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Jaargang 44, 29 november 2001 English page

Housing foreign students in Kruidenbuurt Foreign students in Eindhoven are now eligible for affordable housing in the 'Kruidenbuurt'. This pre-war neighbourhood in the south of Eindhoven will be torn down in phases between 2004 and 2005. In the meantime the owner of the houses, Stichting Trudo, will have hundreds of empty houses on its hands. "We are happy to find tenants who can guarantee they will move out when the time comes," says Kruidenbuurt redevelopment manager Andries de Wit. The idea to place foreign graduate, Master's and exchange students in the Kruidenbuurt comes from Isaak Hija, of the 4U2 foreign student association. As a long-time Kruidenbuurt resident he saw opportunities for foreign students to solve their housing problems when he heard of the plans for his neighbourhood. He has been talking to Trudo about this during the past year. Ten students, including two with families, have now applied for housing through Hija. They are eligible for housing immediately, as families or in small groups, as the case may be. Hija says there are already many empty houses. According to De Wit, there is nothing available at the moment. However he anticipates about hundred vacant houses in the year ahead. The neighbourhood has 737 rental houses, most of them still rented out under the usual conditions. Trudo is planning to start moving residents in phases to other places in Eindhoven next year. Some residents are already leaving of their own accord. Newly vacant houses will be rented out as temporary housing. The highest rent for a house in the Kruidenbuurt is 785 guilders. "As a public housing company in a university town like Eindhoven, it is appropriate that we offer foreign students some facilities," says De Wit. "This wouldn't be possible without the redevelopment of the Kruidenbuurt. But now we can help each other out I think it's a great idea." Cold stories Isaak Hija of 4U2 is planning to help students who move to the Kruidenbuurt settle in. "I think foreign students should have the chance to get to know the Netherlands, and a neighbourhood like this can be a help. We can show new foreign residents around, tell them where to get Dutch lessons and introduce them to a few of their neighbours. We can also help with forms that are in Dutch and other practical matters." "Through us, people can also apply for housing together with other students they are likely to get along with. It is sometimes a problem if, for example, Indonesians are placed in a house together irrespective of their religion. In one case I've heard of, students feel unable to eat together. All kinds of personal preferences can influence the atmosphere when students from different countries or backgrounds share living space." According to Hija, many foreign students do have a roof over their heads, but their situations are far from satisfactory. "One Russian guy I know has been living here for a few years and would like to have his parents visit. But his rooms are in a red-light district and he doesn't feel he can receive them there. A Chinese couple is holed up above a restaurant with no privacy, and no way for the wife to learn better English or any Dutch. Another guy has a good job at Natlab but cannot study at home because his room is too cold. The stories go on and on." Recently, the Dutch labour party asked questions in Parliament about who is responsible for solving the serious problems facing foreign students who need housing in the Netherlands. Some foreign students, mainly in Amsterdam and Groningen, have been sleeping in emergency shelters, others have had to leave the Netherlands. Still others have decided not to bother coming here at all. Minister of Education Loek Hermans said students make their own decisions to study in the Netherlands and that housing in general is the responsibility of city authorities and public housing companies. Relief Housing company Vestide has an exclusive contract with TU/e to house foreign guests. However with an average of 500 guests a month this is not always easy. Foreign guests are given a rental contract for the first six months of their stay, but are then expected to find other housing so that new guests can move in. Vestide has made thirty extra apartments available to TU/e guests in the past year, increasing the housing capacity for foreign guests from 121 to 150 rooms, apartments and houses. BIA (Bureau for International Activities) director Leo Robben says any initiatives to relieve the pressure on official TU/e housing are welcome, but that TU/e is not free to work with anyone besides Vestide. "I'd like to emphasise that we have an excellent working relationship with Vestide," he comments. According to the latest BIA statistics, the average stay for a foreign student/guest increased from sixteen months to nineteen months in 2001. The average number of guests was again up by ten per cent. Fewer guests are leaving and so there are fewer vacancies in long-term housing./. Foreign students with an income and temporary residency in the Netherlands who would like to apply for housing in the Kruidenbuurt should contact Isaak Hija of 4U2 at 040-2122783 or visit Stichting Trudo Infowinkel at Lavendelplein 46, open daily from 9-12 a.m. or in the afternoon by appointment (040-2359400).

