October 2011
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On the way to 2013 The value of culture Researchers in the classroom
erasmus alumni magazine
From marketing man to baker A day in the life of alumnus Menno ’t Hoen
De sfeer zit er al goed in Hotel New York ademt de dynamische atmosfeer van ondernemingslust en avontuur. Hiervandaan vertrokken ooit de landverhuizers op zoek naar een betere toekomst. In dat bruisende havendecor kunt u vergaderen, aan de teamspirit werken, uw beursgang bespreken, nieuwe communicatiestrategieën ontwikkelen of eenvoudigweg weer op adem komen. Er zijn zalen voor grote en kleine gezelschappen, voor feestelijke en zakelijke gelegenheden. U kunt er natuurlijk ook genieten van fruits de mer en garnalenkroketjes of logeren in één van de uniek vormgegeven kamers. Er is altijd wel een Hotel New York moment. Kom eens langs, kijk op www.hotelnewyork.nl of bel 010 439 05 00.
On the way to 2013
The photo, which was taken by Ary Groeneveld, dates from 8 November 1973. Queen Juliana is in Rotterdam for the University’s official inauguration. That morning she has visited the Medical Faculty. They have eaten lunch at the city hall, and the group has then started to walk to De Doelen.
The secret of Soestdijk Palace
The note is from students, who presented it to the Queen in passing and which she reads as she walks along. It will undoubtedly disappear into her
What an intriguing note. What could it contain? The route description from the city hall to De Doelen concert hall, perhaps. ‘Cross the Coolsingel and carry straight on along the Stadhuisplein and Korte Lijnbaan...’ No, with Mayor W. Thomassen (on the left in the photo) at Queen Juliana’s side, this isn’t very likely. He’d know the way like the back of his hand, after
all. Maybe it’s the floor plan of the main auditorium at De Doelen, and he’s just shown her where she’ll be sitting. Or is she taking the group through the programme one more time as they walk along, and is Thomassen telling her when it will be her turn to do the official opening? The Chair of the Executive Board, B.J. de Boer, doesn’t seem to be in comple-
te agreement with Thomassen, and O.A. Thissen, Secretary of the Executive Board, is looking at the mayor somewhat in surprise. Rector Magnificus, Prof. C.J. van der Weyden, is unaware of all these goings on. He’s making a concerted effort to read over Queen Juliana’s shoulder.
handbag. And its contents? These are now among the many secrets of Soestdijk. This photo comes from the EUR historic photo archive. Text Cora Boele, Wieneke Gunneweg
EUR 100 years IMPACT Erasmus University will celebrate its centenary in 2013. The motto chosen is: EUR 100 years of IMPACT. There are big plans for the academic centenary year of 2013/2014. The aim is to involve not just students and alumni but also Rotterdam residents in the centenary celebrations. www.eur.nl/100
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Foreword October 2011
Dear Alumnus,
Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Erasmus University Rotterdam
The Erasmus University is a purveyor of top men (and more and more women) to the international business community. You as an alumnus might be one of those high-flyers who laid the foundations of a successful career at Woudestein or Hoboken. However, a degree from our university does not necessarily lead to a successful career in business or the public sector. Many of our alumni opt for entrepreneurship: to be your own boss and rely on your own intuition and expertise. Menno ’t Hoen is such a person. After graduating, he set up his own bakery selling exceptional (and exceptionally delicious) bread. He didn’t just want to sit in an office but wanted to get his hands dirty, literally. In doing so, he became a prime example of a Rotterdam alumnus: not just thinking but doing. There are more examples of enterprising alumni in this the third edition of the Erasmus Alumni Magazine. Some who are still very young and haven’t even graduated but already have their own small business, some who are looking for that one gap in the market that they will fill with daring and entrepreneurship. In this edition’s Erasmus Opinion, Eric Claassen, Professor of Knowledge Valorisation at the Erasmus MC, illustrates that entrepreneurship is not just for those specializing in economics of business administration, because it is actually our medical faculty that is becoming better and better at translating fundamental research into usable products that are relevant to society. This is also typical of the Erasmus University: top-quality research with an eye on society. I hope you enjoy reading the magazine.
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Pauline van der Meer Mohr blog.eur.nl/voorzittercvb
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PS In the near future, you may be asked to participate in a readers’ survey regarding the first three editions of the E.A. I hope I can count on your response.
