The changing balance of teaching and research in the Dutch binary higher education system

Abstract

In the Netherlands the relationship between the universities and the ‘other’ institutions of higher education has been the subject of a continuous debate. The main difference is the status of research which for universities is a major task, but in the last decade the other institutions have developed a research function as well. On the basis of a discussion of recent government policies that put pressure on the nature of teaching and research in both types of institutions, the chapter investigates what factors affect the working role of faculty members in these institutions and how the teaching and research nexus is being perceived both in undergraduate and graduate programmes. The results suggest that although the institutional type remains an important influence on how faculty spend their time, the differences are becoming attenuated.