Erasmus
International
International
Erasmus University is not just a study choice, it is a lifestyle commitment. Every single day, our campus becomes a vibrant point where hundreds of cultures, perspectives and ideas converge. Our friendships that span across the entire world, show the incredible power of this diverse community.
Yet, budget cuts and the cost-of-living crisis are actively threatening this unique project. They put financial and mental stress on our student lives and demolish higher education.
We understand that this is neither the time to sit back and proceed as normal, nor to turn people against each other: It is more urgent than ever to use our combined power to fight back.
The university council is an important tool in this regard: It has to approve budget resolutions, can use its ties to the executive board and directly votes on shaping the organisation of our university. We will use these means to continuously advocate for the interests of our international student community.
At the same time, we acknowledge that there is only so and so much we can influence with our seats. The council cannot reverse budget cuts of the national government and new ideas unfortunately, more often than not, are stalled by an overly bureaucratic system.
Erasmus International understands that our work does not end in the university council: We want to report back what has been discussed to all students and become part of a bigger movement. A lot of problems cannot solely be solved by some council or university staff members, by some students, some activists or protesters alone. Erasmus University needs a party that understands that and brings people together.
The Dutch government’s decision to cut over a billion euros in higher education will largely affect our every-day university life: larger classes and tutorials, demolition of buildings, less student housing and rising tuition fees. Everybody is already feeling the effects, and this is only the beginning.
Even though it often does not seem like that, no political decisions are irreversible or final. On the one hand, there is no guarantee that these budget cuts will be the last ones to come, on the other hand, there is hope that the budget cuts will be revoked if enough people stand up to this disastrous decision. We will on every step of the way support the demonstrations and strikes against the budget cuts, use our ties at the university council and existing party structures to mobilise as many people as possible. Budget cuts will increase the workload and stress of the university staff and thereby lower the quality of our education: We have their back by endorsing the upcoming strikes. Effectively standing up for our student interests definitely requires more than a majority on the council: We will seek to form a close collaboration with the student union Stuur and form ties with other student and activist groups.
Additionally we will do everything in our power to:
a. Fight against massive increases in tuition fees for internationals:
- International students are a massive source of funding for the university.
- Our tuition fees are about four times higher than those of Dutch students.
- They plan to increase them by over €1,000 for the next academic year.
- Large groups of international students are at risk of being forced to leave the university because they cannot afford the rising tuition fees and the costs of living.
We need to ensure that budget cuts don’t affect the international community by preventing further increases in tuition fees for all international students. We promise to oppose any university decision in favour of such changes and organize demonstrations in case they don’t want to back down.
b. Make cheaper student housing available to everyone:
- 75% of all international students are forced to seek housing on the private market, causing immense stress and high living expenses.
- This number is likely to increase if we don’t stop the budget cuts affecting student housing.
- Student housing is extremely expensive; in Amsterdam, where the housing crisis is even worse, the majority of students pay around €450 per month. At Erasmus, housing is almost twice as expensive.
- Dutch students are also affected, as they are not entitled to student housing if they live less than two hours away from the university, forcing many from outside Rotterdam to rent privately.
If elected, we will be the voice standing against budget cuts for student housing, both within and outside the council, by obstructing any resolution in favour of set cuts and by actively making the life of the university board miserable if they decide to ignore us by organizing protests and mailing campaigns.
c. Ensure access to affordable food on campus:
- Besides rent and tuition fees, food is often the largest expense for many students.
- Food on campus is extremely expensive, both in restaurants and at Spar.
We will ensure the university maintains a healthy and diverse range of food options while also working to lower prices, so you don’t have to walk 25 minutes to find an affordable lunch.
Students in all faculties are disillusioned with the council politics. Why? Because all parties only appear a couple of weeks before elections to beg for your vote, get a nice CV boost when they get elected and then go quiet for the next 12 months. Can you name a single thing that the council has done for you in the last 6 months? Nobody knows what is happening in the council and most of the current parties want to keep you disinterested in order to make their work of “representing you” easier.
We promise to be better and through that force all other parties to step up their game as well. Here is everything we will do to turn the council from the current apathy into an active force for improving your lives:
1. Hold town-hall (uni-hall) meetings once every two months.
- Our party will hold a regular bimonthly event where every student can come and criticise our work, give us suggestions and tell us what direction they want the council to go into
- Majority of our elected officials and party coordinators will be present at such uni-halls.
- All information about this will be found on our instagram a couple of weeks in advance.
- We will of course provide free snacks at such events.
Through this we will keep ourselves accountable and accessible to any criticism from our fellow students, as well as keep you all informed about the workings of the council.
2. Monthly newsletter updates:
- To further keep you informed about the policies we are enacting and to make sure we are not just sitting around we will create a newsletter that will contain a summary of our work in the university and faculty councils.
3. Social media updates:
- Unlike other parties our socials won’t turn off after election season
- We will make regular posts about the party and about what is happening in the council, as well as comment on any major issues that are happening at the university.
We also see that the university council in its current form lacks the powers to sufficiently protect the interests and rights of staff and students, which is why we want to expand its mandate beyond a mainly advisory body.
To democratise the work of the council and make it and its elections more transparent to all students, we demand sufficient funding for parties also outside the election cycles so that parties can establish themselves within our student community. We want to encourage more discourse, dialogue and discussion between students and student parties, which is why we want to expand the rights of parties to present and advertise themselves around elections.
Our university is extremely diverse, and we want everyone to feel accepted. International students are one of the most vulnerable groups on our campus, as they face adaptation difficulties, mental health problems, and financial struggles. Those are serious obstacles to academic progress and building a stable social life.
We stand for an open community and aim to make international students' lives easier. Keeping our party's community open will let people come to us with their complaints and ideas, and we will promote them further. Bringing up themes like affordable Dutch courses and providing more help in getting internships will attract attention, making these problems harder to ignore.
a. Supporting the international community:
- International associations will get better support from the university, as they play a crucial role in sustaining a diverse and multicultural environment.
- We will also protect them from the disproportionate effects of budget cuts.
- Our party will ensure rights to demonstrate on campus. All students, including Internationals must be heard and all problems they face should be reviewed by the council immediately.
- We will make sure to form an open community around the party, so students could safely express their opinion on the most important topics.
b. Helping internationals with practical matters:
- Our party will propose to introduce free Dutch courses for everyone, so international students could feel as a part of the university’s community, not as a minority in it.
- University must continue to provide better information about arrival, educational and living costs, and help with other general aspects of life in the Netherlands.
- Mental health services should be made more available.