the King said. “That talent is present at every level of higher education, from secondary vocational institutions and universities of applied sciences to research universities.”
He referred to the government’s previously announced ‘talent strategy’: “This will be developed further in the period ahead, in consultation with education institutions, businesses, students and other stakeholders.”
He also addressed international student inflows from an economic perspective: “In a modern labour market, there must naturally be room for talented students and specialised knowledge workers from abroad.”
Tremendous opportunities
The Throne Speech struck an optimistic note about technological progress. “Of course, the rapid pace of development in digitalisation and AI calls for careful and responsible governance”, the King acknowledged, “but the opportunities are tremendous.”
Higher education institutions must respond to this, too: “Together with the business sector, knowledge institutions and other partners, the government is working to build an economy in which innovation fuels further innovation and start-ups and established businesses strengthen one another.”
Incidentally, AI was not used in this Throne Speech, if AI detection program Pangram is to be believed. While several prominent politicians have recently been found to have turned to AI-generated texts, the Throne Speech remains a distinctly human product.
Science hat
Budget Day is traditionally associated with distinctive hats, some of which carry a political message. Minister of Education Rianne Letschert wore a science-themed hat for which designer Malou Beemer collaborated with Professor Wim Noorduin.
Noorduin is known, amongst other things, for the microscopically small ‘flowers’ he produces using chemicals. Artist Malou Beemer transformed these shapes into wearable art. The result is a ‘hat of wonder’ illustrating the collaboration between science and art.