Executive Board President Kristel Baele looks back on a positive year for Erasmus University. A year with a focus on creating societal relevance through education and research, together with our partners. In Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and around the world. “Erasmus University’s roots are in the city of Rotterdam, but our impact is felt far beyond”, says Kristel Baele. 2018 is also the year in which the university commenced with developing its new strategy for 2024.
105th anniversary
Erasmus University marked its 105th anniversary in 2018. This was celebrated with the theme ‘Science meets City’, featuring inspirational meetings between the university, the city, and the people of Rotterdam. Public events such as ‘Science Hotel’ and ‘Science Open’ saw scholars engage in discussions about their research with the public. A special gift to the city involved giving more than 650 children the opportunity to attend lectures on a variety of topics such as greed and generosity, our living environment, new media, and using waste as a raw material.
Innovative education and awards
Erasmus University launched the Learning & Innovation Lab in 2018. This is a state-of-the-art facility for online education and a meeting place for everyone interested in working together on innovation in education. A number of scholars and students were also honoured with prestigious awards and appointments in 2018. There’s Prof. Marion Koopmans (Erasmus MC) who was awarded the NWO Stevin Prize, one of the highest honours in Dutch academia. She received the prize for achieving exceptional success in the area of knowledge exchange and impact for society. Another professor, Pearl Dykstra (ESSB), was appointed as a member of the International Science Council Governing Board.
Strategy 2024
In the spring of 2018, Erasmus University’s mission was further defined and aligned with the aim of creating a positive impact on society through research and education. Together with our academic community and stakeholders, the university’s aspirations have been summarised in seven priorities for the five-year strategy we call ‘Strategy 2024’.
Developments during the past three years
In the 2018 Annual Report, Erasmus University compares the past three years to get a clear picture of all the developments. For example, the student population has grown by almost 2000 since 2016. The number of degrees awarded over the past few years also increased from 7,829 to 8,478. Another noteworthy fact is that more women (187) than men (147) obtained their doctorate at the university in 2018.
- More information
Read the annual report 2018.
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