The Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam has appointed Prof. Marjolijn Antheunis as the new Dean of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). Her appointment will take effect on April 1. Marjolijn Antheunis succeeds Prof. Victor Bekkers, who took a sabbatical on 1 January. Until then, the deanship will be executed by Prof. Semiha Denktaș, vice-dean of research at ESSB.
Marjolijn Antheunis is currently Dean of Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences at Tilburg University. She is also Professor of Communication and Technology at Tilburg University and is in charge of the university's Digital Sciences for Society program, with which Tilburg University gives an impulse to the development and integration of digital sciences.
A connector with extensive experience
Annelien Bredenoord, President of the Executive Board, is very happy with the arrival of Marjolijn Antheunis at Erasmus University Rotterdam. "Marjolijn is a connector and has extensive experience in bringing disciplines together and formulating common and supported goals. She is also happy to take responsibility for contributing to our engagement strategy. She is convinced that universities should do much more in interaction with civil society organisations, governments and companies in their education and research."
A great drive to make an impact
Marjolijn Antheunis finds the entrepreneurial profile of Erasmus University Rotterdam and the social heart and leading position of the faculty enormously appealing. "I noticed a great drive to make an impact and see a faculty where employees are passionate about conducting relevant research and teach in order to understand society and provide it with knowledge. The social issues require deep and broad knowledge, also across disciplines. Among other things, I will work to further stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration within and outside the faculty. I also see a task in the relevance of the Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) and Behavioural Sciences domain in (technological) innovations. Issues and solutions need to be highlighted from different perspectives, especially from the human, ethical and environmental perspective."
The Executive Board would like to thank Victor Bekkers for his tireless efforts to further develop the social and behavioural science domain within Erasmus University Rotterdam. Annelien Bredenoord: "Under his leadership, the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences has grown into a leading faculty. We will miss his insights and strategic vision but wish him a well-deserved sabbatical."
Professional career
Marjolijn Antheunis, communication scientist, obtained her PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2009 and has been working at Tilburg University since 2010, where she has been Professor of Communication and Technology since 2017 and has held various leadership positions in education and research. In her research, she focuses on the impact of digital communication technology on interpersonal communication, with a particular focus on effects on our social life and in healthcare. She is working on various research projects into the possibilities of using social chatbots in mental health care. From 2019-2023, she was a board member of the Foundation for Scientific Research on Commercial Communication (SWOCC). She is also a member of the general board of the Zeeland Environmental Federation.
