Section 1 Report of the Supervisory Board

Taking into account the nature of the university, its activities and the desired expertise, the Supervisory Board has drawn up a profile for its size and composition. This profile is public. For a further explanation, see https://www.eur.nl/over-de-eur...

The Supervisory Board is composed in such a way that the members can operate independently and critically with respect to each other, the Executive Board and other stakeholders. The members of the Supervisory Board are appointed for a period of four years by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OC&W) and the Supervisory Board is accountable to this minister. 

There was one change in the composition of the Supervisory Board in 2022: Mr Visée stepped down as a member on 28 February 2022. The Supervisory Board thanks Mr Visée for his great commitment and contribution during the two terms he served on the Supervisory Board, in particular as Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr Vas-Bhat (Dr.) was appointed by the Minister as a member of the Supervisory Board to succeed Mr Visée effective 1 March 2022. 

The composition of the Supervisory Board in 2022 was as follows: 

• Prof. dr. Jaap Winter – Chair
• Prof. dr. ir. Hans van Duijn – Vice Chair and Chair of the Quality Committee
• Mr. drs. Pascal Visée, RA - Member of the Supervisory Board and Chair of the Audit Committee, up to and including 28 February 2022 Dr. Rahul Vas-Bhat – Member of the Supervisory Board and Chair of the Audit Committee, from 1 March 2022
• Drs. Laura van Geest - Member of the Supervisory Board and Member of the Audit Committee 
• Prof. dr. Ellen Giebels - Member of the Supervisory Board and Member of the Quality Committee

The Supervisory Board has an Audit Committee and a Quality Committee. 

Audit Committee 

The Audit Committee focuses on both EUR’s financial policy (including its internal control and risk management) and on EUR’s operational management. The external auditor periodically reported his findings in the Audit Committee. 

The Audit Committee met four times in 2022 and advised on the following topics, among others, during these meetings:

• EUR Multi-year budget 2023-2026
• EUR Annual Financial Statements 2021 and the Auditor’s Management Letter Erasmus Perspectives 2023 (the framework memorandum)
• Highlights reports (quarterly financial forecasts), Audit Charter and Audit Plan
• Audit & Review Agenda 2023-2025 and periodic update of internal and external Audit results in 2022
• Half-yearly Campus in Development report (for the purpose of the real estate strategy) Procurement policy and implementation
• EUR Reserve Policy 2022
• 1 October census enrolment figures and impact on IT funding (Information security plan, cyber security risk signalling)
• Registration of ancillary positions of professors and other staff
• The financial implications of the new administrative agreement with higher education/academic education of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OC&W)
• The potential consequences of the tightening of the Policy Rule on Investment of Public Funds in Private Activities of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OC&W)

Quality Committee

The Quality Committee focuses on the quality of education and research, and how this quality is stimulated and secured within EUR and in collaborations. The Quality Committee met four times in 2022. The topics discussed at these meetings included:

• Open and Responsible Science, including Open Access policy Research data management
• EUR’s Internationalisation Policy
• EUR’s PhD Candidates Policy and PhD Survey
• Midterm evaluation HOKA / Institutional Quality Assurance Assessment (ITK) Recognition and Rewards
• The educational implications of the new administrative agreement with higher education/academic education of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science Awards of research grants and prizes
• Professors Policy, including D&I aspects of Professors Policy Student wellbeing
• Smarter academic year (harmonisation of the annual timetable)

In its capacity as employer of the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board held evaluation meetings in 2022 on the cooperation with the Executive Board as a whole and with the individual Executive Board members. The Supervisory Board has strictly complied with the Senior Executives in the Public and Semi-Public Sector (Standards for Remuneration) Act (WNT) in relation to the remuneration of Executive Board members. This also applied to the remuneration of members of the Supervisory Board. 

The Supervisory Board had four regular meetings with the Executive Board in 2022 and twice held a joint strategy session. The Supervisory Board ensured that a broad range of topics was discussed with the Executive Board at the meetings throughout the year, as a result of which a comprehensive view was gained of the organisation. In the their joint meetings in 2022, the Supervisory Board and Executive Board approved a number of documents based on the Supervisory Board’s legal authority, including the following:

• 2021 Annual Report and Financial Statements EUR Budget 2023-2026
• EUR Administration and Management Regulations 2023

In addition to its statutory duties, the Supervisory Board discussed range of topics with the Executive Board, including:

• The midterm evaluation of the EUR Strategy 2024 and the partial redefinition of the strategy in a number of areas including impact and sustainability
• Knowledge security: awareness, policy and action plan with a timeline for registration of ancillary positions by professors and other staff
• COVID-19: the measures to ensure the safety of students and staff and to allow education and research to continue as well as possible
• The implications of the new administrative agreement on higher education/university education of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
• EUR Recognition and Rewards Framework, as a basis for initiating a culture change for recognising and rewarding academic staff
• IT security, partly in light of current social developments (more digitally supported education and conducting research and working from home)
• Collaboration with external parties and the social role of EUR
• Intake of foreign students and the possible consequences of the restriction on the active recruitment of international students announced by the Minister
• Occupation by various, parties including OccupyEUR, and EUR’s responsibility to contribute towards a sustainable future

In September 2022, it was possible to resume physical visits to faculties after the COVID-19 period. Ahead of each Supervisory Board meeting, the Supervisory Board visited a different faculty. During the visits, a great deal of time was spent discussing the current issues affecting the faculty in question as well as looking ahead to the future and the associated focus areas. Common strategic themes were discussed at a joint strategy session attended by the Supervisory Board, the deans and the Executive Board in spring 2022. Topics included knowledge security and the registration of ancillary positions of professors. The Chair of the Supervisory Board also held one-to-one talks with the deans.

