- 01/09/2025
Before keynote speaker Ruben Brekelmans took the podium for the first time, President of the Executive Board Koen Janssen opened the event. He closed his remarks with a critical note directed at the outgoing administration. “Contrary to what Europe needs in these times – innovation and investments in research and education – the government decided to impose drastic cuts. That’s a choice I find difficult to understand.” With an eye on the upcoming elections, he urged everyone in The Hague to invest in these areas.
Brekelmans
Next, it was the turn of the outgoing Minister of Defense. He wanted to talk about the gray zone between war and peace in which the Netherlands currently finds itself and argued for social resilience and military preparedness, areas to which TU/e and other technical universities can contribute.
But within minutes, two activists stood up. Speaking loudly, they shared their views on the situation in Gaza and blamed Brekelmans for failing to act against the long-standing oppression of Palestinians. “And TU/e gives him a stage. Shame!”
Brekelmans tried to continue, but then another man stood up and began reading a statement in Dutch. Moderator Barry Fitzgerald attempted to quiet the protesters, and when that failed, he called for a time-out.
When Brekelmans returned to the stage a few minutes later, he was greeted with applause. He invited the activists to join the debate after his speech. “I understand there are strong emotions,” he said in an attempt to calm the room, “but keep talking instead of shouting. Be careful with the words you use, because personally insulting politicians does not lead to dialogue, but causes them to leave politics.”
Within a minute of the renewed applause and the resumption of his speech, another demonstrator stood up. Again, a time-out followed. While the audience understood the views of the pro-Palestinian activists, they felt this was not the right time or place to target Brekelmans.
Police
Police officers entered the room. Gijs Spiele, head of TU/e’s Safety & Security, followed protocol and asked one of the activists to leave. “You have one chance to walk out.” When she refused, she was carried out while shouting “Free, Free, Palestine” until the door of the Blauwe Zaal closed behind her. This scene was repeated several times.
Afterward, Spiele explained how the activists had still managed to attend the event despite extra security measures. “The condition for attending the Opening of the Academic Year in the Blauwe Zaal was online registration, and these pro-Palestinian activists had registered.” The organization confirmed that this did not necessarily require a TU/e account.
“Boo”
By the eighth and final interruption, the audience had had enough and, for the first time, responded less calmly. Prolonged shouts of “boo” echoed through the room. Once again, Fitzgerald stopped the program. After a long pause, Brekelmans returned with a joke: “I’ve never been shouted at so often in one hour, but I’ve also never received this much applause.”
He continued his speech, focusing on Putin’s imperialism and the urgent need to resist it. “Without the technical universities, we cannot keep our country safe.” As early as last March, he had already told Cursor that the Ministry of Defense intends to collaborate with the four Dutch technical universities (4TU), including TU/e.
Eventually, the Opening of the Academic Year proceeded without further incident, with a panel discussion on the theme “Building blocks for the future.” Panel members included Lex Hoefsloot (as an expert by experience and advisor to startups), Maaike Okano-Heijmans from the Clingendael Institute, mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem, and MEP Sophie in ’t Veld.
When Rector Magnificus Silvia Lenaerts – later than planned – officially declared the academic year open, the audience was ready for a snack, a drink, or a bathroom break. It had been a long afternoon.
Protest During Schoof's Speech in Twente
There was unrest at other universities as well. The opening of the academic year at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) was even halted entirely, as pro-Palestinian protesters continued shouting over the speakers.
In Enschede, activists were removed from the venue, just as in Eindhoven. They were protesting the presence of outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof, U-Today reports.
The demonstrators expressed anger over populism, budget cuts, and the war in Gaza, which they claim the government is doing too little to address. Schoof could do little more than show understanding. “I know that my presence is not well-received by everyone,” he said in his speech, “and I understand that.”
However, Schoof also defended the government's stance, including the spending cuts. “Politics is about distributing scarcity,” he stated.
Normally, the Minister of Education also attends the opening of the academic year, but Bruins resigned two weeks ago. His predecessor, Robbert Dijkgraaf, spoke in Groningen, criticizing the current cabinet for short-term thinking. “Governments increasingly view science through the narrow lens of economic competitiveness,” he said.
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