Risk management in higher education and research in the Netherlands
This article, published in the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Volume 14, Number 3, reflects the results of a study examining risk in higher education and research on the basis of a classification into three domains, thus highlighting what risks are specific to higher education, what risks are dependent on developments in society and what risks faced by an educational establishment are no different from those facing any other organization. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the development of insights and tools for the benefit of safety, security and crisis management in higher education and science around key concepts like risks' anticipation, realistic preparedness, in the light of the context of higher education and research institutions. The results show that higher education institutions still do not routinely have an integrated policy on safety, security and crisis management. Within individual institutions, there is little communication between the three. Institutions, staff and students have limited awareness of the range of risks to which they and their environment are exposed. At the same time, establishments tend not to share their experiences in this field with others. Even within individual institutions, there is often little involvement of staff and students in safety and security policy and its implementation.