Erasmus Alumni Magazine

The University and the cityLike father like sonsRSM and future energy

October 2012

A day in the life of alumnus Paul van GesselHistorian on the radio

erasmus alumni magazine

05

De Erasmus Universiteit zet zich in voor ondernemers.

Meld u aan voor een college op de Erasmus Universiteit en werk aan de groei van uw bedrijf.

Kijk voor meer informatie

In maandelijkse colleges delen academici en succesvolle ondernemers hun kennis en ervaringen over speci�eke onderwerpen.

De Klant |Duurzaam Ondernemen |

Kapitaal Management |Het Nieuwe Werken |

Branding |

Construction was rapid. Once work began – after much water

had passed under the Maas’s bridges and the bureaucratic

hurdles in The Hague had been overcome – the seventh medi-

cal faculty in the Netherlands shot up in record time. On 13

October 1966, eight months after the foundation stone had

been laid, the highest point was reached. Crowds watched

open-mouthed: a building that soared no fewer than 104 me-

tres into the sky. This was unparalleled, higher even than the

Euromast.

ImpactThe decision made in 1965 by Minister I.A. Diepenhorst – not

to be confused with his brother A.I. Diepenhorst, Professor of

Business Administration at the NEH – to set up a degree pro-

gramme in Medicine in Rotterdam had a huge impact. There

were many reasons for this, the most important being that

Rotterdam and the region have consequently had a large tea-

ching hospital for a number of decades, and we owe the exis-

tence of Erasmus University to this decision. The creation of

the Rotterdam Medical Faculty led to the merger with the

Netherlands School of Economics (NEH) to form the University

of Rotterdam, better known as Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The photo was found in the photo archive of the Quod Novum Uni-

versity newspaper, the predecessor of the Erasmus Magazine. The

photographer is unknown.

EUR 100 years IMPACTIt’s not long until Erasmus University celebrates its centenary in 2013. All existing academic events will be

given an extra festive note in academic year 2013-2014. There will also be many extra activities. This is all

under the motto ‘EUR 100 years IMPACT’. www.eur.nl/100

Author Cora Boele

graduated from the EUR

in 1988 with a degree in

Social History.

On the way to 2013

erasmusalumni. magazine 03

The bastion of the white coats

De Erasmus Universiteit zet zich in voor ondernemers.

Meld u aan voor een college op de Erasmus Universiteit en werk aan de groei van uw bedrijf.

Kijk voor meer informatie

In maandelijkse colleges delen academici en succesvolle ondernemers hun kennis en ervaringen over speci�eke onderwerpen.

De Klant |Duurzaam Ondernemen |

Kapitaal Management |Het Nieuwe Werken |

Branding |

Text Cora Boele

04 erasmusalumni. magazine

Foreword October 2012

Dear Alumnus,In times of scarcity it is important to choose. Erasmus University

Rotterdam has chosen to be a leading, internationally-oriented city

university. There’s a lot in that one sentence. Of course we want our

university to be one of the top universities in the world in terms of

research and teaching – and this is what it should be. However, we

do this without wanting the world. We focus on what we are good

at and where we, as a market-oriented university, can have the most

impact. This may seem logical, but I can assure you we think long and

hard about these choices.

At the same time Erasmus University Rotterdam serves and will

continue to serve the direct environment. In recent years we have

consciously chosen to strengthen the University’s links with the city

and region. Erasmus University Rotterdam is the preferred supplier to

the Municipality of Rotterdam of knowledge and skills in a number

of areas. You can read more about this in this edition of Erasmus

Alumni Magazine. Researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam,

community partners and companies are getting together more often

to find solutions to problems and encourage new developments

relating to health care, social issues and issues concerning the Port of

Rotterdam. Being a leader is not a solo activity; you become a leader

precisely because you join forces. Consequently, the impact of Eras-

mus University Rotterdam is and will remain as we intend: as great

as possible. Renovation work continues on the Woudestein Campus.

The C-Hall was finished in September and here too we are making an

impact on our environment, because the building has become much

more energy-efficient.

It is therefore not without reason that impact is the key word of the

centenary celebrations in academic year 2013–2014. Impact: this is

what Erasmus University Rotterdam has chosen. You will hear a lot

about this during, but also after, our centenary celebrations.

Pauline van der Meer Mohrblog.eur.nl/voorzittercvb

06

24

The Erasmus Alumni Magazine/EA is published by the Marketing & Communication department of Erasmus University Rotterdam. EA is sent free of charge to alumni of the EUR who are registered in the Erasmus Alumni Database. Register via [email protected]. If you have moved house, let the alumni office know [email protected].

The circulation of EA is 33,000.

Dutch and English versions can be found on www.eur.nl/alumni.

EditionVolume 3, EA 5 October 2012

The next edition of EA will be published inMay 2013

Editorial AddressEUR, SM&C deptPO Box 17383000 DR Rotterdam

[email protected]/english/alumni

Managing EditorCarien van der Wal, Alumni & Corporate Relations Officer

EditorsWieneke Gunneweg, Editor-in-ChiefMieke Fiers, Desk Editor

ContributorsLobke van Aar, Cora Boele,

Marcella Breedeveld, Dominique Campman, Ronald van den Heerik, Eveline van de Lagemaat, René van Leeuwen, José Luijpen, Geert Maarse, Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Sanne van der Most, Hans van den Tillaart, Carien van der Wal, Ed Weenk, Sjoerd Wielenga, Levien Willemse, EUR faculties, including Erasmus MC, IHS and ISS

AdvertisementsCarien van der Wal, Jonel Timbergen

PrintingVan Deventer, ‘s-Gravenzande

DesignUnit 20: Yoe San Liem and Maud van Velthoven

Editorial Advisory Board (RAC)The RAC is made up of representatives of the EUR’s faculties and alumni associations, and has an advisory role with regard to the production of EA.

CoverRonald van den Heerik

© Erasmus University RotterdamNo part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers.Colophon

Colofon

Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam

05


Contents

06 Back to college

08 Erasmus news

11 From Rotterdam to Barcelona

12 A day in the life of Paul van Gessel

18 Alumni & the EUR

19 Column: Marcella Breedeveld

20 Focus on research

22 Science news

24 In the news in 1982–1983

26 The University and the city

31 Why Rotterdam?

32 Alumni affairs

37 Column: Dominique Campman

39 Family portrait

26

12

31


Back to college

Gerard van Welzenis:‘Compared with forty years ago today’s students have to race through their degrees at breakneck speed.’


How did you end up back at the University? ‘On the

advice of friends I’ve been attending lectures and courses

organized by the HOVO, the university of the third age, since

last year.’

Why are you attending their courses? ‘Once you retire,

you look for new challenges. I may have stopped working,

but then again not completely. Let’s say ninety percent. You

don’t want to sit around on your behind, as there are plenty

of things to do. I’ve also started doing voluntary work and

have become chair of the owners’ association of a large

bungalow park. It keeps you busy, that’s the main thing.’

Is the HOVO comparable with ‘real’ studying? ‘You do

have to get your nose into the books every now and then for

HOVO courses and lectures, but it can’t be compared with

the hard study of forty years ago, even if it is only because

there are no exams. Now it’s out of pure interest.’

The University must have been very different then. ‘It was the heyday of hippies and flower power. It was not done

to work for a company after you had graduated. It was all a

lot rougher around the edges on campus and even aspiring

economists proved to be confirmed idealists out to change

the world. It wasn’t possible to complete your degree in four

years, even though we did study hard. Compared with forty

years ago, today’s students have to race through their

degrees at breakneck speed.’

What do you have planned for the coming year? ‘I’ve

already registered for the courses and lectures I am going to

follow in the coming semesters. These include the lecture

series “The highlights of psychology”, with speakers such as

Professor Marise Born, and “How free is free will?”, with

speakers such as Professor Dick Swaab, famous for his

popular book We Are Our Brains.’

Are all the courses you’d like to follow possible? ‘The

HOVO organizes lots of courses, but they are mainly in the

arts. I do find that a bit of a shame. I’d like to attend more

lectures on, for example, the history of the natural sciences

or economics, my own profession. Look at current affairs:

the papers are full of articles on the financial crisis, the

economy, cuts and so on. It should be possible to develop an

interesting lecture series on this.’

Why don’t you try yourself? ‘Ha ha. Yes, I have discussed

this in the past with the HOVO coordinator. I could probably

even do it, although for specific topics I would have to invite

experts. When I asked the coordinator why there were so

few courses in the natural sciences, the answer was simple:

there isn’t enough demand.’

But, apart from that, is there enough choice? ‘Yes. This

doesn’t detract from the pleasure that the other courses give

me. A few years ago I followed a course on polyphonic

Flemish music. Music from the Renaissance; its leading lights

are composers such as Guillaume Dufay and Johannes

Ockeghem. I used to play the violin, but by far the majority

of the participants on this course were real musicians. The

course was often fairly technical, so I regularly found myself

heading to the library in order to keep up. That is what

makes it such fun; in the small HOVO groups you can go into

considerable depth. And we certainly shouldn’t forget the

social side of things. The HOVO provides good quality higher

education that is fun to follow and in the company of people

who want to learn.’

Author René van Leeuwen studied Sociology at the EUR. He

graduated this year.

Photographer Levien Willemse studied Social History at the

EUR between 1981 and 1989.

‘In the small HOVO groups you go into considerable depth’

‘It keeps you busy, that’s the main thing’

text René van Leeuwen

photo Levien Willemse

Gerard van Welzenis (65) graduated from the Faculty of Economics

at Erasmus University Rotterdam forty years ago. He has returned

since he retired. ‘It’s out of pure interest.’

Fancy studying again?

Different EUR faculties

and institutes offer post-

graduate teaching. See,

for example: www.eras-

musmc.nl/onderwijs.

More on the HOVO at:

www.eur.nl/hovo_rotter-

dam


Erasmus news

Anniversary of medal collection In 2013 it will have been half a century

since alumnus Dr W.L. Groeneveld Meijer

placed the NEPK – a foundation for

economy-related medals in the Nether-

lands – under the wing of what was then

the Netherlands School of Economics. The

collection of some 250 medals has since

grown to include more than 1800 medals.

To celebrate the anniversary, the Eras-

mus Gallery is putting on an interactive

exhibition with all the highlights from the

collection.

International cookbookThe International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is sixty years old and is ce-lebrating this anniversary by publishing its third cookery book. The cookbook contains a collection of recipes from all over the world contributed by students, staff and alumni. The first cookbook was published ten years ago.

Her law degree was second choice – she

failed three times to gain a place via the

ballot to study medicine. She played hockey

at the highest level and she also presented

TV programmes on the Talpa channel.

But Fatima Moreira de Melo still gave 100

percent to her studies. ‘A very active and

interested student. Very spontaneous and

not at all arrogant,’ is how lecturer Jolande

uit Beijerse describes her. ‘Her schedule as

a top athlete meant she couldn’t attend all

the lectures, but when she was there, she

asked a lot of questions and entered into

the discussion.’

