Foreword

It gives me great pleasure to present Erasmus University Rotterdam’s 2022 annual report: a summary of what we have achieved together. The process of compiling the report has made it even more clear to me that we have reason to be very proud. 

In the wake of the pandemic, we were finally able to offer face-to-face teaching again and work on campus. This saw a shift to a ‘new normal’ in which we tried to find our way together. Students and staff were able to meet again, meaning an end to the social isolation faced by many students in particular. 

2022 also marked the midpoint of the current strategic period. The midterm evaluation we commissioned in the first quarter confirms that we are making good progress. The committee advised us to further refine our strategic objectives, improve our operational management, make impact a central theme, and make better use of EUR’s interdisciplinarity. In terms of education, we took part in the national pilot of the ‘Smarter academic year’ project aimed at shorter and better organised educational timetables. Top management has invested in new leadership and a leadership vision that aligns with our strategy and Erasmian values. 

Following a highly successful exploratory phase of the Convergence Alliance, the cooperative arrangement between EUR, Erasmus MC and TU Delft, this consortium has now entered a foundation phase and a structure is being sought with which to sustainably embed this vital initiative within the three institutions. Substantial progress has been made within another cooperative arrangement, namely the Culture Campus, and the merger of the Rotterdam arts programmes offered by the Willem de Kooning Academy and Codarts pursued in this context will have a major impact on our role in the city. EUR is collaborating in this partnership together with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. 

From a financial perspective, the past year was of lasting positive significance. For example we were able to rely on a significant proportion of the available funds in the context of the administrative agreement with the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, partly to compensate for the relatively low flat-rate basic grant in our government funding. We received additional funding for the starting and incentive grants and new sector plans for the disciplines within the social sciences and humanities (SSH). A blueprint was produced in collaboration with the deans for the effective and innovative use of this funding. 

In addition, we are pleased with our involvement in no fewer than three proposals in the context of the prestigious Dutch Research Council (NWO) Gravity Programme, in one of which as coordinator, with a substantial external contribution to our research. A record sum of € 50 million has been secured within the Graduate Entrepreneur Fund, in collaboration with alumni of TU Delft. 

The wellbeing of staff and students is one of our key objectives. EUR aims to be a safe environment where everyone can move about freely. In this context, we decided in the wake of the Ombudsman pilot to make this a permanent role even before this decision was reached by the Minister. 

The Minister called for a halt in the recruitment of international students. It is essential to retain a balance between supply and accessibility for Dutch students and maintaining our excellent international reputation and accessibility for international talent. 

In 2022 we faced an occupation by students and staff. They took this action to express their climate concerns and their demands included that the university break all ties with the fossil fuel industry. This once again shows that the university occupies an important position when it comes to developments in sustainability and climate. Regardless of its course, the occupation provided us with a major impetus to chart our direction on this issue for the future in a more visible way. 

EUR is an active and bustling community founded on co-creation and collaboration, both within the university and with external parties. I am exceptionally proud of the impact we have been able to make over the past year and I have every confidence that we can have an even greater impact in 2023, our anniversary year. 

Ed Brinksma, Chair of the Executive Board, Erasmus University Rotterdam