INTER
INTER is rooted in five core values – Transparency & Democracy, Sustainability & the Environment, Diversity & Inclusivity, Quality of Education, and Mental Health & Student Welfare. We are dedicated to fostering positive change within our university community and beyond. To do so, our party strives to ensure that student voices are heard and university decision-making processes are transparent and accessible. We strive to actively engage with students by organizing various types of events such as Student Forums where participants can share their concerns about the institution and its processes. Our party places great emphasis on advocating for an inclusive campus environment. Every individual at the University of Amsterdam needs to feel valued regardless of their background or identity. Thus, it is imperative and a main goal of INTER that there is no discrimination on campus grounds. Simultaneously, all students should have equal opportunities in excelling academically without having to compromise their well-being. Both the physical and mental health of students take precedence and hence, we endeavor to create a supportive environment where students can thrive academically while still prioritizing their mental and physical health.
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The UvA should cut ties with fossil fuel companies like Shell
Agree
Last year the assessment of the ethicality of third-party collaborations was given to an independent committee overseeing UvAs social responsibility, also regarding its pledges for sustainability. All collaborations in question, including any cooperations with Shell need to be evaluated. Most important is transparency on the decision making process, for which student involvement is crucial.
On the case with Shell, INTER assumes that a substantial cooperation with Shell would strikingly stand against UvAs sustainability commitments. Moreover, INTER demands that UvA should not be open to be part of any possibly greenwashing. To guarantee due process, INTER however encourages to strengthen the role of the independent collaborations oversight committee.
On the case with Shell, INTER assumes that a substantial cooperation with Shell would strikingly stand against UvAs sustainability commitments. Moreover, INTER demands that UvA should not be open to be part of any possibly greenwashing. To guarantee due process, INTER however encourages to strengthen the role of the independent collaborations oversight committee.
The canteen should be deprivatized.
Fully agree
Deprivatizing the canteen ensures that the University of Amsterdam prioritizes affordability, sustainability, and student well-being over profit. A publicly managed canteen can better reflect the needs and values of the university community, offering healthier, ethically sourced, and culturally inclusive food options. Deprivatization is a necessary step toward a more equitable campus.
Admission to programs with a limited student capacity should be based on selection procedure rather than random selection through a lottery system
Fully agree
We fully agree that admission to programs with limited student capacity should be based on a selection procedure rather than a random lottery system. A selection process allows universities to consider applicants' qualifications, motivation, and fit for the program, ensuring that the most dedicated and capable students are admitted. This approach not only upholds academic standards but also fosters a more committed and competitive learning environment, benefiting both students and the institution. A lottery system, on the other hand, undermines the meritocratic principles that should guide university admissions.
The University must prioritise active diversity policies and include decolonial perspectives in the curriculum
Fully agree
INTER’s perspective on a diverse and comprehensive literature at UvA has always been prominent. By not including decolonial perspective as well as minority voices, UvA students will not be able to achieve a full and complete education as the University must provide.
The UvA should invest in more accessibility for students with functional limitations, such as guiding lines for people with visual impairment, as well as sensitivity towards these students
Fully agree
Investing in accessibility for students with functional limitations is essential for creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment at the UvA. Measures like guiding lines for the visually impaired and fostering sensitivity among staff and peers ensure that all students can navigate campus, access resources, and participate fully in academic and social life, which upholds the university’s commitment to diversity and equal opportunity.
As a way to curb the growth of the university, Dutch language courses should be a mandatory part of all programs
Disagree
We do not support making Dutch language courses mandatory in all programs as a means to curb university growth. While we agree that the UvA must be mindful of sustainable growth to continue offering high-quality education to Dutch residents, internationalisation has also brought academic benefits and global recognition to the university. Mandatory Dutch courses risk reducing time and focus from the internationally accredited curricula that attract both local and international talent. However, we recognize the value of Dutch language skills for integration and employability. Therefore, we advocate for expanding access to voluntary, affordable Dutch courses instead of imposing a mandatory requirement.
The university should be allowed to limit the number of international students.
Disagree
We fully disagree with the idea that the university should be allowed to limit the number of international students. International students enrich the academic community, bring diverse perspectives, and contribute to the global standing of the UvA. Limiting their numbers risks reducing the university’s international character, weakening academic excellence, and sending an exclusionary message. Instead of restricting access, the university should focus on sustainable growth strategies that maintain quality while embracing diversity and inclusion.
