Hanze: Schools to Disappear, Education and Research to be Clustered

Hanze University of Applied Sciences is set to bid farewell to its current schools structure and reorganise itself fundamentally by 2027. The existing 29 units, including schools and staff departments, will be streamlined into nine clusters.

The university’s Executive Board announced this restructuring on 27 January, citing governance and financial challenges within the current setup. By creating a more compact and agile structure, Hanze hopes to enhance collaboration and reduce the need for custom solutions.

The schools will disappear, and degree programmes will be grouped together with related research into six clusters. These clusters are organized based on (research) themes that are recognizable to the outside world and relevant to transitions in the North.

Restructuring or Reorganisation?

All support services, currently organised into six staff departments, will be consolidated into three clusters. As a result, the new structure will comprise six thematic clusters and three support clusters. This spring, coordinators will be appointed to shape the nine clusters further. The Executive Board is holding information sessions, which began today, to elaborate on the structure and process.

While the trade unions are calling it a reorganisation—citing the formal definition under the collective labour agreement—Hanze prefers the term ‘restructuring.’

‘Words matter,’ says Chair Dick Pouwels. ‘Legally, it may be a reorganisation, but people associate that term with redundancies, and we made it clear a long time ago that there will be none. For us, this is truly a restructuring. We aim to make the organisation more agile, improve connections with the external world, and integrate research and education. That is the focus, which is why we insist on calling it a restructuring.’

Pouwels acknowledges the coexistence of both terms during this process. ‘We’re not avoiding the word; in the meetings, we’ll explain why both terms are being used. The unions use ‘reorganisation,’ but they also understand our choice not to.’

From 25 to nine directors: can that be done without layoffs?

Pouwels is convinced that it’s possible. ‘Over the past year and a half, five directors have left Hanze. These positions will be filled on an interim basis until January 1, 2026. Additionally, a number of directors are set to retire in the coming years. And it doesn’t all have to be sorted within a year, does it? We’re taking two to three years to let everything fall into place.’

So, while there will be no forced redundancies, could softer but impactful measures like early retirement or non-renewal of temporary contracts be considered?

‘I believe natural attrition will suffice,’ Pouwels says. ‘But we’re in discussions with the unions to address any other measures or potential impacts.’

Impact on Students and Staff

Will students and staff notice these changes, or are they primarily managerial?

‘In the short term, students are unlikely to notice much. However, in the medium to long term, they certainly will,’ says Pouwels. ‘By integrating education and research, we’ll organise learning communities more effectively, and students will benefit from new research insights more quickly.’

And for staff?

‘All staff members will be working within a cluster. We still need to further develop exactly how we will shape this, but the reorganization will have no impact on the number of staff members,’ Pouwels says. ‘We’ve already been moving towards self-managing teams, which will play a significant role in the new structure. With more self-management, fewer managers are needed, resulting in a simpler structure.’

Restructuring, Not Cost-Cutting

In its internal communication, the university emphasises that this is not a cost-cutting exercise, even as it acknowledges the financial pressures of the current structure. Is that not contradictory?

‘It’s about your objectives,’ Pouwels explains. ‘We’ve explicitly not set a cost-cutting target for the restructuring, so there’s no mention of reducing overhead by a specific percentage. But, of course, if you design a more compact organisation, no one will be surprised if overhead costs decrease over time. That’s not the goal, but it would be a welcome side effect.’

Photo: Tabata Vilches Maldonado