Dutch Government funds for UNA and USM

October 13, 2009 6:42 AM

THE HAGUE - The Dutch Government has agreed to invest 690,000 euros in higher education in the Netherlands Antilles, via the University of the Netherlands Antilles (UNA) and the University of St. Martin (USM). The money will be used to make higher education on the islands “more attractive” and to prevent brain drain.

Dutch Minister of Education Ronald Plasterk and his Antillean colleague Omayra Leeflang signed a protocol in The Hague on Monday, in which it was agreed that USM would receive 138,000 euros and UNA 552,000 euros for the academic year 2009-2010.

The amount for USM is earmarked for activities in relation to the accreditation of the teachers’ programme, and to stimulate appreciation of studying at the university. The money serves to give content to the cooperation agreement that USM and UNA signed in May 2006.

According to the protocol, the funds are meant as allowances for UNA and USM students, to encourage active participation in social activities, international internships, or to be applied as gestures of appreciation for achieving good study results. The allowances are meant for full-time students who started their studies at USM or UNA in the academic year 2009-2010 or later.

The first results of the initiative will be evaluated next year. Based on this evaluation, parties will decide whether to continue making funds available for USM and UNA.

By making higher education more attractive on the islands, Leeflang hopes to reduce brain drain. Some 600 students from the islands per year go to the Netherlands to study. The majority don’t return to the islands. This has a negative impact on middle management in the islands. Young talent has become even more important to build the Countries Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Investing in higher education in Curaçao and St. Maarten is also to the benefit of the Netherlands, because of the new constitutional relations. When Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius become part of the Netherlands as public entities next year, students will continue to study at UNA and USM.

Ministers Plasterk and Leeflang also agreed to publish basic grammar of the Papiamentu language in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, and for the Papiamentu-speaking community in the Netherlands. This should be the first initiative for a Papiamentu language union in the Kingdom.

(Source: National Newspaper Antilliaans Dagblad / Amigoe)

October 12, 2009