Dutch government support for Einstein Academy to train professionals
The Dutch cabinet, together with the Province of Limburg and science financier NWO, is taking the next step to bring the Einstein Telescope to the Netherlands. They are allocating 15.9 million Euros to drive innovation and establish the educational Einstein Academy initiative.
The Einstein Academy is an initiative of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and the Limburg institutions for vocational education VISTA college and Gilde Opleidingen, with other educational institutions from the Meuse-Rhine Euregion possibly joining in. Together, the schools will receive 4.5 million Euros to launch the Einstein Academy. The Dutch central government announced this on Prinsjesdag, the annual state of the union and budget announcement.
The aim is for the Einstein Academy to train hundreds of professionals over the next few years, who will soon be able to build and maintain the Einstein Telescope. The Netherlands is one of the main candidates to build this telescope, which will create many jobs and be of great value to science.
The Dutch ministries of Education, Culture and Science and Economic Affairs are together allocating 8.6 million euros for the Einstein Telescope, the Province of Limburg 4.2 million and NWO 3.0 million. The money is for the period until 2026.
Scientific director Stan Bentvelsen of the Einstein Telescope EMR project office sees it as an important step: ‘This is good news. Today’s pupils and students will soon be the people who make the Einstein Telescope work. This certainly doesn’t just involve scientists; we need talents at all levels. And not just in engineering and science, but in all disciplines. With the Einstein Academy, vocational education responds perfectly to that need and thus also takes a very important step for us towards the telescope.’
Minister Eppo Bruins (OCW) is also upbeat about the plans these parties have together: ‘At a time when there is less money in our budget for research and education, this really is a textbook example of an investment that strengthens both. I think it’s great to work together to strengthen vocational education in Limburg. And it is good for our chances of being able to build the Einstein Telescope here if we have the knowledge and the professionals ready to do so. It would be really good for the Netherlands if that telescope comes here.’
See also the press release
