The Ottoline and Siem Visser-Stokhuijzen Fund was established on the basis of the legacy of Mrs. Ottoline Visser-Stokhuijzen (1929–2023), and dedicated to her and her husband Siem Visser (1929–2013).
In the 1970s, they settled in Twente after having lived and worked abroad for many years – from the Caribbean, Canada to the Far East. Siem worked in road and hydraulic engineering during that period and Ottoline as a teacher, as soon as the opportunity arose. These experiences made migration a personal and social theme. She knew how important it is to feel welcome in another culture, and believed that knowledge and understanding make the difference. It is not surprising that education and science had her special attention. She followed the news closely and was concerned about how people in the Netherlands were in danger of growing apart. She saw science as a force that can connect.
Ottoline inherited a share package from the publishing house Samsom, founded by her great-grandfather and later incorporated into Wolters Kluwer. She never sold the shares. She considered being wealthy more of a responsibility than a privilege: “It never feels normal to be wealthy.” She wanted to use her wealth for the common good: “I was given it, so I want to do something good with it. And I pass it on.”
During her lifetime, she already gave with a 'warm hand' to causes that were close to her heart, including via the University Fund Twente. She supported, among other things, the development of a Waterlab, research into brain oxygen deficiency, and the Kipaji Fund, which provides scholarships to students from developing countries. This is how a warm bond with the University of Twente grew. She visited the campus annually, spoke to researchers, and remained involved – without fuss: “The money is not mine, it was given to me.”
In her will, she donated €2.5 million each to four Dutch universities – Tilburg University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Wageningen University and University of Twente. The contribution to the UT, via the Twente University Fund, is placed in a named fund. In line with her wishes, the assets are not spent all at once, but are managed sustainably. The return will continue to benefit education and research.
In this way, Ottoline Visser-Stokhuijzen's legacy remains alive, in the work and development of new generations of students and researchers.