On 11th April 2025, as part of the ‘Easter agreement’, the Arizona coalition approved a draft bill in which the government has set out a series of pension reform measures that are particularly harsh and unprecedented in Belgian history. The effects on Universities, the Justice System, Democracy, Security and the Economy will be extremely negative in the short term and will become increasingly so over the years.
The announced pension reform affects all categories of university staff. Experts estimate – based on available data and for full careers – a minimum loss of 30% to 40% depending on the age category for academic staff, 26% for scientific staff and 9% to 12% for administrative, technical and manual staff.
ULiège has more than 6,000 staff members (not including the 6,400 staff members at the University Hospital), nearly 4,000 graduates per year (more than 80% of whom find employment within six months), 193 Master's programmes (including 68 in English), more than 250 PhD graduates per year, nearly 1,700 research agreements (including nearly 400 with at least one international partner in 90 different countries), 1,500 patents, 112 active spin-offs and attractive innovation ecosystems for businesses and international investment.
Beyond the financial consequences of the proposed pension reform at the individual level, it is the very functioning of the University as a public institution, as well as its contribution to the region and society, that will be profoundly altered.
The recruitment of new staff (all categories) will be severely hampered: the recruitment of young talent will be impacted by changes to pensions and delayed retirements, both of which reduce the attractiveness of academic institutions in a context where the budgetary share that the University can devote to salaries is capped.
Flemish universities could benefit from compensatory measures from the Flemish Government – but this is unlikely to be the case in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB). This will result in a two-tier community system, which will effectively lead to a downgrading of careers, training and qualifications within the FWB. This downgrading of the value of qualifications is a cause for concern for both teachers and supervisors and for the future holders of these qualifications, i.e. students.
Faced with the need to set up a second pension scheme that institutions will not be able to finance, university staff will be tempted to manage their services strategically, for example by combining teaching and research with extra-academic work, resulting in less time being devoted to teaching, research and community service.
The cumulative effects of the various points mentioned above will inevitably lead to a deterioration in the quality of teaching and research. Funding for research projects (particularly from Europe) will decrease, which will affect the visibility of the FWB and the attractiveness of the region for businesses in all sectors.
The essential role of universities as catalysts in the development of the economic fabric and the management of social issues (including health) through training and research will be significantly affected. Due to the region's loss of attractiveness, the consequences of the reform in terms of job losses, reduced private investment and the quality of life of citizens will be enormous and irreversible for many years to come.
These consequences are therefore unprecedented in scale for the public institution, for the Region and for the FWB. Along with the justice and defence sectors, which are also heavily affected by the reform, the education sector is one of the fundamental pillars of the rule of law. Work in the civil service serves the common good and, as such, must be protected from the competitive pressures and profit-driven logic that prevail in the so-called ‘private’ sectors.
The University of Liège and its Board of Directors warn the public authorities of the direct and indirect consequences of this reform, which they firmly oppose. They urgently call for consultation with other universities.
On Tuesday, September 22, ULiège celebrated the start of the academic year. Rector Anne-Sophie Nyssen presided over the ceremony, whose theme was “Clarity, Courage, Creativity.” Photos and videos from the ceremony.
On September 21, ULiège welcomed its international students to an evening of socializing and getting to know one another, marking the start of their new university life.
ULiège Sports fait sa rentrée : des installations rénovées au Blanc Gravier et 64 disciplines pour bouger à votre rythme !