There should be mandatory attendance for seminars/tutorials
Neutral
INTER believes this is a matter that varies amongst the faculties. Tutorials and seminars work differently from program to program and have varying degrees of importance. Still, INTER is convinced that generally UvA needs to put in more trust in its students, who freely choose to study here and pay tuition fees. Making attendance mandatory puts students, who, for illness, work or any other inconvenience have to miss a tutorial or seminar, unnecessarily in stress. The attendance requirements should never stop students who have the academic qualifications and motivation to complete their studies. Decreasing the consequences for missing the attendance requirement is therefore more proportional.
We believe in active engagement with the course material, but in a way that reflects students life and that is manageable by students, rather than becoming a mere presence in a classroom.
We believe in active engagement with the course material, but in a way that reflects students life and that is manageable by students, rather than becoming a mere presence in a classroom.
The UvA should strive to incorporate a broader range of ideological perspectives into its curricula.
Agree
UvA should always strive to value academic freedom and freedom of expression. A broader range of ideological perspectives can allow students to develop their own point of view on the topic they study. The notion of academic freedom is however sometimes misused to legitimize harmful or discriminatory views. INTER supports a balanced approach that defends academic freedom while upholding the university’s commitment to inclusivity and respect.
The UvA should address problems such as systemic overwork and bad working conditions among its teachers by giving out more permanent contracts.
Fully agree
We fully agree that the UvA should address issues like systemic overwork and poor working conditions among its teaching staff by offering more permanent contracts. The current situation, where many lecturers face years of insecurity with temporary contracts, often up to four years or more—is unsustainable and unfair. It leads to stress, burnout, and a loss of valuable academic talent. Permanent contracts provide stability, recognize long-term commitment, and are essential for ensuring high-quality education and a healthy academic environment.
Programs should have the sole responsibility in deciding whether they teach in Dutch or in English
Agree
The language of instruction that is best fit for a class can be and should be decided by those directly involved.
The UvA should comply with the ethical assessments made by its independent committee on third-party collaborations, including cutting the ties with institutions found to be complicit in human rights violations
Fully agree
The UvA has a responsibility to uphold human rights and academic integrity. When its own independent ethical committee identifies third-party collaborations as complicit in human rights violations, the university must act decisively. Compliance with the committee’s assessments ensures transparency, accountability, and a principled stance in global affairs, values necessary to defend.
The executive board of the university should be elected through an open election by the students and worker’s body
Neutral
Open elections for the university's executive board could enhance democratic accountability, giving students and staff a stronger voice in university leadership. However, there are concerns about whether such elections would ensure the selection of candidates with the necessary expertise and experience to manage a complex institution. INTER proposes a balanced model that increases participation and democratization of the process while still ensuring professional oversight in the form of partial elections or more influential consultative power.
The university lacks sufficient readily accessible gender-neutral toilets.
Agree
INTER stands for inclusion at the UvA. Gender-neutral toilets should be available on all campuses to ensure all students and staff feel comfortable and safe.
All lectures should be available online for everyone
Fully agree
INTER believes online-available lectures would make the university more inclusive towards students with learning disabilities who are disrupted in class and cannot get as high of an educational experience as their peers. This also helps students who, for illness, work or any other inconvenience have to miss a lecture. This can be done either close to exam week or right after the lecture in person took place, depending on the course. Moreover, the infrastructure to provide this service is already present, incurring no additional costs to the UvA, which can make the implementation of this process not only feasible but also as rapid as possible.
More investment is needed in interdisciplinary education (providing students with more than just one perspective on a particular subject, such as honours, PPLE or IIS programs)
Fully agree
Interdisciplinary education becomes more and more valuable in a more complex world! In bridging the insights and perspectives of different disciplines through for example interdisciplinary programs like PPLE and IIS strengthens academics at UvA. Both learning interdisciplinary and focused in one discipline should remain to be possible. Opportunities to strengthen and evolve interdisciplinary education should be taken.