Colophon The Erasmus Alumni Magazine/ EA is published by the Marketing & Communication department of Erasmus University Rotterdam Edition Volume 2, EA 03 October 2011 The next edition of EA will be published in May 2012
Editorial Address EUR, SM&C dept PO Box 1738 3000 DR Rotterdam alumni@smc.eur.nl www.eur.nl/alumni Managing Editor Carien van der Wal, Alumni & Corporate Relations Officer
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Editors Wieneke Gunneweg, Editor-in-Chief Mieke Fiers, Desk Editor Contributors Lobke van Aar, Cora Boele, Eric Claassen, Mellyana Frederika, Ronald van den Heerik, Eveline van de Lagemaat, René van Leeuwen, José Luijpen, Menso de Maar, Pauline van der Meer Mohr,
Dennis Mijnheer, Ineke Oostveen, Sander Ruijsbroek, Daan Rutten, Bas van der Schot, Hans van den Tillaart, Kees Vermeer, Levien Willemse, Martine Zeijlstra and EUR faculties including Erasmus MC, IHS and ISS Advertising Carien van der Wal, Fouad el Kanfaoui, Dan Dinu
Printing Habodacosta, Vianen Editorial Advisory Board (RAC) The RAC consists of representatives of the EUR’s faculties and alumni associations and has an advisory role in the production of EA. Cover Ronald van den Heerik
Design Unit20: Yoe San Liem and Maud van Velthoven © Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers.
Contents 06 Back to college 08 Erasmus Opinion 09 Erasmus News 11 From Rotterdam to Jakarta 12 A day in the life of Menno ’t Hoen 17 Career x2 18 Alumni – giving something back 19 Column: Sander Ruijsbroek 20 Focus on research 22 Science News 24 Entrepreneur and student 26 EUR academics on culture 31 Why Rotterdam? 32 Alumni Affairs
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37 Column: Menso de Maar 39 Family Portrait
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Back to college
Jeffrey Buijze: ‘A course like this helps bring out the best in yourself.’
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‘It was a familiar but stimulating atmosphere’ Jeffrey Buijze (32) has just completed the Supply Chain Management course at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He will be able to make good use of what he has learnt about cooperation in his work for the Zeeland Police. text Kees Vermeer photo Levien Willemse
When did you do your degree? ‘I studied Public Administration at the EUR from 2001 to 2004. I did a fast-track programme because I had already done a HEAO programme that included economics and law.’ What did you do afterwards? ‘For a few years I worked in graduate recruitment and selection, providing staff for organizations such as ministries, municipalities and district water boards. Then I got a job with the Zeeland Police, almost four years ago now, first as policy officer and now as clerk of the regional board and consultant to the Police Agency Administrator.’
‘I wanted to learn new theories and to apply new knowledge’ Why did you do the Study Chain Management course? ‘The Police are increasingly working with bodies such as the municipal authorities and the Public Prosecution Service (OM), because they want to develop a joint, structural approach to issues of public safety. My degree provided me with a lot of knowledge about policy, but in recent years new theories have been developed about how to collaborate with other parties. I wanted to learn more about this and to apply this new knowledge in practice. With supply chain management you can promote cooperation.’ What does the course involve? ‘It provides a combination of theory and practice. There are six full-day sessions. Three sessions are about politics and management, and three are about execution and implementation.’ What was it like to be back at university again? ‘I enjoyed studying again. I did have to get back into the routine, but it didn’t take that long. The best thing about it was that there were guest speakers from the field, for example, the former Town Clerk of Amsterdam. These kinds
of people give you very valuable tips and tricks. What is more, the lecturers were really interested in our experiences of supply chain management. I introduced an example myself about the cooperation with the OM and municipalities. What appealed to me was that we were given additional literature, for example, on why networks develop. That’s something I’m interested in. The course gives you space to research issues that interest you.’ What was the group like? ‘There were fifteen people in the group, all from different backgrounds, such as managers and policy officers, so it was very diverse. But there were also similarities: we face the same kinds of problems and issues in our work.’ And what was it like to be at the EUR again? ‘Obviously I still recognized the campus, although a lot of buildings have sprouted up since my graduation. It felt familiar: students walking from one lecture to the other...I found the whole atmosphere stimulating, and it reminded me of when I was doing my degree. The memories came back of me sitting in that huge examination hall in the M building where you were faced with the most difficult exams ever for ‘simple’ subjects and vice versa. A course like this helps bring out the best in yourself. The assignments really get you thinking. It takes you out of your routine for a bit and gives you new perspectives.’ What can you do with this course? ‘It has given me fundamental ideas about cooperation that I can now start using in my work. One important tip was that we shouldn’t aim for too much at once. You can’t expect everyone to take part from the offset. It is better to set up a small pilot group first. If that is successful more people will join in.’ You want to apply the expertise in your work. Will that be possible with all the government’s planned cuts? ‘That’s indeed a tricky one. There’s a great deal that still needs doing but supply chain management is under pressure due to the cuts. You can see that this has an effect on how much clout the parties have, but we do actually need each other. It is important that we don’t allow social problems to be simply considered as police issues.’ Interested in studying again too? Many faculties and institutes of the EUR offer postgraduate training. See, for example, www.erasmusacademie.nl and www.erasmusmc.nl/onderwijs
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Erasmus Opinion
‘Putting a value on knowledge is about more than just money’ Valorization is more than just cashing in on knowledge, says entrepreneur and EUR professor Eric Claassen. Valorization is only possible if we respect the curiosity-led research that forms its core.
