The Audit Festival organized by the Netherlands Court of Audit with partner organizations on September 11, 2025, in The Hague has attracted so much interest in pre-registration that it is fully booked. New registrations will be placed on a waiting list in case previously registered interested parties cancel.
This festival is being organized for the third time by the Netherlands Court of Audit and targets participants working as auditors, evaluators, or state inspectors. Guest speakers include Prof. Beatrice de Graaf from Utrecht University and Prof. Madaline Busuioc from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The latter will speak about Accountability and Artificial Intelligence.
On September 11, various workshops on diverse topics will also be held under the guidance of academics and experts from various professional fields. From the Association of Audit Offices to The Hague University of Applied Sciences, from Utrecht University to a data journalist from Follow the Money. Staff from the Netherlands Court of Audit will also actively contribute.
Registration for a reserve spot can be done via https://arauditfestival.yellenge.nl/registration/#/participants.
Collaboration with various scientific institutes
The Audit Festival is one of the activities within the intensified collaboration of the Netherlands Court of Audit as a High College of State with the scientific world. Disseminating knowledge about innovative research methods is one of the goals. Ultimately, this should contribute to a better performing and functioning government.
In addition to the festival, various partnerships have been established with scientific institutes. For instance, collaboration with TU Delft allows auditors from the Netherlands Court of Audit to conduct in-depth research on particularly complex issues in government policy using the systematic design method.
Agreements on collaboration with the University of Oxford (Blavatnik School of Government) are nearly finalized. This concerns a joint research project aimed at uncovering the relationship between directly available official capacity at ministries and the uptake of the outcomes of the Netherlands Court of Audit’s research and the accompanying recommendations. The parliamentary use of Court of Audit research will also be included in this collaboration project.
At Leiden University (The Hague campus), a chair is being funded, and various scientific staff are invited to connect research work to the activities of the Netherlands Court of Audit. The impact of Court of Audit research is the subject for a visiting scholar who, in the coming period, aims to broaden insights using computer models. Thanks to these scientific insights, the Court of Audit can further improve its approach to research.
Thesis Prize
Submissions for the annual thesis prize offered by the Netherlands Court of Audit can still be sent in until October 17. Completed theses for a masters or post-masters program that are awarded at least an 8 are eligible. A jury evaluates the submissions (scriptieprijs@rekenkamer.nl). Various cash prizes can be won for the winners.