Esther Noot was a fellow student and is

still a friend. She remembers that Moreira

de Melo worked out exactly how much

time she needed to study. ‘Four hundred

pages after hockey training...she was good

at pulling it out of the bag.’ A question

of self-knowledge, says Moreira de Melo.

She calculated ten pages an hour plus

some extra time. ‘That pressure at the last

minute, a target like that, works best for

me.’

‘Fatima is very focused. You never heard

her say that she didn’t feel like training

or that she wanted to go out,’ says Noot.

Moreira de Melo lived in a student house

with seven other students. But she didn’t

go out drinking because of her sport. In

her dissertation she studied the right to

sport in juvenile detention centres. The

legally-allotted time for sport was already

very limited in such centres, but Moreira de

Melo’s research showed that, in practice,

adolescents did even less sport. It was a

good dissertation on a subject on which

there was much discussion later. ‘I have

regularly used it as an example,’ says

dissertation supervisor Uit Beijerse.

‘Since she graduated, Fatima hasn’t done

much with her degree. It’s a shame, but

maybe she will in the future,’ says Uit

Beijerse. ‘She has good communication

skills, knows what she wants and is creative

too. She would make a good lawyer.’

Moreira de Melo, who now travels the

world as a poker player, has the following

to say, ‘Not now, but never say never.’

‘She would make a good lawyer’They are now in the spotlight, but what were they like in the lecture theatre? EA takes a

look at the student days of famous EUR alumni.

‘Four hundred pages after hockey training...she was good at pulling it out of the bag.’ Friend Esther Noot about Fatima Moreira de Melo.

The student days of... Fatima Moreira de Melo


Erasmus news

Erasmus University Rotterdam is looking for

alternative sources of income in order to reduce

its dependence on state funding. This is what

Chair of the Executive Board Pauline van

der Meer Mohr said at the opening of the

academic year at the start of September. In her

speech she referred to the capricious nature

of higher-education policy. She also sees a

tendency on the part of the government to want

to exert more control on academic output. Van

der Meer Mohr believes that the crux of the matter

is to ensure that political measures have less influence

on the financial state of the University. The University is

therefore aiming for more European research funding and

more international students. Van der Meer Mohr also sees

possibilities in the form of funding by external parties as well

as the better marketing of knowledge.

Henk van der MolenOn 26 September the second-year students

of the Faculty of Social Sciences received their

certificates for passing their first year. Everyone

was pleased with the success of the ‘Nominaal =

Normaal’ (Official = Normal) programme, which was

introduced this year across the whole university

(with the exception of the Faculties of Medicine and

Philosophy). EU phones Henk van der Molen, Dean

of the Faculty.

What is Nominaal = Normaal?‘Nominaal = Normaal involves two measures. First-year

students must earn all sixty ECTS credit points in one year.

They must have an average of six, but are allowed to use

marks from other course units to compensate for a fail. In

addition, the number of resits is limited.’

Did it make the students study faster?‘Beyond expectations. Prior to this, students had to earn

sixty ECTS in two years. We would have been pleased if

the same percentage of students now earned these ECTS

in one year. But on average it is eight percent more.’

Is that the reason for the celebratory mood?‘When I discussed the introduction with the Rector

Magnificus, he referred to the cohort system, where

you stay in the same cohort throughout your studies.

On Wednesday it was clear that this group as a whole is

progressing to the next year. We will hopefully see the

whole group at the Bachelor’s degree ceremony in two

years’ time.’

Rotterdam Philosophers’ BenchRotterdam has a Philosophers’ Bench, designed

by artist Saskia Wigbold. The bench is in the

Scheepmakershaven, on the spot where great

thinkers such as John Locke, Pierre Bayle and

Bernard Mandeville met in the seventeenth century.

HITTING THE SPOT - Cystic Fibrosis patient Frank Roodenrijs knows what fighting

is. He has a serious form of the disorder and has been waiting for a lung transplant

for three years. As a physical and mental boost, he was given a boxing lesson at the

end of August in a training room at the Erasmus MC-Sophia Hospital by former world

champion Don Diego Poeder. ‘It was really cool to be taught by Don Diego,’ Roodenrijs

said after the lesson. ‘The training was hard, but it is important. I must make sure I stay

in good condition for if I’m offered a lung transplant.’ (photo: Erasmus MC)

EUR wants greater financial independence

EA calls...


Erasmus news

Dating from 1968, the C-Building is one of

the oldest buildings at Erasmus University.

It has been restored from head to toe. The

large, characteristic hall, the lecture halls

and the workspaces have all undergone an

extensive makeover. The 23 lecture halls,

with a total of more than 2300 seats, have

been fitted with the latest technology. The

energy performance of the building has

been dramatically improved thanks to the

renovations – from an F to a B label. The

technical equipment has been replaced with

energy-efficient versions, CO2-controlled

ventilation has been installed and the

insulation of the building improved. Heat-

recovery units have been placed on the

northern roof. The rest of the roof will be

green thanks to sedum mats and there are

solar panels that provide enough energy to

light all the lecture halls.

www.eur.nl/campusinontwikkeling

C-Building: better and sustainableThe restored C-Building on Woudestein Campus was officially opened on 19 September.

The building is now much more sustainable and better equipped for students.

‘It’s not just what you do that’s important, but also what you say, feel and think. It all comes back to you sooner or later.’ Johan Witteveen, alumnus and former Rector Magnificus of Erasmus University, former fi-nance minister, deputy prime minister and IMF chair, attaches great importance to harmony. The presentation of his autobiography took place at the EUR on 4 September 2012.

Students unveil the 60-metre-long glass sculpture by the artist GÉÈF ® during the

official opening of the restored C-Building (photo: Ronald van den Heerik)

Digital textbooks Eight hundred first-year law students

at Erasmus University have been

able to use digital versions of their

textbooks this year. Kluwer Publishers

has made all the reading material

available in digital format. The books

can be downloaded via the learning

environment for use on a PC, laptop or

tablet. This includes all of the reading

material for the degree programmes

in General Law, Criminology and Fiscal

Law.

Take part in the marathonStudents, staff and alumni of the ESE

are invited to run 10 kilometres during

the Rotterdam Marathon on 14 April

2013. Sponsorship money will be

raised via the Erasmus Education Fund

for ‘Playing for Success’, a project in

which underperforming schoolchildren

gain positive learning experiences

in football stadiums. Interested in

running or sponsoring? Register at

the Centennial Office:

[email protected]

Female academics catching upFemale academics are catching

up with their male colleagues. In

the established generation, male

academics publish on average more

than their female colleagues do and

are cited more often. This is no longer

the case with the younger group of

academics. These are the findings of

research by the Rathenau Institute,

the VU University Amsterdam and the

Centre for Science and Technology

Studies (CWTS).

Brief news

From Rotterdam to Barcelona

MondayIt’s boiling hot outside and the air conditioning is roaring

everywhere. Despite the crisis, no cuts seem to have been

made here: it has to be 21 degrees inside. It won’t be long

before the biannual cold announces itself. It’ll be an exciting

week. It’s the first time I’ll be teaching the optional course unit

in Project Management simulation at the EADA for Spanish-

speaking MBAs in a single week. It hasn’t been offered in this

form before. How will the Spanish and South Americans react

to concepts that you wouldn’t normally associate with them,

such as planning, thinking ahead and risk analysis?

WednesdayIn the Netherlands it is the final today of an important supply

chain simulation game. At the last minute we were able to

arrange with Kluwer Management Publishers that the five

best teams will be presented with a copy of my book De

Perfecte Pass during the official prize-giving ceremony. The

theme of the book follows on nicely from the simulation: big

picture, coherence, alignment. Shame I can’t attend the prize-

giving ceremony myself. Sometimes Spain is just too far away.

ThursdayWorked on a project that recently started: an American

multinational has given its European Board, which is based

near Barcelona, the assignment to centralize its national

logistical operations in Europe. For tax/financial/legal reasons

this has to be in the Netherlands. The client is a real Spaniard:

slightly impatient, doesn’t have time or want to plan and

wants a new deliverable each week. He mainly wants to

do and, if possible, preferably without having to think for

too long. How different from my own (Northern European)

method of working. This clash is still frustrating sometimes,

but I now have a lot of experience of it.

FridayEnd of the optional course unit in Project Management. The

first feedback is very positive. Lots of participants seem to

think this should be a compulsory course unit on the MBA.

Good news. We’ll drink to that later in the garden, when it’s

cooled down a bit. It’ll be a lovely, sultry evening. If we’re

lucky, it’s like this from April/May to sometime in November.

SaturdayMy wife Marieke (Art and Cultural Studies, 1990) has an

intensive sailing course this weekend, so that she can gain

her sailing permit. She’s really good at sailing, but her years

of experience don’t count when it comes to getting the

compulsory permit in Spain. While Marieke is away, I go out

for the day with our sons Pau (6) and Marc (4). First to the

Foster radio tower. It’s a clear day, so we have a beautiful

panoramic view of Barcelona and its surroundings. The dots

on the sea, which could be Mum’s boat, make the biggest

impression. And of course the view of the Camp Nou football

stadium, where Pau and Marc, as Barça-socios, are regular

visitors to the ‘museum experience’.

TuesdayAs I looked at the hard-working students in the lesson

this morning, I suddenly thought of the phenomenon of

‘victimismo’. This is a certain type of victimhood to which

they are unfortunately very prone in Spain. With any random

setback they are quick to identify who is at fault: the boss, the

neighbour, politicians, the referee… usually everyone except

the ‘complainant’ himself. This is not a problem in itself (the

Dutch always know precisely who is at fault too, don’t they?)

if it were not for the fact that it often seems to paralyse the

Spanish and prevent them seeking a solution. The students

on my course are not troubled by this. They take the initiative.

Particularly in these times of crisis, I find it very inspiring to see

people who want to get ahead in life and consequently enrol

at a Business School. It’s a privilege to be able to help here.

My throat’s starting to feel a bit sore. Darned air conditioning.

Ed Weenk (Business Administration, 1995) is an independent

consultant (www.QuSL.nl) and a lecturer at EADA Business

School. His management book De Perfecte Pass was recently

published by Kluwer.

Ed Weenk (Business Administration alumnus) came to Barcelona ten years ago. A week in the life of Weenk, whose work includes teaching at the EADA Business School.

Courses in planning for the Spanish


Alumnus Paul van Gessel Historian with get-up-and-go

A day in the life of Paul van Gessel



They greet each other like old school friends, Paul van Gessel

and Humberto Tan. There is a bit of rough-and-tumble,

a feint. The Editor-in-Chief (suited and booted) makes a

wisecrack. The presenter (casual jacket, baseball cap) roars

with laughter. They are at the desk of the Desk Editor,

which overlooks the studio where Tan has just presented his

daily morning show. They talk about Robin van Persie, the

commuter tax, lying politicians and a plague of spiders in

a new housing development. The item with Uri Rosenthal

should have been live, they say. The figures of Douwe

Egberts were dealt with well. But shouldn’t Tan have kept his

opinion about that football transfer to himself?

