UvA seeks female rector from within its own ranks
The UvA is looking for a new rector, and it appears that the candidate will have to come from within the organisation itself. That is the conclusion drawn from the advertisement the UvA placed last week.
The fact that the UvA is seeking a new rector magnificus is a logical consequence of the announced departure of Peter-Paul Verbeek, who will be moving to the KNAW on 1 September, where he has been elected president. That the UvA is seeking a rector from within its own ranks also seems logical: the other two members of the Executive Board come from outside the organisation. “Given the current composition, preference will be given – all other things being equal – to the appointment of a candidate who knows the UvA well and strengthens the gender diversity of the Executive Board,” states the (Dutch) advertisement. Two of the three members of the Executive Board are men, so headhunter Chasse Executive Search is not necessarily looking for another man.
A hive of activity
Over the past two years, the Executive Board has been a hive of activity with chairs and vice chairs coming and going. Geert ten Dam stepped down in June 2024 after eight years as chair. She was succeeded by Edith Hooge, who left the post after just one year. Over the past year, Verbeek served as both rector and acting chair, but announced his departure at the end of January. Vice-chair Jan Lintsen also left last year and was succeeded by Richard Goldstein last September.
A new chair of the Executive Board has been appointed to succeed Hooge. He is the physicist Vinod Subramaniam, who is joining from the University of Twente. He will take up his post on 6 May. Both Subramaniam and Goldstein come from outside the UvA, so it is to be expected that the UvA will prefer to seek an internal candidate for the post of rector magnificus. “You have an affinity with the UvA culture and ideally know the university from the inside,” according to the job advertisement.
It is, of course, abundantly clear that the UvA is seeking “an inspiring leader and unifying administrator” – a requirement now common to virtually every senior management role. In addition, the new rector – who will be responsible for education and research policy, internationalisation, academic integrity and student policy – must be a bridge-builder. “You connect the various sections within the UvA and external organisations and companies to communicate and realise the ambitions of the institutional plan.”
VU
The rector also acts as a discussion partner for the Central Student Council and the Central Works Council on behalf of the Executive Board. “Together with your fellow board members, you actively shape the early and meaningful involvement of the representative bodies.” The intention is for the new rector to take up the post at the start of the new academic year. He or she – presumably a she – can in any case also expect substantive support from the new university president: Subramaniam was, in a previous role, rector magnificus of the VU.
Applications are open until 8 May.