‘Valoriseren’ was first coined by our Belgian neighbours from VIB (the Flemish institute for Biotechnology) as a container term to describe the social impact of knowledge. Essentially, it is nothing more – and nothing less – than making academic knowledge available to third parties. Valorization is too often understood to mean the impact knowledge has on prosperity and thus to mean making money. Of course, I am an entrepreneur and my efforts must actually bring in some money at the end of the day. Otherwise, there’s no bread on the table for my employees or for me. However, when we as a company want to valorize university knowledge we always understand that it’s about more than that alone. It’s about more than protecting intellectual property and making it accessible (patents, databases, models, brands etc.). Valorization is also about the impact on our well-being and culture.
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Curiosity If you are going to get into valorization, you must appreciate that knowledge valorization usually depends on an excellent knowledge basis in the primary process: top-notch researchers who are driven by curiosity. Furthermore, your mind needs to be ready and open, and you will also need good timing and a certain amount of luck. As far as the timing goes, the current dramatic cuts will work both for and against our valorization efforts. For, because academics and institutions will have to seek alternative forms of funding and will therefore need to consider valorization. Against, because early funding will become even more difficult, as businesses and organizations try as much as possible to limit risks.
Base of the pyramid Valorization doesn’t just happen. Experience has shown that good support and clearly defined tools help with the translation of knowledge into
illustration Bas van der Schot
social relevance. Examples that appeal to the imagination help increase people’s enthusiasm. This is what we will be focusing on at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in the near future. I have worked for some time at the Erasmus MC, and have set up companies there together with Ab Osterhaus. With these we now generate substantial dividends that flow directly back into the primary curiosity-driven research. This means that the base of the pyramid is replenished, and it is only in this way that valorization will continue to be possible in the long term and prove fertile for all involved. Eric Claassen is an entrepreneur, Professor of Knowledge Valorization at the Department of Virology of the Erasmus MC, Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Life Sciences at the VU University Amsterdam and ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ at RSM, EUR.
Erasmus News
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ECTS credit points
Or all your credit points in one year. And the firstyear students at the Faculty of Social Sciences have to earn all these within their first year. They are in smaller groups, can take fewer resits and can compensate a fail for one course unit with higher marks for another. If this ‘year-group system’ proves to work, these strict rules will apply throughout the EUR.
EUR to discourage car use As part of its sustainability drive, the Erasmus University wants to discourage people from driving. Staff will therefore have to pay for parking on the Woudestein campus from 1 January 2013. An exception will be made for those on a low income and those for whom public transport is not a reasonable alternative.
CEO Port Authority member of Supervisory Board Hans Smits has been appointed a member of the Supervisory Board of the EUR. Smits (1950, EUR alumnus) is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Smits considers cross-pollination between the university and business community to be important. Upon completing his degree in Business Administration at the EUR (19731975) he studied Civil Engineering at Delft. In 2010, he received the RSM Distinguished Alumni Award.
