On Tuesday, November 18, a Radboud Reflects meeting about the university's new strategy ended prematurely. Three pro-Palestinian protesters loudly shouted in the hall about their dissatisfaction with the university's actions regarding the situation in Gaza and Israel. Despite a brief opportunity to express their message, an invitation for a separate conversation, and requests for silence or to leave the room, the protesters refused to stop. The meeting was therefore prematurely terminated. Executive Board President Alexandra van Huffelen: "It is incredibly regrettable that we had to stop the meeting halfway through, just before the opportunity for questions and discussion."
The meeting was intended to inform employees about the university's strategy for the coming years, in conjunction with the budget cuts. Given the large number of registrations, there was a strong need for dialogue on this topic. A preliminary round of questions revealed that many employees wanted to know what role the budget cuts play. "We wanted to tell the large group of interested employees how we envision the future of our university. Many employees were present to express their concerns about the budget cuts and to hear about their potential consequences for their own roles or departments. These concerns are valid, and we would have liked to discuss them. They have the right to be well-informed, and this meeting could have contributed to that," Van Huffelen continued. "Of course, you have the right to demonstrate, but I think it's regrettable that by doing so, you deprive employees of the opportunity to have this discussion about the university's strategy."
Due to the importance of the topic, the meeting will be rescheduled very soon. Employees who registered for the first meeting can expect an invitation.