It is just after half past nine. Van Gessel is clearly in his

element. The discussion is sharp, jumps from one topic to the

next and is being held in the middle of the newsroom, the

beehive where about twenty editors are busy preparing what

will be on the station later today. There are never enough

hours in the day here, but every day, without fail, they review

the morning show, with two-hundred thousand listeners

the most important programme on BNR Nieuwsradio. ‘You

should always aim for perfection,’ says Paul van Gessel. ‘We

don’t provide shoddy goods.’

Not cynicalThe BNR offices are a stone’s throw away from Amsterdam

Amstel station, next to the Dauphine café and under the

Financieele Dagblad (FD), the newspaper that is part of

Does the Managing Editor of BNR Nieuwsradio benefit much

from his History degree? EA spent a day with journalist and

businessman Paul van Gessel. ‘We focus on the architects of

society.’

text Geert Maarse

photo Ronald van den Heerik

Paul van Gessel also sits

behind the microphone.


Paul van Gessel1965 Born in Amsterdam1984 Teacher training in Nijmegen1988 Evening degree programme in History at the EUR1989 Reporter at Omroep Gelderland broadcasting organization1993 Master’s degree in History1995 Move to Veronica Nieuwsradio1996 Reporter at NOS broadcasting organization2004 Deputy Managing Editor at L1 (Limburg broadcasting organization)2007 Managing Editor at BNR2011 Marconi Award for best station


the same holding. BNR is thirteen years old and

run by a group of some fifty young people, not

including the freelancers.

With a market share of 0.8 percent, BNR is a

dwarf alongside giants such as Radio 538 (11

percent), Sky Radio (9 percent) and – its most

immediate competitor – Radio 1 (7 percent).

But BNR has its own signature. It makes radio

programmes for a professional, creative niche:

not for Henk and Ingrid (Mr and Mrs Average),

but for Erik and Daphne, as Van Gessel calls his

target customers. Erik and Daphne are ambitious

people with good careers (twice the average

income), a company car and a cosmopolitan

mindset. They are liberal, definitely not cynical

and dissatisfied, and they are open to new ideas,

regardless of whether these come from wacky

artists or the boardroom.

Triggered‘We focus on the architects of society, the people

who believe that something can still be achieved,’

says Van Gessel. ‘Our tone is significantly

different from that of Radio 1. They mainly focus

on the victims, but I don’t find that interesting.

We want to make progress.’

Take the situation in Syria, for example, he says.

And no, we mustn’t misunderstand him – of

course it is really bad – but are we losing sleep

about it? ‘One branch of journalism thinks you

must spend your time emphasizing how awful

the situation is in the world. And it always ends

with those familiar words, “and the Netherlands

is still not intervening.”

News must surprise, he says. An aeroplane

crash, an odd comment by a politician, a figure

about the housing market – that’s news. But the

never-ending civil war in Congo? The umpteenth

suicide attack in Afghanistan? ‘The convention

that something that is awful must by definition

stay in the news for a long time is something I’ve

dared to let go of. We prefer to look for new

stories. I want to be triggered. The Paralympics?

We didn’t do anything on them. The Eurovision

Song Contest? A fun party, but awful music.

Making choices gives you a profile.’Long termPaul van Gessel was born in Amsterdam. He

grew up in Nieuwkuijk, a village near Den Bosch.

His father installed central heating systems (‘a

good trade in the 1960s’) and his mother was

a social worker (‘one of the few in her family

allowed to go to school’). Van Gessel began at

the MAVO level of secondary education, but

he made it to teacher training in Dutch and

History in Nijmegen. This was halfway through

the 1980s, when it was almost easier to win the

lottery than find a job. He wanted to get into

journalism, which was a real struggle. When

he found work as a freelancer at the Omroep

Gelderland broadcasting organization, he seized

the opportunity with both hands.

As he still wanted to carry on learning, he

enrolled in an evening degree programme in

History at Rotterdam. This was really a two-year

programme, but it took Van Gessel six years to

complete it. ‘I was quite fanatical in the first

year and a half. I travelled to and from Nijmegen

twice a week, often hitchhiking to save money.

But once I had a permanent job at Omroep

Gelderland, I only wanted one thing: work, work,

work. I enjoyed it so much. In the end, it took me

more than four years to write my dissertation.’

It was the time when Huub Wijfjes, now a

professor in Groningen, was still in Rotterdam,

the time when Nighttown still existed. Van Gessel

was supervised by Dick van Lente in what is now

the major in Media & Journalism. It really shaped

him, he says now. ‘I was always an arts student,

but at Erasmus University I suddenly had to do

statistics. Obviously I failed the first exam, but

in the end I got eights for it. I still use that little

bit of science. I’m really fast at mental arithmetic

and very good at budgets. I’m also good at

putting things into perspective, which is the basic

approach of a historian: cautious, focusing on the

long term. That helps in journalism and also in

management. Take radio, for example: it’s been

declared dead seven times already with the arrival

of each new medium from television to the

internet, but it’s flourishing like never before. So

when yet another person makes some wild claim

about it, I think, “we’ll see”.’

Night workAlthough he was fascinated by management and

organization from an early age, it took a while

until Van Gessel could take the helm. He worked

briefly for Veronica Nieuwsradio (in 1995), but

earned his radio spurs mainly during his years

with the NOS broadcasting station.

He flew all over the world, from El Salvador to

Indonesia. He reported on the war in former

Yugoslavia and also on the attacks on the WTC.

In 2004 he made the move to L1, the Limburg

radio and television station where he became

Deputy Managing Editor. And in 2007 he opted

for BNR. He says he works about seventy hours

a week. He gets up between six thirty and seven

every day, reads the papers, listens to Humberto

Tan and arrives at the newsroom at about nine

in the morning. The morning evaluation is a

permanent feature of his day, but the rest is a

sequence of different meetings and one-on-one

sessions. He consciously tries to set aside time

for walking around, keeping up to date with

the news (‘filling her up’) and answering emails

(‘pumping away the floodwater’). And he also

presents his own programme: ‘Legal Affairs’. ‘Ask

him when he actually sleeps,’ says one of the

desk editors, who regularly receives emails from

him in the middle of the night. Van Gessel tries

to leave at about six thirty in the evening, but

that does not mean putting his feet up. There

are children and football, but also the news, the

unremitting stream of emails and his column for

the next day. ‘It’s extremely interesting, both the

journalism and entrepreneurial sides. If you feel

like that, you generate energy.’


‘Journalism is not about constantly emphasizing the awful state of the world’


Als ondernemer werkt u hard aan het opbouwen van uw bedrijf en nog steeds ziet u overal nieuwe mogelijkheden in de markt. Zeker in crisistijd kan het inspelen op zo’n kans een grote voorsprong op uw concurrenten bewerkstelligen. Echter, waar vindt u de tijd om deze aan te pakken? Zou het niet prettig zijn om een ondernemer naast u te hebben zoals uzelf? Maar waar vindt u zo’n iemand?

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24months_Alumni.pdf 1 01-10-12 10:14


Three steps aheadColleagues describe him as committed and driven. A very

creative mind, says one person. An item is always better if

he sticks his nose in, says the other. The image of a fresh,

enthusiastic manager who is always informed and thinks

along with everyone. ‘You couldn’t be closer to the work

floor,’ says presenter Roelof Hemmen. There is also criticism,

whether you ask Humberto Tan or a young editor. And they

all say the same: that he sometimes goes too fast for the

editorial office, that in his enthusiasm he is sometimes three

steps ahead of his colleagues. Van Gessel says, ‘I understand

that. You need to appreciate that I spend the whole day

thinking about strategy and the future of this station. The

average editor just wants to make a good programme. So

if I suddenly begin about a change of course that I have

already discussed multiple times in committees, I can imagine

they feel that they are being presented with a fait accompli.

I need to be aware of this. I think that a general must be

ahead of his troops, but not too far, because if they are no

longer following you, you have a problem.’

That get-up-and-go is typical of him and the organization

where he works. News is old within a few hours and BNR is

also a commercial news organization, which, unlike Radio

1, must deliver a 15 percent return to its investor, HAL, the

Rotterdam Holland-America Line. There are therefore always

new formats, partnerships and sponsorship deals.

‘People sometimes find it relentless,’ says Van Gessel. ‘What

you do is never good enough. But the show must go on.

Don’t misunderstand me, it’s a huge achievement every day

running a whole station and website with such a small group

of people. But the competition isn’t resting on its laurels.’

CredibilityThe combination of commercialism and journalism

sometimes results in criticism, particularly if, like BNR, you

work so closely with companies. Take the programme

‘Business with...’ at lunchtime each day, broadcast from

a company canteen in the Netherlands and sponsored. Is

that acceptable? ‘This means that we visit our target group.

Otherwise, these people would have been guests in the

studio. If a company like this wants our appearance as a

bit of window dressing, that’s fine by me. If they want their

managing director in the programme, tough luck. I don’t

budge an inch on that and we still manage to get a lot of

money from the market. We can never risk our credibility.

Never. The sales department must also appreciate this.’ It’s

hard work maintaining the results. The advertising market is

in a miserable state. ‘It puts me on the attack. We have had

a hard economic year, but we are developing new activities

to ensure that the station is still solid as a rock in 2015.’

It’s six in the evening. The sun is shining into Paul van

Gessel’s corner office, on the same floor as the FD, two

staircases above the BNR newsroom. The Marconi Award

that the station won last year for best station is on his desk.

Against the wall leans a black-and-white poster of Humberto

Tan.

He’s never actually here, he says. He wants to know what

is going on. Below and in the world, it is very likely that

another important thing has happened. But he still takes the

time for an interview and gives it his full attention. He says,

‘Have you got everything? I always want to know whether

people are satisfied with what I provide. It must be a good

story.’

Author Geert Maarse studied Business Administration (2006)

and General Cultural Sciences (2008), and did a Master’s degree

in Media and Journalism (2009) at the EUR.

Photographer Ronald van den Heerik studied Philosophy

between 1979 and 1983 at the EUR.


The day is a series of

different meetings and one-

on-one-sessions.


Alumni & the EUR

Skills, inspiration and knowledge

In the afternoon session of Zorg voor Kennis II the

focus will be on skills: writing policy documents, time

management and ‘blue leadership’. At one of the

workshops Professor Jan Moen, one of the founders

of the iBMG, will teach the effective development

of leadership behaviour. He will use some concepts

from his book Kleur bekennen, kleedkamergesprek-

ken over leiderschap (Show your Colour: Locker-

Room Discussions on Leadership).

The evening programme will begin with a plenary

session, in which three remarkable alumni present

themselves in a TEDx-like setting. This will be fol-

lowed by knowledge seminars on cuts in health care,

innovation in health care, competition and collabora-

tion in health care and performance-related pay.

Zorg voor Kennis II, Thursday 22 November

2012, De Doelen Rotterdam. www.bmg.eur.nl/

zorgvoorkennis.zorgvoorkennis

How should health care be

organized and improved? This

question is the permanent focus

of the Institute of Health Policy

and Management (iBMG), and

also of the Zorg voor Kennis

(Care for Knowledge) alumni

event.

