News items Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciencehttps://www.government.nl/News items of Ministry of Education, Culture and Science on Government.nlen-GBAny form of re-use of the content of this feed is permittedMon, 09 Mar 2026 03:53:14 GMT5News itemshttps://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/06/18/benin-bronzes-from-the-netherlands-returning-home-to-nigeriaThis week marks the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands to Nigeria. The official handover will take place on 21 June, at the National Museum in Lagos. The restitution is the result of intensive cooperation between experts and representatives from Nigeria and the Netherlands. The artifacts will be returned to the Nigerian government, which will decide how and where they will be displayed.Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:00:00 GMT62506731-9396-4b40-8415-7dcec9a7fc37https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/04/07/screening-for-researchers-wising-to-handle-sensitive-knowledgeResearchers and Master’s students who want to work on or with sensitive knowledge in the Netherlands will soon be required to undergo government screening, as outlined in the new Knowledge Security Screening Bill, which will be made available online for public consultation today. The bill was announced in the government programme. The bill has been submitted by Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins, jointly on behalf of Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel, and in accordance with Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Beljaarts. Bruins: “Knowledge is power, and safeguarding our knowledge is therefore essential. By conducting screening of individuals who seek access to knowledge that is critical for our country, we prevent the unwanted transfer of our knowledge assets. I intend to undertake this carefully, in collaboration with knowledge institutions. This approach is designed to enable us to advance our security efforts while preserving the openness and international scope of our science. That is crucial.”Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:00:00 GMT7d87d0f2-2489-430d-86b8-4035f8748093https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/03/20/netherlands-launches-fund-to-accommodate-excellent-international-scientistsExcellent international scientists who want to continue their work in the Netherlands are welcome in our country. That is the message that Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins is eager to communicate with the world. He has asked the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to set up a programme to attract the best scientists to the Netherlands as soon as possible. Today, Mr Bruins formally stated his intentions in a letter to the House of Representatives.Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:15:00 GMTec9ebea9-35c8-48b0-853f-172b5358975bhttps://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/02/19/netherlands-to-return-looted-benin-bronzes-to-nigeriaAt the request of Nigeria, the Netherlands is returning 113 Benin Bronzes from the Dutch State Collection. This decision was taken by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins. In 1897 British soldiers looted these objects from the Kingdom of Benin (now part of modern-day Nigeria) and sold them. They eventually ended up in the Dutch State Collection. The Benin Bronzes are an important record of the history of the Kingdom of Benin and, thus, of great significance to Nigeria. The Bronzes, consisting of plaques, personal ornaments and figures, are currently housed in the collection of Wereldmuseum Leiden. The return of these objects is the result of intensive cooperation between experts and representatives of both countries.Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:05:00 GMT97b1b4f8-0501-43b6-856b-ec46745ce596https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/01/17/objects-from-the-wereldmuseum-leiden-collection-to-be-returned-to-indigenous-tribe-in-the-usIn response to a request by the United States and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas, and on the advice of the Colonial Collections Committee, Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins will be returning seven objects from the Dutch National Art Collection.  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 14:30:00 GMTcef786c7-2f43-4b78-9b7a-f261e5fb9344https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2024/10/18/einstein-telescope-in-border-region-step-closerMajor steps have been taken to build the Einstein Telescope in the border region of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. This was revealed at the 4th ministerial summit on the project. The Flemish government is already reserving €200 million for the project. In addition, Belgium and the Netherlands support the steps being taken in Germany to definitively earmark funds for the construction of the Einstein Telescope. Finally, it was announced at the summit that the 1rst results of the drilling campaign give the preliminary conclusion that the subsoil in the border area of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany is sufficiently stable and offers opportunities to build the telescope.Fri, 18 Oct 2024 10:00:00 GMTb43a89f0-6d3f-452e-b092-bc1e0a50fe8ahttps://www.government.nl/latest/news/2024/09/20/for-second-time-cultural-artefacts-to-be-returned-to-indonesiaIn response to a request from Indonesia, the Netherlands is returning 288 objects from the Dutch State Collection to Indonesia. These objects were wrongfully taken to the Netherlands during the colonial period and are of cultural interest to Indonesia.Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:51:00 GMTc5d5e934-6be6-42e6-ba8d-9ddc99b448d6https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2024/04/04/nieuwe-instituut-appointed-as-curator-of-the-cultural-programme-for-the-netherlands-participation-at-world-expo-2025-in-osaka The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education, Culture and Science have commissioned Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Instituut to curate the cultural programme for the participation of the Netherlands at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Expo 2025 will take place from Sunday 13 April to Monday 13 October 2025. Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:04:00 GMTb390c5d9-b129-4842-a904-bd9df93738fchttps://www.government.nl/latest/news/2024/03/28/the-netherlands-to-invest-%E2%82%AC2.5-billion-to-strengthen-business-climate-for-chip-industry-in-brainport-eindhovenFound in objects from telephones to solar panels and medical equipment, microchips play a crucial role in everyday life. Dutch businesses and knowledge institutions lead the way in the global chip industry. But in the Brainport Eindhoven region they’re coming up against limits in terms of personnel, space and energy. The Dutch central and regional governments have made agreements aimed at addressing these problems. This should safeguard the Netherlands’ position as an attractive business environment for the semiconductor industry and its suppliers. This industry is important for the Netherlands' earning capacity, and it provides jobs and contributes to our country's security and autonomyThu, 28 Mar 2024 14:59:00 GMTf0bdbb33-d576-4eaf-a4a0-fe5bb9f2f58chttps://www.government.nl/latest/news/2023/11/30/resignation-of-the-state-secretary-for-culture-and-mediaThe State Secretary for Culture and Media at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Gunay Uslu, has requested His Majesty the King to discharge her from her duties as of 1 December 2023. The King has honourably discharged Ms Uslu, upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, thanking her for the many important services rendered to the monarch and the Kingdom. This was announced by the King’s Office.Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:01:00 GMTbc82ca8d-fd27-41c1-9945-24c3c87175c1https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2023/10/17/government-takes-next-step-towards-bringing-einstein-telescope-to-the-netherlandsLasers, mirror technology and vibration-free cooling equipment are just three of the innovative technologies that will be needed to build the Einstein Telescope. Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf announced today that businesses can now register for funding to develop and test these technologies. With this, the government is taking the next step towards bringing the Einstein Telescope to the Netherlands. The construction of the telescope is important. Not only will it increase understanding of gravitational waves, it will also be a major impulse for lasting scientific and economic growth in the Netherlands.Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:00:00 GMT8e0bd54e-0b9b-4e5c-bd4e-dc7f3f4e4049https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2023/07/14/online-consultation-starts-on-proposed-legislation-concerning-internationalisation-of-higher-educationToday sees the launch of the online consultation for the proposed legislation concerning a more balanced and coordinated approach to internationalisation in Dutch higher education (Wet internationalisering in balans). Anyone can express a view about the proposed legislation until mid-September. The bill covers measures relating to language and more centralised control of student admissions, with a view to effectively managing the number of international students coming to the Netherlands. The ultimate aim is to achieve a better balance in the internationalisation of higher professional and university educationFri, 14 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT5ec2f7e0-4d82-41df-bd59-5de68ac11915https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2022/04/21/government-decides-on-education-and-healthcare-for-refugees-from-ukraineThanks to the tireless efforts of a large group of dedicated staff at municipalities and safety regions, accommodation has been found in the Netherlands for around 41.000 refugees from Ukraine, and nearly 31.000 beds are currently occupied. The initial target of basic accommodation for 50.000 people is within reach. The 75% occupancy rate, combined with the unpredictability of the war and of refugee flows to the Netherlands, underscores that we must be ready to provide accommodation for more than 50.000 people in the short term.Thu, 21 Apr 2022 13:56:00 GMT5f40d1f9-38f4-497a-a662-a91201dd79aa