Farewell to Faculty of Science dean

can be viewed by anyone throughout the entire process, not only once they are finished.” This approach yielded a model in which 95 per cent of funding is distributed among the departments according to the VU Amsterdam standard. As for the remaining five per cent, the departments can request additional funds to cover expenses, such as chemicals or laboratory costs.

“The advantage of this is that the other departments don’t make a fuss, because they understand why that department needs additional funding.”

Guus Schreiber

> Guus Schreiber was dean of the Faculty of Science from December 2016 to December 2022.

> Aletta Kraneveld is his successor.

> Schreiber is Professor of Intelligent Information Systems.

He was Head of the Computer Science Department at VU Amsterdam from 2014 to 2016.

> Schreiber studied medicine at Utrecht University, worked briefly at Leiden University and, between 1986 and 2003 at the University of Amsterdam.

> After his retirement, he will continue to chair the steering group for the collaboration between VU Amsterdam and the University of Twente.

The Faculty of Science budget amounts to two hundred million euros, nearly one third of the entire VU budget. In the sciences, everything is done on a large scale: procurement and logistics, monitoring externally funded projects (which account for 60 per cent of all projects at VU Amsterdam), provisions for temporary staff and the IT facilities necessary to keep everything running. “So, when facilities are not up to par, we bear the brunt,” says Schreiber.

Turbulent time

The introduction of the IT system Mars in the summer of 2021, was one of the biggest challenges Schreiber faced, with services faltering on all fronts: students were no longer able to register, procurement was disrupted, freelancers and people with temporary employment contracts were not paid on time, departments were no longer able to access their own budget and hiring new staff was impossible. In summary, almost every aspect of the organisation that involved the IT system was out of order.

Schreiber looks back on this as a turbulent time: “There were times when I found myself in meetings where people were in tears because they couldn’t get anything sorted out. And then I would be sitting with across from executives that same afternoon who seemed to be living in a different reality, oblivious to the practical implications of everything that wasn’t working.

“I am known to be outspoken, and I lost my temper on more than one occasion. Fortunately, I had people around me who said: Guus, take it down a notch. This is not helpful. I did my best to listen to them, but I struggled to let things go.”

When asked about the current state of IT facilities, Schreiber replies, “It’s still worse than it used to be, but it is more or less functioning again, so we’re learning to live with it.”

Making way for the younger generation

One of the things Schreiber has always put a lot of effort into as an executive is creating space for young people in science. “As dean, I felt it was important for older professors to retire to make way for younger ones.” At the age of 66, Schreiber is walking the talk and is no longer on payroll. On 21 April, he delivered his farewell address. However, he continues his activities for VU Amsterdam.

For now, he continues to chair the steering group that shapes the collaboration between VU Amsterdam and the University of Twente. The ultimate aim being to produce more technically skilled people. Last summer, the first forty students graduated from the Bachelor’s programme in Mechanical Engineering. Next academic year, a second programme will be launched: Creative Technology. “One of the programme’s goals is to attract more women to the field of technology”, says Schreiber. The overall objective is to offer six joint programmes with the University of Twente by 2030.

“Rationally speaking, it is still very foolish that the sciences faculties in Amsterdam decided not to merge, but I have come to learn that there is more to management than reason alone. Cooperation with the University of Amsterdam was difficult from the start because both parties had a deepseated mistrust, with UvA staff especially being strongly opposed to becoming part of VU Amsterdam. No matter how rational it may seem, under those conditions it still won’t work out.”

Schreiber’s experience with the University of Twente has been completely different. “Within 18 months, we had the first programme up and running. That is remarkably fast. And it was rated as the best Mechanical Engineering programme in the Netherlands in last year’s Keuzegids ranking.”

Embracing your mistakes

All told, Schreiber is leaving behind a well-run faculty. Yet his farewell speech focused on embracing mistakes. Where did he drop the ball as an executive? He recognises that he was not always tactful: “I could be ruthlessly hard on people at times. That’s not a nice way to behave and it doesn’t get you any further. Another thing is that I talk too much sometimes. I have an opinion on everything, but sometimes it’s better to hear what others think about something, especially as a dean. That is why it’s crucial to have people around you who are willing to tell you to your face what you’re doing wrong.”

After a short pause, he adds: “I have played bridge at the highest level for years. In bridge, you play with a partner and both of you make mistakes. That’s inevitable. Things often go wrong when people get angry about their partner’s mistakes. In the end you make more progress by accepting your partner’s mistakes and owning up to your own. That’s what makes you better.”

BY BRYCE BENDA