‘Far-reaching collaboration’ between Rotterdam, Leiden and Delft It is content and not form that matters. This is the approach the universities in Rotterdam, Leiden and Delft are taking as they discuss far-reaching, exclusive collaboration. This collaboration could culminate in a merger. The three universities hope that together they will be stronger when it comes, for example, to attracting international research and talent. Competition is steadily increasing and Pauline van der Meer Mohr, chairman of the Executive Board of the EUR, says the answer to this is ‘more than informal collaboration.’ The executive boards of the three South Holland province universities believe they are suited because of their complementary academic and social profiles. In July the NRC Handelsblad newspaper reported on a possible merger of the three
universities. This provoked mixed reactions. The chairman of each of the Executive Boards spoke in more depth about the plans at the opening of the academic year on 5 September 2011. This is not the first time that the universities in Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam have considered far-reaching collaboration. In an attempt in the 1980s, they had even got as far as a name: the ‘Corbulo University’, after a Roman general who had his men dig a connecting canal between the Meuse and Rhine Rivers. (photo: Ronald van den Heerik)
Cabinet’s ambitious plans State Secretary Halbe Zijlstra is going to take drastic measures in higher education in order to enforce a more ambitious academic climate. Both students and institutions must set the bar higher. This will mean selective intake, more lectures, fewer resits and studying faster. Zijlstra wants broader Bachelor’s degree programmes and stronger influence from the business community. The universities must be more effective in their presentation. The EUR has already introduced a few measures that tie in with Zijlstra’s plans. erasmusalumni. magazine 09
Erasmus News
Universities Games to Rotterdam? Certificate of Recognition EUR students who offer their services to society or the University during their studies can receive a Certificate of Recognition upon graduation. This could be for work on the committee of a study or student association, or such things as voluntary work for the homeless.
It’s raining prizes
At the opening of the academic year on 5 September, Rector Magnificus Henk Schmidt awarded several prizes. As a promising expert in the field of neurological disorders, Arfan Ikram won the Research Award.The Teaching Award went to Casper de Vries, Professor of Monetary Economics, whose teaching is said to be well structured and motivational. Mostafa Mokhles completed both a Clinical Research Master’s degree and a Master’s in Public Health Law, and received the Lambers Prize. Denise van der Linde will be taking her Professor Bruins Prize with her to Canada where she will be honing her cardiology skills. (photo: Ronald van den Heerik)
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Erasmus Sport wants to bring the European Universities Games to Rotterdam in 2014. It would be the culmination of the University’s centenary year. As well as a competition in ten different sports, an extensive programme has been put together with music and other activities. On 26 November 2011, the announcement
will be made as to whether the European student athletes will be travelling to Rotterdam in 2014 or to one of the rival towns in Portugal and Poland instead. (photo: Ronald van den Heerik) See also the column by Menso de Maar, director of Erasmus Sport, on page 37.
‘At that time we didn’t realize that the elite of the Netherlands was forming. There was a feeling of come on, this is Rotterdam, we have to work hard.’ Alumnus Ton Soetekouw, banker, whose fellow students included Neelie Kroes, Onno Ruding, Ruud Lubbers and Jan Pronk, in the book ‘Neelie Kroes, hoe een Rotterdams meisje de machtigste vrouw van Europa werd’ (Neelie Kroes, how a little girl from Rotterdam became the most powerful woman in Europe), Stan de Jong & Koen Voskuil, Published by Nieuw Amsterdam
From Rotterdam to Jakarta
I’m a real workaholic
Mellyana Frederika from Indonesia did a Master’s at Rotterdam in 2000. She now works as project manager of a decentralization project in Indonesia. Friday A nice quiet day before the weekend? No way! Today I go to Belitong, a small island about a 45-minute flight from Jakarta and one of the pilot areas of the project. We have a number of destinations including a local health centre and a pepper plantation. And all that in the customary tropical clime. This would be a very run-of-the-mill mission if it wasn’t taking place during Ramadan. Most Indonesians are Muslims and during Ramadan practically everyone here fasts from sunrise to sunset. Out of respect for the majority, I don’t eat and drink during the daytime either. It’s a real struggle today.
about our friends from university. Most of us keep in touch via Facebook and Skype. So we know who’s just had a baby, who’s obtained their doctorate and who’s having a hard time of it at the moment.
Tuesday
Sunday
After a two-day meeting outside Jakarta I arrive at SoekarnoHatta International Airport at five p.m. It takes about an hour to reach central Jakarta – if the roads are clear. There’s no point in going into the office now, so I call a few friends. I ask the taxi driver to drive to my apartment, where I dump my bags and then go straight to my favourite coffee bar, which is close by. There are only men in there: we three are the only female clients. Everyone is smoking and they are all shouting because the TV is on much too loud. The news says that the former treasurer of the Democratic Party of Indonesia, who is suspected of corruption and has been on the run for weeks, has been arrested in Colombia. This kind of news creates a rush of excitement in the coffee bar. I don’t let this noisy environment get to me. I come for the coffee, the best coffee in town. The beans come from South Sulawesi and the coffee is made in the traditional way. I brought my coffee-drinking habit home with me from Rotterdam. I’m pleased that I have a much wider selection of good coffee here than in the Netherlands. And at a good price too...
