The President of the Executive Board of the University of Twente, Victor van der Chijs, will be leaving the university. He has been appointed Chairman of Deltalinqs and RPPC in Rotterdam, effective 1 April. His second term at the UT was due to end in September this year.
On 1 September 2013, Victor van der Chijs started as President at the University of Twente. Twice in these eight years, he has led an ambitious process to realise a new strategy for the UT. Over the past year, this resulted in Shaping2030, the new mission, vision and strategy that ensures successful achievement of the university’s ambitions.
Van der Chijs has always had a keen eye for UT’s chances to prosper and to connect with the outside world. Entrepreneurship, internationalisation, collaboration and positioning the university were at the top of his agenda. For a long period, Van der Chijs was also President of the 4TU.Federation and President of the ECIU, the European network of innovative universities. The UT has grown rapidly under his leadership and has consistently been awarded the most entrepreneurial university and the university with the highest societal impact in recent years.
Victor van der Chijs's choice for chairmanship at Deltalinqs and RPPC is a logical continuation of his career. In this position, his experience and his interests will converge. Van der Chijs will be able to combine his appetite for entrepreneurship and innovation with his substantial experience in the industry, public administration and politics, gained at both national and international level.
Deltalinqs promotes the joint interests of more than 95% of all logistics, ports and industrial companies in mainport Rotterdam. More than 700 companies are affiliated with this business organisation. For Deltalinqs, attention to innovation and strengthening commercial viability at a national and international level are important targets. As Chairman of Deltalinqs, Van der Chijs will mainly focus on the regional, national and European political lobby for the interests of the companies in the Rotterdam port and industrial area. As of 1 April, he will also be Chairman of the Rotterdam Port Promotion Council (RPPC), the international network organisation that connects port companies, shippers and forwarders, governments and other stakeholders.
Van der Chijs about his departure: “It is with pain in my heart that I am leaving Twente. The University of Twente is and will remain a most inspiring environment and I am grateful that I was able to commit and contribute to the development of this fantastic university. Our new strategy Shaping2030 is rock solid and I am proud of the involvement and enthusiasm of the UT community to make it happen, together. I am saying goodbye with great confidence in the future of the university.”
The Supervisory Board respects Van der Chijs’s decision and is thankful for his dedication and achievements in recent years. Anton Schaaf, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, about the coming departure of Victor van der Chijs: “Victor has enhanced the UT’s profile greatly in recent years. He has paved the way for a future in which the UT is agile and ready for the challenges ahead. As the Supervisory Board, we have a lot of respect and admiration for what Victor has achieved. The Supervisory Board ensures that all Shaping2030 initiatives remain in place and will be fully implemented.”
The responsibilities of the President will be transferred to the other two Board members, as of 1 April. The Supervisory Board will start the procedure for the appointment of a new President at short notice.
