The European Commission recently cited the Netherlands as a good example of how to approach culture change in academia. The Recognition & Rewards (R&R) programme is also attracting international attention. But how do Dutch academics themselves see it?
Nationwide support for the ambitions of R&R remains as strong as ever. The second Culture Barometer (2026) shows that academic staff in the Netherlands see clear progress in areas such as academic leadership, societal impact and Open & Responsible Science (ORS). Policy changes, such as diverse career paths and a greater emphasis on quality and narratives, are also recognised. At the same time, there is concern that these changes have not yet been sufficiently embedded in day-to-day practice.
How did EUR academics respond?
The 2026 Culture Barometer was fully completed by 250 academic staff members at EUR (12.9%), slightly above the national average of 10.3%. Although the composition of the EUR respondents differs slightly from the national picture, the results are very similar. This confirms that R&R is a nationwide movement in which EUR participates actively.
Same as nationwide, there is broad support amongst EUR respondents for the five ambitions of R&R: only 4 to 5 per cent disagree with them. At the same time, many academics feel that the changes are not yet visible enough on the work floor. R&R is often seen as primarily a policy-level reality, while traditional assessment mechanisms still seem to take precedence and assessment criteria are not always clear. This highlights the importance of visible implementation, accessible information and open discussions about R&R. Nice steps have already been taken on this in many places within EUR, and this remains an important task for both School and university leadership.
On a number of issues, EUR academic staff are more positive than their colleagues nationwide. They feel more frequently valued for societally relevant activities, experience greater emphasis on collaboration from managers, and report more recognition and support for ORS than in the 2024 Culture Barometer.
What do these results mean for EUR?
- We are making changes related to R&R more visible and communicate more consistently about both policy and successful examples of best practices.
- More transparency regarding career paths and procedures is central to the new career policy for academic staff and the Professorial policy. It is important to keep paying attention to accessibility, openness to discussion and support for promotion committees.
- Schools are working on themes such as career development, ORS, teamwork and leadership. The R&R team will continue to provide support and advice for this.
- We continue working on Strategic Personnel Planning, linking strategic goals and ambitions to individual and team talents, skills, and opportunities for horizontal or vertical development.
- R&R remains closely linked to other strategic themes within Strategy 2030, including social safety, leadership development, IDEA and ORS.
- Successful culture change requires commitment and effort from leadership and staff. The R&R Toolbox offers practical resources that support and stimulate different implementation areas of R&R.
- In addition, we will closely monitor developments at other Dutch institutions and in the international context to ensure that we continue moving in the right direction.
- To share knowledge and inspiration, the R&R team is inviting colleagues to the Recognition & Rewards Festival on 12 November 2026 in Amersfoort.
- More information
Erasmus University Rotterdam is modernising its system for recognising and rewarding academic staff to create more room for diverse academic talents and better enable employees to contribute to the university’s mission of creating positive societal impact. That is why EUR kicked off the Recognition & Rewards programme in 2020.
Curious what R&R means for you or your School? Get in touch with the contact person for your School for R&R or reach out to the Recognition & Rewards team directly via recognitionandrewards@eur.nl.
