Programme

start

activity

speaker

13:00

Welcome

Prof. dr. Vanessa Magnanimo

Chair of WANT board

University of Twente, ET-SMM

13:15

Keynote 1

Prof. dr. ir. Mieke Boon

Founder FFNT (now named WANT)

University of Twente, BMS-PHIL

From Vision to Impact: 20 Years of Female Faculty Network Twente – Reflections and a Future Outlook

It is a great honor and joy to deliver a keynote at the celebration of 20 years of the UT Women’s Network. As the founder of the Female Faculty Network Twente (FFNT), now known as WANT, I have been invited to share the story of its inception: What drove the initial group to this new initiative? What is my personal view on where the UT stands now? What do I wish for its future??

In this talk, I will share personal anecdotes from the early days, offering a glimpse into the cultural and institutional landscape at the time. I will also reflect on where the University of Twente stands today. While we have seen significant progress—more women in leadership and academic positions—there are still deep-rooted aspects of academic culture that remain unchanged.

This leads to a broader question: Can women make a difference? I will explore ideas on the role that our university might (or should?) play in current society, and why I believe that women can take the lead in this transition.

14:00

Keynote 2

Drs. Sterre Mkatini

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer

University of Twente, General Affairs

Empowering our Women | Driving Change | Shaping our Future

Twenty years ago, the Women Academic Network Twente (WANT) was planted with a simple yet powerful vision: to create a space where women could connect, learn, inspire and lead together.

Today, two decades on, those roots run deep – grounded in the achievements, resilience, and solidarity of all those amazing women who came before us. But being rooted doesn’t mean standing still.

As we move into the next 20 years, we do so with purpose: empowering UT women at every level, driving meaningful change across our university, and shaping a future where women are included, have access, experience equity, and are strongly represented in leadership.

A rising future that is not just an aspiration but an everyday reality.

So join me, Sterre Mkatini, as we explore our past achievements, confront our present challenges, and envision the future we are ready to shape – together.

14:45

Workshop, part 1

Drs. Claudia Hopman

Business Founder; IAMCLAUDIA

Women Leadership Researcher

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics

Future Forward: collective visioning for inclusive academia

Let’s imagine the next 20 years… and build it, together. As the Women’s Academic Network Twente (WANT) celebrates two decades of empowering women in academia, we invite you to take part in an inspiring and energising group workshop at our annual conference. “Future Forward: Collective Visioning for Inclusive Academia” is not your typical session. This is a hands-on, collaborative workshop where we will dream, discuss, and design the future of inclusive academic leadership — together. 

Workshop programme:

• 14:45-15:00: Introduction to the workshop
• 15:00-15:30: Group discussion with coffee 
• 15:30-16:15: Plenary group discussion
• 16:15:16:30: Wrap up and conference closure 

15:00

Workshop, part 2

drs. Claudia Hopman

Group discussion with coffee 

15:30

Workshop, part 3

drs. Claudia Hopman

Plenary group discussion

16:15

Workshop, part 4

drs. Claudia Hopman

Wrap up and conference closure