Six scientists and a student at Eindhoven University of Technology have sounded the alarm about the lack of freedom of speech on the TU/e campus. This comes after the university administration muzzled the university magazine Cursor.
it is common in science that criticism can be expressed in a safe manner. However, that culture is lacking in the TU/e boardrooms. This is what is apparent from a letter to the university administration, as published on Cursor.
The decisions the TU/e mentions are rarely substantiated, and it seems there is no room at all for discussion about decisions. Those who do stick their heads out of the dirt can then see their careers blocked in the worst-case scenario. In higher positions, public criticism would not be an option.
Questions
The letter’s author believes that Cursor plays an important role in that culture. They say that at present there is too little space where one is able to freely express one’s opinion and to let critical voices be heard. The letter writers question, among other things, whether it is right that the secretary of the board, is also the secretary of the TU/e supervisors.
Learning university
The question is also asked whether the CEO of ASML is also the chairman of TU/e’s supervisory board. The letter writers feel that these and other questions should be allowed to be asked at the university, such that TU/e becomes a “learning university. “In short, to welcome criticism and then also do something with it, especially if the criticism is journalistically, or scientifically, substantiated,” the writers finally conclude.
On Tuesday, unions FNV and AOb also wrote a letter to the university administration supporting the Cursor editorial board, and making proposals on how freedom of expression can be guaranteed at the university.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Chaitali Sengupta