The organization of health care is a hot topic.

The newspapers are full of articles on more – or

less – competition, on collaboration and on cuts

in health care. These are the topics that iBMG

alumni are faced with in their work, topics such

as effective leadership, time management and

care innovations such as e-health. At the Zorg

voor Kennis II event, on Thursday 22 November

in De Doelen, iBMG alumni will be able to share

their knowledge with each other and garner new

knowledge.

Contact Ernst Bakker, alumni officer at iBMG says, ‘We

consider it very important to stay in touch with

our alumni, because they are our calling cards in

the field. We want to know whether they find

good jobs, whether they end up in jobs where

they can make improvements to health care

and which issues they encounter. At the same

time we want to offer our alumni extra training

and information. Many alumni enjoy continuing

their involvement with iBMG through interesting

events. At Zorg voor Kennis this all comes

together.’

The event took place for the first time two years

ago. This first edition consisted of an evening

with 185 participants, 130 of whom were iBMG

Networking and gathering knowledgetext Eveline van de Lagemaat

illustration Hans van de Tillaart


The crisis has dominated the Netherlands for the last five years. Are we in a period that will later be known as the Second Depression? Or were the last years the overture to a new period of economic growth? These are questions that I, in my current job as a member of the editorial board of the NRC Handelsblad newspaper, discuss almost daily with the editors. These are extra-ordinarily tense times for everyone in our country. They are also times when I regularly think of my Economics degree at the EUR. I started in September 1983, initially taking the train from my parents’ house in Voorburg to Rotterdam. The trains usually ran, but the remaining public transport often didn’t. The tram, bus and metro drivers were always on strike – in protest against huge government cuts. To get to the university I would walk through Rotterdam, past high piles of household rubbish – a consequence of a long strike by the city cleaning ser-vices, a grim time when government, employers and employees were pitted against each other. What is remarkable is that in the collective memory this period tends to look very different. After all, it was the year after the now-famous Wassenaar Agreement, which was signed on 24 November 1982. In this agreement em-ployers, employee organizations and the government reached an agreement on collective wage restraint. It is generally seen as the foundation of the ‘polder model’: working together to achieve economic growth by a system of consultation. In reality, it was many years after this agreement before the collective mood was actually tangible.For me as a journalist and economist, this collision between per-ception and reality has always been very chastening. Do I actually see what I think I can see? Do a tight employment market and high house prices indicate a healthy tension between supply and demand, or is the message filtering through that society is bursting at the seams? Is a social network company that does not earn anything but raises tens of millions from investors the precursor of a new economy or an expression of collective self-deception?

Almost thirty years after I first began my degree, I still benefit every day from what I learnt then. I am very grateful to both the university and the mountains of bin bags along the roadside for this.

Marcella Breedeveld (1965) is a member of the editorial board of NRC

Handelsblad and Editor-in-Chief of NRC Next. She studied Economics

from 1983 to 1990 at the EUR and is a member of the Alumni Advisory

Board.

Column Perception

alumni. The feedback was very positive, which is why Zorg

voor Kennis II has been organized and extended to include

afternoon and evening programmes.

UsefulOne of the participants in the first edition was Sanne van

Rumpt (25). She works as a policy officer at SHO Centra voor

Medische Diagnostiek, an organization in Velp that conducts

diagnostic research. She completed her Master’s degree

in Health Care Management at the iBMG in 2009. ‘Before

that I studied Health Sciences for three years in Enschede. I

wanted to do my Master’s elsewhere and chose Rotterdam

because they focus more on policy and management here.

It was the right decision. I am still in touch with fellow

students from both faculties, but the iBMG does a lot more

for its alumni,’ says Van Rumpt.

‘I found the Zorg voor Kennis seminar evening extremely

useful. Among other things, we discussed the Client

Care Act and risk spreading.’ Risk spreading is the equal

distribution of financial risk across all health insurers. The

duty to accept people means there is the likelihood that

some insurers have to insure an unequal proportion of the

elderly or high-risk patients. By spreading the risk, these

differences in risk are ironed out as much as possible. Van

Rumpt is definitely planning to go to Zorg voor Kennis II.

‘And I am definitely going to arrange to meet my former

study mates.’

ProudSince its establishment in 1982 the iBMG has grown into

a leading institute in the field of health-care policy and

management. Whereas in the beginning the emphasis

was mainly on teaching, iBMG is now also a big name in

the global field of research. The institute is also actively

involved in important social themes, such as the changes to

the health-care system in the Netherlands in 2006. Alumni

officer Bakker says, ‘Many of our alumni now have an

important job in the health-care branch. We are proud of

this of course.’

Author Eveline van de Lagemaat studied Social History at

the EUR, specializing in communication and education.

‘Alumni are our calling cards in the field’


Research in focus

ElECTRIC CARSPart of the change in the energy world is the large-scale use of electric cars. Konstantina Valogianni is conducting PhD research on this. How can you use them effectively? When and where do they need to be charged and what are the users’ preferences?

ClEVER DISHWASHERSIt is not only people that need to change their behaviour – machines must also become more intelligent. ‘I want my dishwasher to be ready before breakfast the next day,’ says Wolfgang Ketter. ‘But I don’t care whether this happens straight after dinner or sometime in the middle of the night. The dishwasher should start running in the period when there is a lot of energy. That requires intelligent software.’

ENERGy 1.0‘We are in the middle of a transition. We do not know what the future will look like. What we do know is that the end of Energy 1.0 is approaching,’ says Wolfgang Ketter, head of the Future Energy Business research group of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. Ketter believes that ‘old’ energy, such as coal and oil but also nuclear power, has had its day. The future is renewable energy, which has far-reaching consequences for the whole energy market.

ENERGy 2.0In the new energy market people are both users and producers, says Wolf-gang Ketter. He points to Germany, where a large part of the electricity now already comes from solar panels on houses. The transition is compa-rable with the development of the internet. ‘First, people only read it. They consumed. Now lots of people have their own blogs or sites.’

20 erasmusalumni. magazine 20 erasmusalumni. magazine

POWER TACIn order to find out how a new energy market could work, what the problems are and – more importantly – what the possible solutions are, Ketter and his team have come up with a game: Power TAC. Software agents, sort of avatars that are built by research groups from all over the world, take part in the simulation. The agents deal in energy. The constant challenge is to find the right balance between supply and demand.

BAlANCEBalance is the challenge for the energy of the future. Supply and demand must match at all times. Whereas ‘old’ energy is controlled and constant, ‘new’ energy is irregular and cannot really be stored. People therefore need to learn to use the energy when it is available. For example, to do the washing when it is windy outside and there is a lot of wind energy available. Ori Marom and Wolfgang Ketter are researching how to encourage consumers to do this, with lower prices for example.

Text Mieke Fiers

Photo Levien Willemse

The photo was taken in the Drijvend

Paviljoen, the expertise centre for the

innovative and inspirational approach

to climate, energy and water in the

Rotterdam Rijnhaven.

www.drijvendpaviljoen.nl

erasmusalumni. magazine 21erasmusalumni. magazine 21

Eight young EUR researchers were awarded a Veni grant by

the NWO research organization at the end of June. Four more

experienced, talented researchers received a Vidi grant. Half of

these personal grants went to researchers from the Erasmus

MC. The research themes are very different. Vidi winner Andrea

Woltman, for example, is focusing on the Hepatitis B virus that

hides in the liver. Public Administration specialist Steven Van de

Walle (also a Vidi winner) is researching the trust public servants

have in the public.

The Erasmus MC is the first hospital in the Netherlands to digitize

its experimental laboratory analysis of cell and tissue samples.

Sending and recording microscope slides of tissue samples still

takes a lot of time. If the tissue slide is

scanned, the images can easily be

shared. Image analysis can

quickly identify cancer cells in

tissue, for example.

Lab research goes digital


Science news

Veni, Vidi, Research!

The etherlands is a closed societyKnowledge migrants often find it difficult

to adapt to their new home. These are the

findings of research by Marianne van Bo-

chove. Expats experience the Netherlands

as a fairly closed society, as do the ‘classic’

migrant groups from Suriname, Turkey and

Morocco. They find it difficult to really feel

at home here.

DNA-testFor the first time there

is a DNA test that can

predict hair and eye co-

lour at the same time. It has

been developed by scientists

from the Erasmus MC, together with

Polish and Greek colleagues. The test sys-

tem is very sensitive, so it may provide new

clues in old cases or in the identification of

missing people.

Ig Nobel Prize for Eiffel Tower researchIf you lean to the left, the Eiffel Tower

seems smaller. For their research on

this phenomenon, EUR scientists

Anita Eerland, Tulio Guadalupe and

Rolf Zwaan were awarded an Ig

Nobel Prize on 20 September.

This prize is for research that

first makes you laugh and

then makes you think.

maakt en dan aan

het denken zet.


Measures against academic fraudRector Magnificus Henk Schmidt hopes that a course on integrity and ethics for researchers, and the central storage of academic data will help prevent academic fraud in the future.

In recent years the Dutch academic world has been shocked

by academic misconduct. Cases have also come to light at the

Erasmus University. In his speech at the opening of the academic

year at the beginning of September, Rector Schmidt presented a

plan to prevent it in future. PhD students must follow a course

on academic integrity and ethics. The course is also open to other

researchers. The raw data from EUR research will be stored in

a central database. Should doubts arise in the future, it will be

possible to check the data here. There will also be regular random

checks of the data storage facility.

The current financial crisis was caused by the emergence of China. This is what Heleen Mees claims in her PhD research.

Since the start of the crisis and the recession that followed there

has been much speculation about the cause. Non-standard

mortgage products are often blamed. Mees claims, however, that

the blame lies with China. The Chinese obsession with saving

money led to plenty of cheap money, the consequence of which

was the American housing boom. The end of this trend marked

the start of the crisis. www.heleenmees.com

Blame for debt crisis lies with China

Sport after work makes you happyPlaying sport in the evenings

contributes to your general

wellbeing. People who carry on

working until late in the evening

actually feel less happy and

energetic. These are the findings of

research by the EUR in collaboration

with health insurer Coöperatie

VGZ. Eighty-five participants kept

a happiness diary for ten days. The

effects were particularly significant in

people with a strong internal urge to

work. They would really be better off

playing sport in the evening.

www.gelukswijzer.nl

Smarter PregnancySlimmer Zwanger (Smarter Pregnancy),

the pregnancy coaching programme

launched by the Erasmus MC Hospital

in January 2012, was positively

assessed by the participants. Slimmer

Zwanger provides personal advice

via a website, an email or a text

message on nutrition and lifestyle

during pregnancy. The advice is based

on scientific research. From now on

the Achmea insurance company will

reimburse the cost of the programme

for all participants, including

people who are

not insured with

them.

www.

slimmerzwanger.nl


In the news in ’82-‘83

Anne-Marie Raat did a medi-

cal internship in Kenya (photo:

private collection)

Michiel Schapers was

training for Wimbledon

Anne-Marie Raat52, Medicine

What were you up to in 82-83?‘I did my “kandidaats” degree in Medicine in Rotterdam. I was

really interested in tropical medicine and was an active member

of Stichting STOLA, an organization focusing on health care in

developing countries. A friend and I did a research internship in

West Kenya on the health of small children there. We visited

lots of field clinics and were well supervised by the Faculty.’

