Scientist goes to court over missed permanent contract

December 3 2025 - A member of the academic staff has filed a lawsuit against TU/e, arguing that her temporary contract—a tenure-track position aimed at academic career advancement—was wrongfully not converted into a permanent employment contract after five years. She believes the university failed to clearly communicate which measurable targets she needed to meet in order to qualify for a permanent appointment. She also fears that her pregnancy and periods of illness may have negatively affected her performance evaluation.

During Tuesday afternoon’s hearing at the courthouse in Eindhoven, TU/e stated that the scientist had repeatedly been informed during annual review meetings about several shortcomings, including an insufficient number of publications in reputable journals. She was also criticized for, among other things, poor communication. The academic staff member disputes these claims and is asking the court to rule on the matter. A verdict is expected no later than January 13, 2026. / BAS

Short | “Unsafe” culture? CvB invites TU/e community to lunch walk

December 2 2025 - The Executive Board (CvB) responds on the intranet to the article recently published by ED. The newspaper reports on its own investigation, which reveals that an “unsafe” culture prevails at TU/e. In their message, the board members express their concern about any fear among staff and students to speak out: “We are an open community in which dialogue is pivotal, and we stand firmly behind this principle.”

Anyone who is hesitant to raise an issue is therefore explicitly invited to come along for a lunch walk and a good conversation with president Koen Janssen, rector Silvia Lenaerts, vice president Patrick Groothuis or secretary Eric van der Geer-Rutten-Rijswijk. / LvA

The news items in this overview were translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor