Dr Anne Flierman, President of the Executive Board, is leaving the University of Twente. This week it was announced that - as of 1 May 2013 - he will be appointed as Chairman of NVAO, the independent accreditation organisation for higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders.
Since becoming President of the UT’s Executive Board on 1 August 2005, Flierman has been responsible for the general management and strategy of the institution, and for its international relations and marketing and communication. Under Flierman’s leadership the UT has redefined its strategy to become RoUTe’14, which in turn resulted in the High Tech, Human Touch profile. He was also the driving force behind the setting up of the Graduate School and Tenure Track system which challenges talented scientists to fast-track their academic career. Overall, during his time at the UT, Flierman’s focus has been on talent and the promotion of women to higher positions.
With regard to embedding the UT in the vicinity, Flierman can be credited for forging strong relationships with the municipality of Enschede, the Twente region (e.g. via the Innovation Platform) and with the Province of Overijssel which through recent and considerable investments in the university has yielded such centres as the Center for Medical Imaging, TPRC and XUV Optics. Also the relations with the University of Münster have been reinforced.
As President of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) and Chair of the 3TU.Federation, Anne Flierman has managed to consolidate the position of the UT within the Dutch and international educational and research institutions. He has continued to shape and strengthen the national and international lobby for promoting alternative funding for educational and research projects. Only recently he was responsible for opening the debate of the 3TU.Federation in the media on concerns regarding the continuity of research funding.
Flierman has also been a constant, unifying factor in the collaboration between the universities in North-East Netherlands. Fine initiatives are still arising from this, such as in the area of Technology and Health.
Kees van der Graaf, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, on Flierman’s departure: “We are honoured that the Minister of Education, Culture and Science should ask ‘our’ President for this strategically important post in the realm of higher education. We note that with this move, Flierman is also fulfilling his personal ambition to accept a new post after two terms as President of the Executive Board. The Supervisory Board is most grateful to Flierman for his commitment to the UT over the past eight years.”
Anne Flierman himself: “I shall certainly miss the dynamic of the University of Twente and the many contacts with students and colleagues, companies and local governments. However, NVAO is of great importance for higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders, and this presidency is a wonderful new challenge. Even more so now that a good higher education is becoming increasingly important in society.”
Contact information for the press: Bertyl Lankhaar, spokesperson for the Executive Board
Telephone: +31 (0)53 489 2210 or +31 (0)6 2002 7435