What do you do now?‘After I graduated, I worked in Ethiopia. After a few clinical

years I was a GP for fifteen years and have now worked for five

years as a designated doctor at the Youth Care Agency in

Utrecht.’

How do you look back at that time?‘In that time an internship in Africa was very pioneering. It is

much more common now. You were away from home for six

months and didn’t have internet or a mobile phone, so were

very reliant on yourself and those around you. An exciting time

during which I learnt a lot.’

Michiel Schapers 52, Business Economics

What were you up to in 82-83? ‘I was always good at tennis, but the spring of 1983 was my

real breakthrough. I became Dutch champion after I played a

very good match in the ABN-Amro tennis tournament. This

meant I could play at Wimbledon for the first time. All in all, a

very exciting year with loads of international matches.’

What do you do now?‘I’m a coach. I’m self-employed and teach tennis at the Frans

Otten Stadium in Amsterdam, mainly to boys.’

What do you remember most?‘The fact that there was no support or supervision from the

University whatsoever for young top athletes. I had to give up

my degree in the end because I couldn’t combine the two. It is

all very different now and is even encouraged. Then you had to

do it alone.’

EA goes back in

time and won-

ders how the

students who

made the news

in academic year

1982–1983 are

doing.

text and photos from

now Sanne van der Most


Michiel Struijk set up the Lijst

Woudestein student party

Marieke van Doorn

became world champion

with her hockey team

Michiel Struijk50, Civil and Corporate Law

What were you up to in 82-83? ‘I and a few others set up the Lijst Woudestein student

party. We developed a huge PR machine and were the big-

gest party within no time. Our main mission was to link

teaching to actual practice.’

What do you do now?‘I have always worked in business, going all over the world.

I started as a company lawyer and am now a member of

the Dutch management team at Logica.’

Will you ever enter politics again?‘Politics still interests me, but it’s not the kind of thing you

can do on the side. You have to give it your all. My work

and my family are very important to me, so they’re taking

precedence at the moment.’

Marieke van Doorn52, Medicine

What were you up to in 82-83? ‘I became world champion with the Dutch women’s hockey

team in Malaysia. I combined top-level hockey with my me-

dical degree and my student association, RVSV. You do need

to be strict with yourself, but luckily I didn’t find that a pro-

blem.’

What do you do now?‘I now work as a GP in a deprived area of Rotterdam. I am

also a sports physician at the Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis Hos-

pital in Delft. In my free time I coach hockey at the Victoria

club. I now only play hockey for fun with a group of

friends.’

Will you ever enter politics again?‘If you really want to achieve something, you have to give it

your all. It is possible to combine a lot, as I did then, as long

as you stay focused on your goal. Then it will all turn out

well in the end.’

Author Sanne van der

Most studied Civil Law at the

EUR. She graduated in 1999.

If the City Council adopts a green policy, will it also

generate financial benefits? This is a question that Kees van

Paridon was asked by one of the Rotterdam aldermen.

‘People have the impression that sustainability costs money.

We were asked to research whether it also generates

money.’ Since July 2011, Van Paridon, a Professor of

Economics, has held the position of Chief Science Officer, a

part-time job on the City Council. The idea is that the

Science Officer has one foot in the daily business of the

‘company’ of Rotterdam and the other in the academic

world of the University. Kees van Paridon says, ‘My main

concern is if the Council needs knowledge that the

University already possesses, how do you ensure that the

two are brought together?’

More direct, more intensive, more efficientThe city of Rotterdam has a bunch of questions to which

Erasmus University may have the answers. How do you

prevent too many children leaving school without

qualifications? What about the health of the citizens of

Rotterdam? How do we involve the inhabitants in their

neighbourhoods and vice versa? Academics regularly want

to conduct research at the Port or in the city’s

neighbourhoods. The City Council and other organizations

in Rotterdam can be of great help here. The position of

Chief Science Officer was created in 2009 to bring the city

and University closer together, and Erasmus University and

the Rotterdam City Council concluded a partnership

agreement in 2010. They were already in contact and there

was already an exchange of knowledge between Council

services and knowledge institutes, the business community

and social organizations, but, as the agreement states, ‘the

contact should more direct, more intensive and more

efficient. We want to capitalize on opportunities and

efforts, something that is not done enough.’

Knowledge centresA number of academic centres have been created to turn

these promising words into deeds. These are long-term

structural partnerships focusing on a specific theme. The

employees of different organizations participate in them.

There are, for example, knowledge centres on the Port,

health care and vibrant communities. New centres may

follow with themes such as sustainability, the economy and

the employment market. As well as taking care of the

knowledge centres, the Chief Science Officer is also

responsible for other contacts and matters. ‘Student

placements at the City Council, for example,’ says Van

Paridon, ‘but also training public servants such as Council

controllers.’

The Chief Science Officer is also involved in ‘The City of

Rotterdam’ City Monitor, an annual publication that

describes the city’s performance in fields such as security,

public health, education, spatial planning and housing.

Strategic thinkingRotterdam currently only has an agreement with Erasmus

University, but, says Van Paridon, the City Council is also in

serious talks with the Rotterdam University of Applied

Sciences, Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Delft

University of Technology (TU Delft), which is good, says Van

Paridon. ‘TU Delft has a lot of technical knowledge that we

don’t have at the EUR. We complement each other well.

Together we are stronger.’ But if the collaboration with

knowledge institutions is to succeed in the long term, the

City Council must focus more on strategic questions, says

Van Paridon. ‘Short-term thinking dominates, which is

understandable because the necessary cuts mean that many

people are being made redundant. But we must also ensure

we pay sufficient attention to questions such as the future of

the economy of the city and how best to tackle the low level

of education of the people of Rotterdam.’

Knowledge for the city

Erasmus University and the city


It is not for nothing that the name Erasmus University Rotterdam

contains ‘Rotterdam’. The University’s researchers have much to offer

the city. And vice versa.

text Sjoerd Wielenga

illustration Lobke van Aar


EUR & the Port ‘The Port needs our expertise.’

Professor in Commercial law Frank Smeele, from the Erasmus School of law (ESl), is one of five Port professors at Erasmus University.

‘Smartport is a network between Rotterdam’s academic and

business communities. Erasmus University, Rotterdam City

Council, the Port of Rotterdam and the Deltalinqs Port

entrepreneur association work together here. The Port

professors also participate. Two of them – Rommert Dekker

and Hercules Haralambides – are from the Erasmus School of

Economics. René de Koster is Port professor for the

Rotterdam School of Management and Harry Geerlings for

the Faculty of Social Sciences. It used to be that you weren’t

even aware that your colleagues from other faculties were

focusing on the Port. Now there is interaction; we can help

each other.

‘The Port requires our expertise. We are asked, for example,

legal questions about maintaining safety regulations in the

Port. For a business these regulations are an expense.

Businesses that apply the rules very strictly can consequently

make less profit than those that are more flexible. And what

is the role of the watchdog? Sustainability is also an

important theme at the Port, if you consider the regulations

preventing oil pollution by ships. We also consciously seek to

work with TU Delft’s Port Research Center (PRC), which also

has Port professors. This also fits the University’s vision of

strategic partnership with the Universities of Leiden and

Delft.

‘In September, with the support of Smartport, a new

Master’s programme was set up in Maritime & Transport

Law. We have twenty students, nine of whom come from

the Netherlands. The themes include public maritime law,

transport law, shipping, shipping accidents and maritime

insurance. We want to train graduates who can work in the

city as lawyers or company lawyers, at the judiciary or as

service providers for the Port of Rotterdam, such as banks,

expertise agencies, accident-claim processors, insurers and

insurance brokers. Guest speakers from the city and Port are

involved in the Master’s programme and different workshops

are planned at companies in the city, such as the Port of

Rotterdam, Dutch P&I and companies at the Port such as the

Euromax Terminal and Boskalis.

‘There is interaction; we can help each other’


EUR and vibrant communities‘It’s a crying shame to live parallel lives’

Herman Jäger is the director of the City Management Service of Rotterdam City Council. He is a member of the Vibrant Communities knowledge centre, in which the Faculties of Social Sciences, Management, Economics, Philosophy and the Department of Criminology are involved, as well as the Drift Research Institute.

‘The public is becoming more inconsiderate, which means

the streets have a lot more litter. The cost of street cleaning

for the City Council is increasing. At the request of

Rotterdam City Council, Erasmus University and the

University of Tilburg looked at the most effective way to

influence the behaviour of the public. They found that calling

on people at home and talking to them about litter on the

streets works best. This is a good example of working

together, but I think that much more is possible.

‘We have several thousand people – from Roteb (the Council

cleaning services) and the City Management Service – who

spend the whole day on the street. I hear them talking in the

company canteen. They know exactly which neighbourhoods

are Turkish, Moroccan, Dutch and Antillean, for example.

They can tell by the kind of rubbish. They have a wealth of

information between their ears. This knowledge would be a

treasure trove for sociologists, for example.

‘I come from Rotterdam and it has always been a thorn in my

side that for donkey’s years the University and the

“company” of Rotterdam have been inward-facing bulwarks.

Now we have a partnership, we bring together academics

and practitioners two to five times a year in a conference on

vibrant communities. My real agenda is to bring together the

University and the city in a structural partnership. It isn’t yet

standard practice for us to approach the University on policy

issues. The contacts are still very fragile. It could all be over in

a flash. And however enthusiastic I am about the

partnership, I realize that I too am part of the old culture of

living in parallel worlds, which is a real shame. I don’t know

what knowledge the University has under its auspices and

the University doesn’t know which issues I’m trying to solve.

That’s why it’s so good there’s a Science Officer.’

Erasmus University and the city

‘City managers have a wealth of information between their ears.’


EUR & health‘We provide advice for a healthier city’

lex Burdorf is Professor of the Determinants of Public Health at the Department of Social Health Care of the Erasmus MC Hospital. Together this department and the GGD Rotterdam Public Health Service form the CEPHIR (Centre for Effective Public Health In the larger Rotterdam area) academic centre.

‘Loneliness among the elderly is linked to a lack of exercise.

Together with the Veldacademie, we are studying how we

can get the elderly to exercise more in the city. In the

Feijenoord neighbourhood we gave them a GPS system for a

week so we could trace their exact movements. This

showed, for example, that there are too few places to rest –

such as benches – too many steps and too many stepping

stones with water between them, which children like, but

the elderly avoid. The neighbourhood must therefore be

better designed. This is why we are actively involved in the

design of neighbourhoods that have yet to be built. They

can then take into consideration the need to encourage the

people living there to exercise and walk.