Architects choose: library or lunchroom? The Architecture department hopes to be able to make a decision on what to do with the departmental library before the end of January. Now it has become clear that the planned central university library will take another six years longer to realise, department management is thinking of finding room for the library in their new building. In that case, the Architecture department's lunchroom may have to be scrapped for the next six years. Ir. Mark Wolffe, departmental librarian, is afraid use of the library will suffer if it doesn't move to the new building along with the rest of the department. "Users will probably limit themselves to the Internet. In my opinion that would be bad for the quality of education we offer. Students are also obliged to use the 'paper' library to consult certain drawings." "Apart from that, a library is not only a place where people silently look things up. It is also used for study and consultation," says Wolffe. He proposes a library with a good 'coffee corner' for the new Architecture department./.

Students discover 7.4 mln extra deficit The deficit in the university budget for 2002 is not 5.9 million guilders, but 13.3 million. Three student members of the University Council discovered this mistake in budget calculations last week. This will undoubtedly mean more cut backs. Whether this will also have consequences for the position of the Executive Board is not yet clear, say the students. "We'll see about that in the council meeting of December 10." Peter Spijker (BMT), Jelle de Jong (Applied Physics) and Dirk de Kanter (Mechanical Engineering), all members of the University Council, found the calculation error of 7.4 million in the draft budget which was discussed last Monday in the University Council meeting. "We didn't understand the calculation, so we called Mr Te Beest for clarification." Te Beest felt the ground under his feet give way when he saw the mistake. "I could do nothing but admit they were right. I couldn't lie about that." On Friday, the Executive Board sent a letter to the University Council reporting the mistake and proposing all kinds of measures to tackle the extra deficit. Chairman dr.ir. Henk de Wilt said that "a lot of people must have been sleeping". The Council meeting of December 10 is a special extra meeting on the unexpected deficit. The University Council has demanded a correct calculation of the Institution plan budget and the long-term budget estimate from the Executive Board. "The ball is now in their court. This is a big job for them, and they need to show us what they've got," says De Jong. "It should be the ideal challenge for them," comments De Kanter./. Bonuses no secret The bonus TU/e executives receive annually over and above their ordinary salary is linked to the realisation of management goals. The Executive Board formulates a number of measurable goals every year, which an accountant uses to calculate bonuses earned at the end of the year, states chairman dr.ir. Henk de Wilt. "We are not secretive about this," he says. Questions were asked in Parliament about these bonuses, after De Volkskrant newspaper published an article detailing the amounts paid to top university executives in the Netherlands, with TU/e bonuses among the highest listed. There was also some surprise among members of TU/e's University Council. The Supervisory Board, which is responsible for the bonuses, said it saw no point in explanations, except to say the amounts are in accordance with Ministry of Education regulations. "No comment," said chairman Gerard Kleisterlee. A basic salary for an executive at TU/e is the top of level 18. Three members of the Executive Board receive a bonus of fifteen per cent. On top of this, three Executive Board members receive a variable reward. Deans and managers of research schools receive a standard bonus of ten and five per cent, respectively./. Mensa to close Student restaurant 'Mensa' in the Bunker is closing its doors as of January 2002. The restaurant is no longer getting enough business to justify keeping it open. The Mensa was founded in 1964. "These days we only see about 250 diners a day," says chef Claude Koopmans. "It used to be at least a thousand. There are more places offering cheap food to students now. We're not surprised the Mensa is being closed." "TU/e subsidises the Mensa for almost one hundred per cent. If a meal is sold for eight guilders, costs will be around sixteen guilders," says University Secretary ir. Harry Roumen. As an experimental alternative for the Mensa, the canteen in the Auditorium will stay open to 5.30 p.m. and offer soup and hot snacks. No new purpose has as yet been found for the Mensa space in the Bunker. Harry Roumen says he is open to good ideas for new communal use./.