The UvA should place greater emphasis on protecting and promoting academic freedom
Agree
Academic freedom is a core principle of our institution, valuable and crucial for our education. Indeed, it needs our support as well as critical analysis. Academic freedom protecting open inquiry, critical thinking from outside influence is a core principle and requirement for good academics. At the same time, we recognize that UvA already has strong legal protections in place. The notion of academic freedom therefore sometimes be misused to legitimize harmful or discriminatory views. INTER supports a balanced approach that defends academic freedom while upholding the university’s commitment to inclusivity and respect.
The Binding Study Advice (BSA) should be abolished
Neutral
We believe the BSA is a useful tool to determine how a student is dealing with their studies at university. However, we believe that it should be utilized with more leniency. In some programmes, a positive BSA only allows students to fail one class a year. This can be hard for students, especially when adjusting from a different study method (e.g. in high school), when dealing with private physical or mental issues, or when the choice of a study program did not prove fit for themselves. On the other hand, completing less than half the credits in a year can signal that a student requires more time and preparation compared to their peers, and that the student’s academic journey would benefit from repeating classes to be on the same level as the rest of the class. Thus, we believe the BSA should stand as one of the tools to determine how students are proceeding in their studies, but it believes that this tool should be used with more leniency and flexibility in assessing single cases.
Calling the police should be an appropriate response to deal with student protests and demonstrations at the university
Disagree
We disagree with the idea that calling the police should be a standard or immediate response to student protests and demonstrations at the university. Peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right and an important form of student expression within an academic community. Involving law enforcement in non-violent situations risks escalating tensions unnecessarily, undermining trust between students and the university, and suppressing free speech.
Police intervention should only be considered as a last resort in situations where there is actual violence, physical harm, or severe damage to infrastructure. The university should prioritize dialogue, de-escalation, and mediation over force: we want protection, not reaction.
Police intervention should only be considered as a last resort in situations where there is actual violence, physical harm, or severe damage to infrastructure. The university should prioritize dialogue, de-escalation, and mediation over force: we want protection, not reaction.
The UvA should take a firm stance against the government’s cuts in higher education
Fully agree
INTER believes education is key in society. Any cut to higher education is a direct cut to society’s well being. INTER stands against cuts to higher education, as they will result in less opportunities for students and for societal development.
The Numerus Fixus (a limitation in the number of students admitted) should be used to stop the growth of the university
Neutral
Numerus Fixus can be used as a tool to maintain academic rigour. This does not translate into stopping the growth of the university. INTER stands for a balance between open and numerus fixus programs to ensure an accessible university to all prospective students. Moreover, INTER believes the numerus fixus should be used only as a tool to maintain its high academic standards, and that this should not translate into favoring specific groups of students. For this reason, INTER advocates for the UvA to implement a mentoring system (eg by the student ambassadors) that would help prospective students with preparing the required documentation for the selection procedure. This system would ensure everyone gets a more equal chance at getting in the program on their own merits and motivation, rather than external factors. Finally, INTER values transparency, thus it would ask for the UvA to publish its numerus fixus criteria and eventual acceptance quotas.
Peaceful occupations should be considered as a legitimate means of protest at the university
Fully agree
We fully agree that peaceful occupations should be considered a legitimate means of protest at the university. As long as demonstrations remain non-violent and do not endanger the safety of others, they represent a powerful and historically recognized form of civil disobedience. Universities are spaces for critical thought, dialogue, and activism, and peaceful occupations reflect the active engagement of students with pressing social and institutional issues. Such actions should be met with openness and dialogue, not repression.
The UvA should cut ties with Israeli institutions
Agree
Giving the assessment of the ethicality of third-party collaborations to an independent committee overseeing UvAs social responsibility was a crucial first step. The decision to cut ties with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem based on the advice of the independent committee shows that this process can be effective and responsible. Now all collaborations in question, including other corporations with Israeli institutions need to be evaluated as well. Most important is transparency on the decision making process, for which student involvement is crucial.
The UvA should involve students in long term plans for study spaces and teaching facilities according to the expected changes in student population
Agree
As the UvA’s community is actively shaped by its students, letting students have a say in the planning of long term study spaces would allow for the university to be better suited to the students’ needs. Nonetheless, long term plans should be taken care of by the responsible experts in the specific field.