‘The Erasmus MC wants to make an active contribution to

Rotterdam. Our academic centre focuses on public health in

the city. We ensure that the findings of our academic

research are sent to politicians, policymakers and institutions,

and we take up the questions the city asks us. For example,

I’m researching the integration of the long-term unemployed

with health problems. The Rotterdam Public Health Service

(GGD) and Social Services have set up a programme to get

the unemployed back to work. The alderman and Social

Services have asked us to evaluate this.

‘At the request of the City Council we also analyzed the

health of the citizens of Rotterdam. We found that they are

less healthy than other Dutch citizens. We advise the City

Council on how the city’s infrastructure can promote the

health of its inhabitants. Rotterdam’s poor health can be

explained by the high numbers of unemployed people with a

lower level of education. I advised the city to direct its efforts

to a combination of economics, education and health.’

‘By changing the infrastructure of a neighbourhood you encourage the elderly to exercise’

Author Sjoerd Wielenga

completed his Master’s

degree in Media &

Journalism at the EUR in

2007.

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Recht(st)reeks Rotterdam Juridisch PAO Najaar 2012www.erasmusacademie.nl/recht

In het najaar starten:• Legal Development in Modern China• Het nieuwe BV-recht• Capita fiscaal recht voor ondernemingsrechtjuristen• De nieuwe aanbestedingswet

• De forensische psychiatrische rapportage

• Verdiepingscursussen op alle vakgebieden

November - december 2012, 12.30-17.45 uur, Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark

Kijk voor het volledige programma en direct inschrijven op

www.erasmusacademie.nl/recht

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Op deze pagina vindt u een kleine selectie van een prachtig aanbod aan relatiegeschenken van de

Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. Op www.eur.nl/faciliteiten/relatiegeschenken/assortiment/ vindt u ons

volledige assortiment. Bestellingen kunnen geplaatst worden door een e-mail te sturen naar [email protected].

Relatiegeschenken

Zilverkleurige pennenset € 35,-

Verzilverde theelepel € 7,-

Bronzen beeld ErasmusHoogte: 15 cm € 99,65

Presse papier€ 20,-

Dopper€ 8,-

Doosje assorti chocolade15 stuks € 6,50

Fotografie: Michelle Muus


Fouzia Outmany was born in Morocco and

moved with her parents to The Hague when

she was thirteen. She still lives in The Hague

and loves it there. But if she could have a

house on Noordereiland, she would move in

a flash to Rotterdam.

Rotterdam is the city where Fouzia studied.

After ‘a short trial programme in Political

Science’ at Leiden University, she decided to

do Sociology and Philosophy at the EUR. She

did not complete her degree in Philosophy.

Rotterdam is also the city where she is con-

ducting research for the Dynamics of the

City lectorate of the Inholland University of

Applied Sciences.

‘I’m currently doing research on Noorderei-

land into forms of community art relating

to citizenship. It’s about professional artists

working together with the people of Noor-

dereiland to record in art the stories of the

common man.’ Outmany works with three

other researchers: a sociologist, a social geo-

grapher and a historian.

‘The research has uncovered some terrific

stories. What is clear is how incredibly proud

the inhabitants are of living on the island.

The area was originally a port and became

an island in about 1880, when the Noor-

derhaven was dug out. The first inhabitants

were mainly seamen. The island then at-

tracted more and more other inhabitants,

including many artists.

‘The island now has a population of some

three thousand. It really is a little village in

the big city with a supermarket, a baker,

a few cafés, a few main streets and a lit-

tle square. Everyone knows everyone else,

which makes it really friendly, a vibe I haven’t

come across in The Hague. The Hague is,

after all, a bit snobby, a bit slick.’

Why Rotterdam

‘Noordereiland is a village in the big city’During her research Fouzia Outmany fell for the vibes of

Noordereiland. ‘It’s really friendly there.’

text Eveline van de Lagemaat

photo Levien Willemse

Name: Fouzia Outmany (32)

Degree: Sociology

Graduated: 2009

Proud of: Noordereiland


Alumni affairs

Erasmus University Rotterdam Alumni & Corporate

Relations Office

Room A1-51

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50

3062 PA Rotterdam

Telephone 010-4081110

Fax: 010-4089075

[email protected]

www.eur.nl/alumni

Alumni Advisory Board

Rinske Brand, Marcella

Breedeveld, Michel Dutree, Jan

Hendrik Egberts, Bon de Jonge

van Ellemeet, Sietze Hepkema,

Frans van Houten, Ila Kasem,

Guus Lubsen, Lilianne

Ploumen, Derek Roos, Dominic

Schrijer, Dick Verbeek, Frans

Weisglas, Henk Weltevreden,

Pieter Zevenbergen (chair)

Ul library card for alumni

EUR alumni receive a discount

on the university library card

and pay €15 instead of €30.

Apply for your UL library card

by sending an email to

[email protected], stating

your surname, initials, address,

date of birth and former

student number.

Social Media

For its communication the EUR

uses LinkedIn, Facebook and

Twitter. Register now.

Erasmus Alumni Database

In 2013 your alma mater, the

EUR, will celebrate its

centenary. We want to involve

as many alumni as possible in

these centenary celebrations.

If you are unsure whether we

have your recent address,

please contact us (alumni@

smc.eur.nl, 010-4081110).

You can also request a new

login from us so that you can

manage your data in the

database. Then you won’t

miss a single announcement.

Help please!

The top priority of the central

alumni office staff is to trace

and update the data of more

than 73,000 alumni in the

Erasmus Alumni Database. A

campaign featuring Erasmus

will begin around the

University’s anniversary. We

will use social media, including

LinkedIn, Facebook and

Twitter, together with the

alumni website for this. You,

as an alumnus, have an

important role here. By sharing

the campaign with your

former study mates you will

help us update the addresses

in the Erasmus Alumni

Database.

EUR language and Training

Centre

Alumni receive a discount on

our language courses. In the

first year after your graduation

you pay the student fee (50

percent). After that you

receive a 10 percent discount.

We provide courses in English,

Spanish, Italian, Chinese,

Dutch and many more

languages. Always wanted to

learn Spanish? Or Chinese? Or

are you interested in

customized training, individual

lessons or in-company

courses? Visit our website for

the options. First-year alumni

can register for our Job

Interview training. www.eur.nl/

ttc

Erasmus Sport

Jon de Ruijter, director


[email protected]

www.erasmussport.nl.

2014 European Universities

Games in Rotterdam

The first ever EU Games took

place in Cordoba in Spain last

July. More than 2700 athletes

from 35 countries competed

for the European student

titles. Unfortunately the Dutch

teams did not win any medals.

The second EU Games will

take place in Rotterdam from

4 to 13 July 2014. We are

expecting more than 4000

athletes and 1000 officials. If

you would like to help us

make the 2014 European

Universities Games a big

success, register as a volunteer

or sponsor.

www.eugames2014.eu,

Facebook: eugames2014,

[email protected]

Studium Generale/

Erasmus Culture

Willem Scholten

Room E1-47


American Victory Night

& Breakfast

Watch the United States

Presidential Election between

Barack Obama and Mitt

Romney live, with

commentary, theatre, debate,

lectures and a live-stream with

Professor Dick Houtman, from

Yale University, US.

6 November 7.30 p.m. to 7

November 9.00 a.m. 2012,

Rotterdamse Schouwburg

‘Goed gestoord’ (Good and

crazy): TBS (sectioning)/

lunchtime lecture

Lunchtime lecture by Professor

Hjalmar van Marle on insanity,

sectioning and the DSM-5

controversial diagnosis bible.

14 November 2012, 12.30–

13.30 p.m., Lecture Hall 2,

Erasmus MC

‘Dies Natalis (Foundation Day): Women mean business’The University will celebrate its 99th birthday on 8 November 2012. Every year a different faculty is the focus of this ceremony. This year it is the Rotterdam School of Management. In the English-language programme an honorary doctorate will be awarded to Alice H. Eagly, Professor of Management & Orga-nizations, Northwestern University, US. Professor Eagly is a leading researcher in the field of gender, leadership and business companies. Her supervisor is Professor Daan van Knippenberg (RSM Professor of Organizational Behaviour).

99th birthday, 8 November 2012, Auditorium, Woudestein

CampusFurther information and registration: www.eur.nl/dies

Meer informatie en aanmelding: www.eur.nl/dies

Alice Eagly will receive an honorary doctorate


Studio Erasmus/Talk Show

Academics reflect on current

affairs, together with guests

from the worlds of politics and

culture, the media and the city

of Rotterdam.

Reservations recommended via

[email protected].

15 November 2012, 7.30

p.m., e Unie, Mauritsweg 34-

35, Rotterdam

Understanding Turkey

Guest lecture on life and

culture in Turkey: how does

Turkey differ from the

Netherlands when studying or

doing business?

By Bram Vermeulen,

correspondent in Istanbul for

the NOS broadcasting

organization and former

Journalist of the Year.

19 November 2012, 3.00

p.m., Senate Hall, Woudestein

Campus

‘Goed gestoord’ (Good and

crazy): Depression/

lunchtime lecture

Lunchtime lecture by Maarten

van Buuren, author of ‘Kikker

Gaat Fietsen!’ (Frog Goes

Cycling!) about reclaiming his

life after severe depression.

27 November 2012, 12.30-

1.30 p.m., Education Centre,

Erasmus MC

General Erasmus Alumni Association Bon Ellemeet/Alexandra

Staab

PO Box 4382

3006 AJ Rotterdam


(Bon Ellemeet)/010-4149407

(Alexandra Staab) eav@

erasmusalumnivereniging.nl

‘De EUR Draait Door’

special event

On Saturday 8 June 2013 the

Erasmus Alumni Association

and the associations of former

members of student

associations are holding ‘De

EUR Draait Door.’ This special

event, part of the EUR

anniversary celebrations, will

have inspirational guests from

the EUR and outside. Make a

note of the date: 8 June 2013.

Sport at a discount

EUR wants to emphasize and

strengthen its ties with its

alumni. Alumni can therefore

take part in sporting activities

at Erasmus Sport even after

they graduate. What’s more,

EAV members can participate

in its sporting activities at

student prices.

For information on the sports

on offer and fees see: www.

erasmussport.nl

Erasmus School of Economics ESE Alumni Affairs

Charles Hermans

[email protected]

Room H7-19


www.esealumni.nl

Together with the Erasmus

Alumni Association (EAV), the

ESE organizes several annual

events, such as the ESE Alumni

Day on the opening day of the

EFT Business Week in the

spring and the Autumn Day.

EAV membership for ESE

alumni

New ESE alumni receive a two-

year membership of the EAV as

a gift from the faculty. If you

are not yet a member of the

EAV, register via www.esealum-

ni.nl, under the heading ‘be-

come a member of EAV’.

linkedIn

The EAV has set up a LinkedIn

alumni group for ESE alumni.

