Universities strengthen research collaboration with Ministry of Defence
The Dutch universities will strengthen their research collaboration with the Ministry of Defence.
In an agreement, the universities and the Ministry of Defence pledge to work more closely together on research for peace, security and resilience. ‘Universities want to use their knowledge to contribute to the major challenges facing our society’, says Universities of the Netherlands President, Caspar van den Berg: ‘In the current geopolitical climate, peace, security and resilience are essential parts of that. By working together with the Ministry of Defence, we can make better use of the expertise available at our universities to help build a safe and resilient Netherlands.’
Leiden University, security and defence
Leiden University has an extensive profile in the field of security and defence, particularly in The Hague. This extends beyond military defence alone and includes national security, geopolitics, terrorism, cybersecurity, crisis management, intelligence, law and the societal aspects of security. Research activities are primarily concentrated at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) in The Hague. The university also offers the Defence and National Security minor, and several PhD projects are underway in collaboration with the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA), including Peace and Security in Africa with the African Studies Centre.
‘Through this letter of intent, we want to further expand our collaboration on research into security and societal resilience. This is an important development, particularly in the current era’, says Timo Kos, Vice-President of the Executive Board, who signed the letter on behalf of Leiden University. ‘Needless to say, academic freedom and open science remain the guiding principles underpinning this development, and researchers are free to decide for themselves whether they wish to collaborate with the Ministry of Defence.’
Response from the junior minister
Junior Minister Boswijk explains the role the universities and research organisations can play: ‘Collaboration between universities and the Ministry of Defence is crucial to strengthening national security and resilience in the Netherlands. Through independent research, critical thinking and the education of new generations of talent, universities provide essential insights that help us respond to a world that is becoming less safe due to growing threats and geopolitical tensions.’
Through the letter of intent, the universities and the Ministry of Defence aim to further develop existing collaborations and explore new possibilities for joint research. This collaboration can take different shapes, for example through Dutch Research Council (NWO) research programmes, contract research between the Ministry of Defence and universities, or through collaboration with the Faculty of Military Sciences at the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA).
Academic freedom
Academic freedom is central to this research collaboration. Researchers and universities decide for themselves whether to enter into partnerships. Research will comply with existing Dutch and European agreements and guidelines on Open Science, research security and intellectual property. In addition, collaborations will follow the cost-accounting system used by universities.