UvA professor Anniek de Ruijter appointed new rector magnificus of the UvA
Professor of Health Law and Policy Anniek de Ruijter will become the new rector magnificus of the University of Amsterdam on 1 September. De Ruijter, who has been a professor at the Faculty of Law since 2022, will succeed Peter-Paul Verbeek in the role.
In its search for a new rector magnificus to succeed Peter-Paul Verbeek, who is leaving for the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the UvA has selected professor Anniek de Ruijter. The appointment aligns with the university’s stated ambition to choose a female professor from within its own ranks.
Anniek de Ruijter obtained her PhD at the UvA in 2015 with research on the influence of the European Union on people’s health-related rights. After a brief period at Maastricht University, she returned to the UvA in 2017, first as an assistant and associate professor and, since 2022, as a full professor. De Ruijter’s research focuses on the role of law in addressing major healthcare challenges and on the legal protection of fundamental values such as solidarity and human dignity within healthcare systems.
A period of change
With De Ruijter’s appointment, which takes effect on 1 September, the Executive Board (CvB) of the University of Amsterdam is expected to be complete for the coming years. Over the past two years, however, the university’s highest governing body has seen significant turnover. Former Executive Board President Edith Hooge stepped down last summer after just one year in office and was succeeded in May by Vinod Subramaniam. Rector magnificus Peter-Paul Verbeek announced his departure at the end of January, meaning that Vice-President Richard Goldstein, who took office in September, will soon become the longest-serving member of the Executive Board.
Executive Board Chair Subramaniam says he is looking forward to working with De Ruijter, who was among the founders of the Amsterdam Law Hub: “Her initiatives within the Faculty of Law demonstrate how passionate and innovative she is, and how much attention she pays to both education and research, as well as to the university’s role in society. She knows the UvA’s DNA inside and out, making her a perfect addition to our team.”
Initiative-driven leader
According to Jolande Sap, chair of the Supervisory Board, Anniek de Ruijter is “an energetic and enterprising leader with an impressive combination of experience in governance, education, and research, both within and outside the UvA.” In addition to her academic work, De Ruijter led Bureau Clara Wichmann – a legal foundation advocating for gender equality and the social position of women – from 2010 to 2022.
Sap said: “De Ruijter is a respected professor, led educational innovation within the Faculty of Law, and was already active in student representation during her own time as a student there. This reflects her strong engagement with the university community. With her appointment, the Executive Board will be a strong and diverse team, well equipped to lead the UvA in the years ahead.” The rector magnificus is responsible for education and research at the university.