Students from Suriname

Twenty-one students from the

Anton de Kom University of

Suriname are studying at the

ESE this academic year. These

students completed a bridging

programme in Suriname and

are now following the Master’s

degree programme in

Accounting, Audit & Control

at Rotterdam. The students

will remain in the Netherlands

until February and will

complete the rest of their

degree in Paramaribo. In

September 2013 they will

receive a degree from both the

EUR and the Anton de Kom

University.

Centenary

IIn academic year 2013–2014

the ESE and therefore the

Erasmus University Rotterdam

will be 100 years old.

Obviously the ESE will not let

this milestone pass unmarked.

We will keep you informed via

www.esealumni.nl

Professors appointed

On 1 May 2012 Dr

Bas Donkers was

appointed

Endowed Professor

of Marketing

Research at the ESE on behalf

of the EUR Trust Fund.

Donkers’ research is on the

modelling and analysis of

consumer behaviour.

On 1 July 2012

Professor Richard

Paap was appointed

Professor of

Econometrics at the

Econometric Institute of the

ESE. His research interests are

the application of Bayesian

statistics to time series and

cross-section data in the field

of macro-economics and

marketing.

On 1 July 2012 Dr

Dennis Fok was

appointed

Endowed

Professor of

Applied Econometrics at the

Econometric Institute of the

ESE on behalf of the EUR Trust

Fund.

Professor Piet Sanders deceasedThe founder of what is now the Erasmus School of Law, Professor Piet Sanders, died on 27 September 2012, six days after his hundredth birthday. As well as an academic, Sanders was also the architect of the University’s art collection. Days before Sanders’ hund-redth birthday the Erasmus School of Law held an event to commemorate his life and work. There was also an exhibition until 19 October of his art collec-tion in the Erasmus Gallery on the Woudestein Cam-pus and in the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, where Sanders lived.

Piet Sanders, founder of the Erasmus School of Law


The Erasmus Education

Fund

The Fund supports initiatives

that enable underprivileged,

talented young people to go

through further education and

thus become the leaders of the

next generation. Your

contribution is much

appreciated. Make your

donation to account number

11.69.09.463 in the name of

‘Erasmus Trustfonds’ in

Rotterdam, with the reference

‘Erasmus Education Fund’.

Further information at www.

erasmuseducationfund

EFR Alumni Association

Marc Hendrickx

Room H16-30

[email protected]

www.efr.nl/alumni

During your EFR year you laid

the foundations for friendships

for life. The alumni association

would like to help you

maintain these friendships.

New office

We will have a new office

from 12 October 2012: HB-20,

in the corridor between the H

and C Buildings. Feel free to

pop in for coffee. On our

website, www.efr.nl, you can

read reports on our activities,

as well as interviews with

members of the business

community and of the

university.

Ex Duplo

Contact person: Dominique

Poot [email protected]

Graduates of the Master of

Science (MSc) & Master of

law (ll.M.) programmes

Ex Duplo is the alumni

association for graduates of

the EUR’s Master of Science

(MSc) & Master of Law (LL.M.)

programmes, established in

2005. Ex Duplo organizes a

number of annual activities

and offers its members access

to an exclusive online network.

Further information: www.

exduplo.nl

Accountancykring

Association for Alumni of the

postgraduate Accountancy

programme

Contact: Saskia van Dijk


[email protected]

www.esaa.nl

LinkedIn: Accountancykring

ESAA – a subgroup of the

Erasmus School of Accounting

& Assurance (ESAA)

For more than forty years the

EUR Accountancykring has

welcomed alumni of the

postgraduate Accountancy

programme. Events are held

twice a year on related topics

like the credit crisis, AFM

supervision and the pension

markets. Membership and the

events are free of charge. If

you participate in an event,

you will be awarded credits for

the NBA (The Netherlands

Institute of Chartered

Accountants) mandatory

continuing education

programme.

Bachelor Honours Class

Alumni Society

Nicky Hoogveld

Pigeonhole H6-26

[email protected]

www.esehonours.nl

Fourth Honours Union

On Tuesday 5 June 40 current

and former members attended

the twice yearly dinner of the

former ESE Bachelor Honours

Class. Anton van Rossum

(former CEO of Fortis, alumnus

and member of the

Supervisory Board of the EUR)

was the guest speaker. The

theme of his lecture was ‘the

current financial situation’.

New website

The association’s website has

been updated. The address

remains unchanged: www.

esehonours.nl

FSR Alumni Association

(Financial Study Association

Rotterdam)

Room H14-06


[email protected]

www.fsralumni.nl

Faculty of Social Sciences FSW Alumni Affairs

Marjolein Kooistra


[email protected]

FSW 50 jaar – viering in 2013

FSW 50 years old –

celebration in 2013

FSW will celebrate its fiftieth

birthday in 2013 with an

interesting programme, the

majority of which is open to

alumni. The programme

includes an alumni event,

jointly organized by Cedo

Nulli. The programme will be

published in December 2012

on the special FSW 50 website.

You will be informed about

the activities at the beginning

of January.

Public Administration

Contact:

Lalita Rambhadjan

[email protected]

Abeur Alumni Association

www.eur.nl/fsw/

bestuurskunde/abeur/

[email protected]

Twitter: @ABEUR_alumni,

@EUR_BSK

Suggestions

The Erasmus University

Rotterdam Public

Administration Alumni

Association (ABEUR) organizes

company visits and annual

events on a particular theme.

Email any suggestions for

interesting themes for a

lecture, autumn event or

working visit to: abeur@fsw.

eur.nl.

DebateThe EFR/EenVaaandag party leaders’ debate was held on 6 September 2012 in the Auditorium. Mark Rutte (VVD), Emile Roemer (SP), Geert Wilders (PVV), Alexander Pechtold (D66), Diederik Samsom (PvdA) and Sybrand van Haersma Buma (CDA) debated for over an hour on matters such as European regulati-ons, the economy and the increasing cost of health care. The students then had the opportunity to grill the politicians. This resulted in a lively debate between the politicians and the audience.

Alumni affairs

Party leaders debate at the EUR

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Korting voor alumniwww.erasmusacademie.nl

Ook al bent u afgestudeerd, uitgeleerd raakt u nooit. Op een groot aantal opleidingen

ontvangen alumni van de EUR daarom 10% korting op onze cursusprijs.

Dit najaar starten:• Psychologisch Kapitaalmanagement• Ketenregie in het publiek maatschappelijk domein• Procesmanagement• Document Management & Sociale Media• Water Governance nieuw

Kijk voor ons volledige aanbod op www.erasmusacademie.nl of neem contact op met Miranda Smit, opleidingsadviseur van Erasmus Academie

tel. 010-408 1796 of mail naar [email protected]

linkedIn groups:

ABEUR LinkedIn Group –

general Public Administration

Alumni Group

Master’s degree programme in

International Public

Management and Public Policy

– IMP Alumni LinkedIn Group.

Master’s degree programme in

Labour, Organization and

Management LinkedIn Group

Research Master’s degree

programme in Public

Administration and

Organizational Science Alumni

Group

Psychology

Psychology Alumni Association

[email protected]

The Psychology Alumni

Association sends out a

newsletter three times a year

and organizes alumni events.

Psychology graduates

automatically become

members of the alumni

association.

Correction

The May edition (no. 4) of the

EA Magazine erroneously

stated that Dr E.H.W Korsten

would be appointed Professor

in Psychology, specializing in

child and adolescent

psychology.

Sociology

Sociology Alumni Association

[email protected]

www.eur.nl/fsw/sociologie/

alumni/

Alumni Association

The Sociology Alumni

Association aims to organize

two activities per year, one

linked to the Master’s degree

programme in Labour,

Organization and

Management and the other to

the Master’s degree

programme in Urban Issues

and Policy. If you want stay

informed, become a member

(free of charge) by sending an

email to lumnisociologie@fsw.

eur.nl.

linkedIn

More than two hundred

alumni are members of the

Sociology Alumni Association

(EUR) LinkedIn Group.


Erasmus School of law (ESl)ESl Alumni Affairs

Hanz Zwart

Room L5-37

[email protected]

www.frg.eur.nl/alumni

De Doelder Day 2012:

Dutch enterprise law of the

future

The Future of Enterprise Law

Speakers: Professor B.F. Assink

and Professor J.B.S. Hijink

16 November 2012, 1.15-4.30

p.m.

The Shape of Diversity to

Come

Global Community, Global

Archipelago or a New Civility?

Further information:

www.esl.eur.nl/diversity

24-25 January 2013

Erasmus MCErasmus MC Alumni Affairs/

Erasmus MC Alumni

Association

Elles de Waard

Communication

Department

Room Gk-954

PO Box 2040

3000 CA Rotterdam


[email protected]

www.erasmusmc.nl/alumni

Alumni Association

Members of the Erasmus MC

Alumni Association receive

‘Monitor’, the quarterly

magazine of the Erasmus MC,

free of charge. If you want to

become a member, please

register via www.erasmusmc.

nl/verenigingen/alumni/

algemene-informatie.

Junior doctors receive a free

candidate membership at the

start of their clinical clerkship

and do not pay any

membership fees for three

years.

New Education Centre for

Erasmus MC

The new Education Centre of

the Erasmus MC opened on

28 August 2012. Students,

staff and visitors can use the

teaching rooms, independent

study and lounge areas, and

project rooms.

Faculty of PhilosophyAlumni affairs

Dr W.M.J. Ophelders

Room H5-33


[email protected]

ERA Faculty Association

Room H4-15


available Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.

-5 p.m.

[email protected]

http://erarotterdam.nl/

Monthly ERA reception

Every third Thursday of the

month at Café Boudewijn,

Nieuwe Binnenweg 53 a-b.

Rotterdam, www.

bbcboudewijn.nl.

Erasmus School of History, Culture and CommunicationESHCC Alumni Affairs

Sabai Doodkorte

Room L3-30

010-4082874

[email protected]

www.eshcc.eur.nl/alumni

Valedictory lecture of

Professor Ton Bevers

Professor Ton Bevers will give

his valedictory lecture on Friday

16 November 2012. He has

worked at the EUR since 1989.

He taught different course

units in the field of cultural so-

ciology at the Department of

Art and Cultural Sciences.

16 November 2012,

Auditorium

Woudestein Campus, further

information at

www.eshcc.eur.nl

Employment Market Orien-

tation Days 2013

On 27 and 28 February the ES-

HCC and the Histartes Student

Association will hold Employ-

ment Market Orientation Days,

with different activities relating

to possibilities after graduation.

Students and alumni from all

degree programmes of the Fac-

ulty can follow different work-

shops.

The programme will be pub-

lished in January 2013 on

www.eshcc.eur.nl/amo

27 and 28 February 2013

NWO grant

Dr Stijn Reijnders, a specialist in

media studies, has received a

grant from the Netherlands Or-

ganisation for Scientific Re-

search (NWO) for the project

‘Locating Imagination’. The

grant of €750,000 will allow

Reijnders to conduct a five-year

research project into media

tourism.