All food options should be plant based by default
Agree
Prioritizing plant-based food options is a meaningful step toward sustainability and reducing the university’s carbon footprint. Making plant-based meals the default can encourage healthier and more environmentally conscious choices while also allowing for cheap prices.
Student & Workers Councils should have the final say in policy decisions
Agree
Giving Student and Workers Councils greater decision-making power ensures that those most affected by university policies have a real voice in shaping them. These groups bring valuable on-the-ground perspectives and can hold the institution accountable to its community. While collaboration with management and experts remains important, empowering these councils with meaningful influence fosters a more democratic, transparent, and responsive university. It’s a step toward shared governance without necessarily excluding other stakeholders from the process.
The UvA should offer free menstrual products at each campus
Fully agree
In the past year, UvA has improved in regards to the distribution of free menstrual products in its facilities, nonetheless there is much room for improvement. The distribution of these items is unequal among campuses and INTER strives to achieve the goal of having enough products in each campus to strengthen welfare and hygiene for each student in need.
It is the government’s responsibility to provide mental health support for students. Therefore, the university should not spend extra resources on this
Fully disagree
INTER disagrees with the notion that universities should not invest in student mental health support. While the government does play an important role, the university has a direct responsibility to create a healthy learning environment. Mental health challenges impact academic performance, retention, and overall student well-being—areas that the university is directly accountable for. Relying solely on external support systems is insufficient; the UvA must also allocate resources to accessible, timely, and effective mental health services for its students. INTER stands for prioritizing student wellbeing.
Students wishing to take honours courses should be able to do so based on their motivation, regardless of their grades
Agree
For extraordinarily motivated students, honors classes should be more accessible with more flexibility regarding grades. However, INTER recognizes that honours programmes are meant to be small-scale intensive additional challenges. Often the Honours programs are already in high demand. Most of the time grade requirements should therefore stay the main determining factor. Furthermore, grade thresholds help ensure that students are academically prepared to manage the extra workload, supporting both their well-being and the quality of the honors experience.
All board members of study associations should receive equal financial support from the University
Disagree
We disagree that all board members of study associations should automatically receive equal financial support from the University. While all board members contribute valuable work, the scope of responsibilities, time commitment, and impact can vary significantly between roles and associations. Financial support should be distributed fairly but based on criteria such as workload, association size, and level of activity, ensuring resources are allocated where they are most needed and deserved.
The UvA Leadership should strongly oppose governments’ policy plans to reduce the number of international students
Fully agree
We fully agree that the UvA leadership should strongly oppose government policy plans to reduce the number of international students. International students are vital to the university’s academic excellence, global reputation, and cultural diversity. Reducing their numbers undermines the openness and international character of Dutch higher education. The UvA must take a clear stand in defending inclusive, high-quality, and globally connected education.
Current UvA House Rules should be amended to ensure that students can fully express themselves politically, culturally and socially
Agree
This years proposed changes in the UvA house rules including a compulsory identification requirement on campus, a blanket ban on disruptive activities, and an automatic designation of all occupations as not peaceful potentially stands in conflict with Dutch and international law, according to a legal analysis from the Prakken d’Oliveira law firm. Furthermore, they are wrongfully aimed to block the full free political, cultural and social expression of students, especially through their right to protest. INTER therefore demands that these changes to the UvA House Rules are taken back and instead students right to protest and free expression should be guarenteed in the boundaries of violence, physical harm, or severe damage to infrastructure.
The university should stop the prioritisation of students from outside the EU in regard to the university provided student housing.
Neutral
First and foremost INTER sees it as the universities responsibility to facilitate housing for everyone. The housing market crisis in Amsterdam is affecting everyone no matter whether they are Dutch, EU, or non-EU residents. We therefore demand that UvA, if not allowed to provide housing itself, builds up a secure and trustworthy housing platform bringing students in search for housing together with landlords, providers of student housing and other students searching for roommates. This being said, we recognize special challenges of EU and non-EU citizens such as not being able to attend viewings of apartments or the need for a long term address in advance for the visa application process. Therefore we see the necessity of extra support of non-EU citizens to ensure the longevity of the UvA as an international sphere and place of exchange that goes beyond the EU.
The UvA should give more training to the teaching assistants
Fully agree
INTER believes in an education that never stops. Especially in today’s fast paced world, training teaching assistants to the best of the UvA’s capacity is pivotal.