In 2022, two meetings took place between the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board of EUR and the Supervisory Board and Executive Board of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences / Erasmus MC. During the consultative meetings, a number of common topics were discussed, such as the effects of COVID-19 on the wellbeing of staff and students, the various construction projects at Woudestein campus and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences/Erasmus MC campus, and the desired and actual percentage of female professors in the context of diversity and inclusion goals.

During the reporting year, the Supervisory Board met twice with the Presidium of the University Council to discuss current affairs and shared concerns. The Supervisory Board and the University Council have experienced these discussions as positive and constructive. Further to these talks, the Supervisory Board passed on a number of concerns to the Executive Board with a recommendation for further discussion.

In 2022, the Chairs of the Supervisory Boards of Dutch universities met twice. Among the issues discussed were the importance and current events surrounding knowledge security, the increasing influx of international students and the proper registration of ancillary positions by professors.

EUR and Erasmus MC are jointly involved in various cooperative arrangements, such as the Convergence EUR TU Delft -Erasmus MC set up in 2019. The Supervisory Board has been updated and involved by the Executive Board in several discussions about this partnership, whose ultimate goal is to create social impact together with the region as a living lab. The goals of the Convergence have been developed into three pillars: Resilient Delta, Health & Technology, and AI, Data & Digitalisation. The Framework Agreement, signed in 2021, also establishes agreements on operations within the Convergence that are coordinated from the Convergence Office. For the Convergence, a separate governance structure has been established with a Convergence Executive Board and a Convergence Supervisory Board. The Chair of the Supervisory Board participates in the latter. 

EUR has partnered with Leiden University and TU Delft as part of the LDE cooperative arrangement. This collaboration centres around multidisciplinary education at the intersection of technology and society and is also regularly discussed at meetings between the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board.

In accordance with statutory provisions, the Supervisory Board monitors the quality and performance of individual members and of the Supervisory Board as a whole. A self-evaluation took place again in the reporting year 2022. This included input from the Executive Board on collaboration. Topics addressed included developments in the knowledge and skill levels of members, deepening insights into and dialogue with the Executive Board on important, forward-looking themes for EUR and the current information provision by EUR, cooperative arrangements, society and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

The year 2022 was characterised in part by the return to the EUR campus, following a period dominated by working and studying from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gradual return to hybrid working and studying, partly online and increasingly face-to-face, created a special dynamic. This required lecturers, staff and students to be flexible and adaptable. The Supervisory Board greatly appreciates the way in which the EUR community responded to these demands. The Executive Board placed a strong focus on everyone’s wellbeing and welfare and also showed understanding for the individual situation of staff and students. 

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science entered into a new administrative agreement with higher and academic education in 2022. This new agreement has implications for both substantive and educational aspects, the future of education and the funding of universities. In view of the potential impact on the EUR as an internationally active university, other key discussion points included the increase in international students, its possible effects and, at the end of the year, the restriction of the active recruitment of international students by the Minister. 

A number of themes affecting Dutch society played a major role within EUR in 2022. In terms of the university’s main task, knowledge security featured high on the agenda. The process of registering professors’ ancillary positions was a central issue in relation to academic integrity. Close attention was also paid to the call from students for more dialogue on our shared responsibility for a sustainable future. The Supervisory Board notes that in 2022 the Executive Board was able to assume responsibility, maintain a dialogue and make progress towards the targets set on the basis of a balanced weighing up of interests. 

The Executive Board devoted considerable attention in 2022 to the midterm evaluation of the EUR Strategy for 2024, in which the Supervisory Board was also closely involved. This involved a reformulation of the key strategic objectives and creating impact was defined as the foundation for EUR education and research. A timeline was set out for the harmonisation of faculty strategies, in which a strong, shared fundamental attitude will provide a basis for us to work together towards our common goals. The Supervisory Board agrees with the results of the midterm evaluation and the follow-up steps that have been defined, which provide the organisation with an important framework in the period ahead.

On behalf of the Supervisory Board I would like to emphasise that we greatly appreciate the collaboration with the Executive Board and the high-quality, open, substantive and future-oriented discussions. Finally, I would like to express great appreciation for all EUR staff members who once again worked in a positive partnership to create the conditions for outstanding education and research, contributing to the strong reputation of Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Erasmus University Rotterdam Supervisory Board, 

Jaap Winter (Prof. dr.)

Hans van Duijn (Prof.dr.ir.) 

Rahul Vas-Bhat (dr.)

Laura van Geest (drs.) 

Ellen Giebels (Prof.dr.)