Further information: www.esh-

cc.eur.nl/english/personal/rei-

jnders

Whole cohort graduates

within one year

On Thursday 30 August 2012,

27 students from the English-

taught MA in Media Studies

graduated. This is unique,

because all 25 students who

Alumni affairs

TwijfelThe Faculty of Philosophy’s Post Scriptum newspaper was given a new lease of life in 2010 under a new name: Twijfel (doubt). Twijfel is published twice a year and each edition has a specific theme. Within the Faculty of Philosophy Twijfel is a platform for stu-dents and lecturers to publish and share articles, es-says and reviews. Alumni can subscribe to Twijfel by sending an email to [email protected]. An annual subscription costs €10. If you would like to sponsor Twijfel, please contact [email protected] and beco-me a Friend of Twijfel. www.twijfel.nu

began this Master’s programme

in 2011 have completed the

programme in one academic

year. More than 20 of them

attended the graduation

ceremony in the Auditorium of

Erasmus University.

Aardig Onderweg

ESHCC alumna Angelique van

Tilburg (28) was awarded the

Aardig Onderweg Award (Well

on the Way Award) during a

show at the Nieuwe Luxor Thea-

tre for Jong010, the Rotterdam

children’s newspaper she set up.

The Aardig Onderweg Award is

a community prize from the RET

transport company for people

from Rotterdam who have done

something exceptional for the

city. With the prize money of

€10,000, Angelique will be able

to develop Jong010 further.

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus UniversityISH Alumni Affairs

Jennifer Ritfeld

Room T6-26


[email protected]

www.rsm.nl/alumni

RSM Rotterdam Marathon

Come and join the RSM team

and test yourself in the Rotter-

dam Marathon on 14 April

2013. The training for advanced

runners begins in November and

for beginners in January.

www.rsm.nl/marathon

RSM Alumni Day

The perfect opportunity to pick

up where you left off with your

old classmates, as well as share

experiences and make new con-

tacts – and at the same time re-

fresh your knowledge in lectures

by top RSM researchers.

19 April 2013, 1.30-9 p.m.,

Woudestein Campus, J-Building.

www.rsm.nl/alumni/events/alum-

niday/

International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) Alumni Affairs

Sandra Nijhof

Kortenaerkade 12

2518 AX Den Haag


[email protected]

www.iss.nl/alumni

Anniversary 2012

ISS is celebrating its sixtieth

birthday in the period September

2012-July 2013.

ISS Alumni Fund

The ISS Alumni Fund was set up

at the start of 2012 and has the

goal of supporting talented stu-

dents during their studies at the

ISS.

Institute of Health Poli-cy and Management (iBMG)iBMG Alumni Affairs

Ernst Bakker

[email protected]

www.bmg.eur.nl/alumni

Alumni Actueel Newsletter

The iBMG and the aBMG publish

a newsletter four times a year

containing information on the

iBMG, aBMG and other

establishments, developments

and activities that are relevant to

alumni.

Alumni can receive the newslet-

ter by post or in digital format.

You can register or unregister via

[email protected]

Column In Motion


When I look out of my window at the building work outside, it’s an inescapable fact: the EUR is drastically changing on its way to the top. In today’s world, though, we have no choice. This is the EUR’s interpretation of survival of the fittest.In early 2010 a new Executive Board was installed at the EUR. Almost immediately this new Board developed clear ambitions in the field of operational management. It was to be taken to a higher level in the coming years. Most importantly, it was to be modernized.This ambition has led to a significant development at the EUR – the introduction of the BV2013 improvement programme, which touches all aspects of operational management and promises ‘Top Support for a Top University’. As the unmistakable symbol of this change, the campus is also being overhauled. It is rapidly acquiring new connecting paths, an underground car park and an iconic new student pavilion. Yes, the EUR is in motion.What is most apparent to me about this development is the eagerness with which we’re welcoming it. It’s as if we’ve been waiting for each other for a long time. No, that doesn’t mean that everything’s suddenly running smoothly and harmoniously, but it does mean we’re working together on it.Anyone in motion at the EUR, anyone looking further than his own desk, gains an understanding of how other sections and departments of the EUR function. This insight clearly illustrates the need to work together. So motion does help, sitting at another desk in the EUR organization for a change. I myself have moved a lot across the campus, first as a student, later as an IT manager and faculty director, and now as Manager of the IT Improvement Programme.BV2013 gives me the opportunity to continue to move and therefore to develop. In my new role as IT Programme Manager I again face new challenges and am gaining a better understanding of the ins and outs of the EUR as a whole.You have to move forward to progress, so is motion progress? Yes! For both people and institutions. And if you ask me, we at the EUR should keep moving!

Dominique Campman (1963) is IT Programme Manager at the EUR. He

first studied Business Administration (1992) and then did a Master’s

degree in Business Information Management, both at Erasmus

University.

Alumni affairs

Alumni Event: Zorg voor

Kennis II (Care for

Knowledge II)

On 22 November 2012 iBMG

is holding the second edition

of the Zorg voor Kennis event.

iBMG alumni are warmly

welcome. You can also bring a

guest.

Further information: www.

bmg.eur.nl/zorgvoorkennis

aBMG

The Health Policy &

Management alumni

association (aBMG) is a very

active association with more

than 700 members (Health

Policy and Management

graduates from Erasmus

University).

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies IHS Alumni Affairs

Sarah Steendam/Ore Fika

Room T14-33


(Ore Fika)/010-4089874

(Sarah Steendam)

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.ihs.nl/alumni

The alumni network of IHS

now consists of over 7500

alumni in more than 140

countries. On our website is

an overview of the network

and the local IHS alumni

associations that have been

set up by IHS alumni. Details

about events or meetings held

by local associations can be

found in the diary on the

website.

Refresher courses 2012

This year IHS is offering two

more refresher courses thanks

to Nuffic funding:

- Affordable Resilient Housing

for Vulnerable Communities

Manila, the Philippines, 19-30

November 2012

- Are Public Private

Partnerships (PPPs) REALLY

pro-poor and gender-

sensitive? Uganda, 22

October-2 November 2012

IHS Awards

During the World Urban

Forum VI on 5 September

2012 in Naples, Italy, IHS

Alumni International gave

awards to two people who

have made a considerable

contribution to the design of

their cities. They were Dr

Sergio Fajardo, former mayor

of the Colombian city of

Medellin and current governor

of Antioquia, and the

governor of Lagos, Nigeria.

Erasmus Institute for Financial PlanningIFP Alumni Affairs

Theo Hoogwout

Room H16-07


[email protected]

www.erasmusifp.nl

Financial Planning

Symposium

The Erasmus IFP will be

holding a symposium on 1

November 2012. The topics

covered will be the 2013 Tax

Regime and Geopolitical and

Financial Planning. The

following will be discussed: in

which BRIC countries can you

invest (explained from the

geopolitical aspect); in which

currencies can you get a

mortgage, for example; the

relationship between the euro

and the dollar.

1 November 2012, 3.30 p.m.,

M-Building (Woudestein) room

3-03.

Knowledge centre for family businessesThe Erasmus Centre for Family Business will offici-ally open on 30 November 2012 with an interactive seminar. During the event family businesses from all corners of the business community will be able to have their say, and visions and strategies will be shared. The aim of the centre, which is sponsored by a consortium of family businesses (Van Oord, Ro-yal de Kuyper, De Stiho Groep and Peterson Control Union), is to develop and spread knowledge about the specific management challenges faced by family businesses.

30 November 2012, 2.30–4.30 p.m., Forum Room, M-Building,

Woudestein Campus.


Familiy portrait

Hans: ‘I’m a real collector. After gaining my

MULO, HAVO and HEAO qualifications, and a

false start at teacher training, I began studying

Law part-time. I had tutorials on Fridays and did

the rest of my studying in the evenings and at

weekends.’ He had already begun his career at

the Ministry of Social Affairs. From there he

moved to the Ministry of Housing, Spatial

Planning and the Environment, the Ministry of

Justice and the Ministry of Education, Culture

and Science, where he is now Secretary General.

‘I chose the EUR mainly because it was between

Schoonhoven, where I lived, and The Hague.’

The EUR’s location also played a part for his sons.

Dennes says, ‘I only went to live in Rotterdam in

my third year. Before that it didn’t even cross my

mind. The journey time is minimal and I liked

living at home.’

None of the sons are members of student

associations and neither was their father. Despite

his double degree, Flint still has enough time for

fun, ‘It’s a question of good planning. I am a

member of the In Duplo study association.’

Third-year student Winter’s priority is working as

a student assistant. He did this last year in the IT

department and is now a mentor. ‘In addition to

the social contacts you make doing this, I’m

really benefiting from the deepening of

knowledge you get when passing it on to

others.’

His father Hans says he recently met the

Executive Board of the EUR. When he said that

three of his sons were studying at the EUR,

Board member Bart Straatman quipped that ‘the

fourth one gets in free’. ‘He didn’t know we’ve

got two more children in secondary education. I

wonder whether he’ll keep his word...’

‘The fourth child at the EUR gets in free’

From left to right

Dennes van der Vlist

24, works for an investment

company

Degree: International

Economics 2006-2011

Winter van der Vlist

20, third year Fiscal

Economics

Hans van der Vlist

60, Secretary-General at

the Ministry of Education,

Culture and Science

Degree: Law 1977-1981

Flint van der Vlist

19, second year Economics

and Law (Master of Science/

Master of Law)

Hans and lida van der Vlist have

five sons and one daughter

who all grew up in the historical

centre of Schoonhoven. Dennes,

the eldest, is an EUR graduate

and two of his four brothers are

students there.

text and photo Ronald van den Heerik

Fuel your futureChoose your Open Programme

Business was usual

ROTTERDAM SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENTERASMUS UNIVERSITY

The business environment we work in can be unpredictable – and that means challenges for you and your

organisation. RSM Executive Education and Organisational Development (EEOD) can help you understand

and master this complex environment. For over 20 years, we have been keeping the leaders of international

business ahead-of-the-curve in every functional area of business, through our Open and In-Company

Programmes. Open your mind. Find out more about our full offering of Open Programmes at rsm.nl/open.

Alumni of EUR and RSM receive a 10% discount on all of RSM’s Open Programmes.

Trust is the new control

Understanding the impact of new management control techniques is more important than ever if you are a non-financial manager who wants to take on a bigger role in your oganisation. Consider the Principles of Management Control Open Programme.

Prof. Dr Frank Hartmann

Technology has created intense new competition, but also endless new growth opportunities for those who can craft winning marketing strategies. Consider the Strategic Marketing Open Programme.

Prof. Dr Gerrit van Bruggen

The secret to inspiring others is to stay inspired – and integrated – in your own leadership development. Consider the Advanced Management and Leadership Open Programme.

Prof. Dr Daan van Knippenberg

Sustain your leadership, learn!

Customers aren’t just ‘king’. They’re everything

Renew yourself. Strategy will follow

The ability to understand, generate and implement new management strategies is essential for every business. Become a Certified Strategic Manager with the Erasmus Executive Programme in Strategic Management.

Prof. Dr Pursey Heugens

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