I’m a real workaholic but am gradually learning to take better care of myself. One of the best ways to relax is to travel to Bali and visit my friend Unieng. Bali’s known as ‘paradise on Earth’, after all. I’m so lucky to live so close to Bali and that a good friend of mine lives there too. Unieng is also an IHSEUR alumna. Today I dine with her and her family. Whilst her son Milan plays his DVD player, Unieng, Marcel (her husband) and I talk about Bali, work, raising children and of course
Mellyana Frederika (1976) did a Master’s in Urban Management at the IHS in 2000-2001 and a course in Governance, Public Policy and Democratization at the ISS in 2010. She has been the project manager of a decentralization project for the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Indonesia since 2007. She is a member of the board of the IHS alumni association.
Monday It’s already four p.m., but I still have practically a full working day ahead of me. I drive from Jakarta to Bandung, a distance of about 130 km. Bandung happens to be where I grew up, but there’s no time today for private visits. I need to attend a meeting with important government officials. It’s a three-hour drive, and when I arrive at about eight the meeting has already started. Before I join the rest, I drink two cups of strong black coffee. It wasn’t easy to get representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance and from the National Planning Agency actually get together and take some action. The meeting is about the transfer of tax duties from the central to the local authorities.
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A day in the life of Menno ‘t Hoen
Baking bread as a form of liberation Alumnus Menno ‘t Hoen 12 erasmusalumni. magazine
Menno ’t Hoen was a promising student of marketing and economics at the EUR, but his career took a sudden right turn and he became a baker. EA visited the bakery where ’t Hoen (40) can’t stop talking about his career and his bread. text Daan Rutten photo Ronald van den Heerik
An employee (behind Menno) is doing the following for the first time today: he has to place portions of sticky dough one by one onto the conveyor belt. The machine then rolls the dough up to give the bread its characteristic shape once it has been baked. Every now and then, the dough sticks to the trainee’s hands, so Menno, in fluid moves, shows him how to do it. ‘It’s about getting a feel for the dough. In one simple movement. See? You’ll soon get the hang of it.’
‘It was in the 1990s that - having just finished school, with rather good marks, if I do say so myself - I left Leidschendam to study economics at Rotterdam. The first two years were awful. We had come in our hundreds from all over the country. The benches in the lecture theatres were overflowing and there was no room even on the steps. I found the work easy. Even the most difficult accounting course units weren’t a problem. But my goodness it was boring. I wondered if I should join a student association, but I’ve never really been the type. I can remember meeting a firstyear student on the train at the beginning of my degree: a particularly shy and rather colourless specimen. He was going to join a student association because that was what his parents had done. Funnily enough, I met him again sometime later. And hadn’t he changed! He was selfconfident, had the gift of the gab, and, what’s more, he had attitude. But I wondered where he was in all of this; whether he was still there behind the pose. His whole attitude, interests and language had been moulded by the association. It still gives me the creeps. So I didn’t join a student association, but I did become a member of the Eurekaweek committee in 1994. It was paid work, you got more time for your degree and you could organize parties. And the people I was on the committee with became friends for life. It was a great experience. Just like the time I spent in Thailand for my thesis research.
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A day in the life of Menno ‘t Hoen
Ad man And after a few years at the EUR there I was with a good degree and absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. I even entered a job-application competition organized by Intermediair magazine in collaboration with Job Company. I had made a short film of myself, clumsily edited on two dodgy old video recorders. There turned out to be a guy in the room who had also made a short film of himself. His video was amazingly flashy and polished. And, to add insult to injury, it was also really funny. I wanted the ground to
to his office the next day. I told him I wouldn’t be able to cope there much longer. You know the book The Boys from Brazil by Ira Levin? It’s about cloning people. After a year at that company I felt as if I was walking among the clones and that I too was beginning to become one myself. Everyone in my department had done the same degree and wore a suit and tie, without stopping to think what’s so great about a suit and tie. If was like a uniform. The other employees were zombies, moaning about the size of their Christmas parcel, which was
‘Good pay, car, laptop. My parents could be proud of me.’ swallow me up. But in my film the jury saw an unexpected attempt to give a picture of myself not just by showing the things that were going well but also the things that were going wrong in my life. I won the job-application competition. Then the hall full of recruiters and headhunters emptied again, and I still didn’t have a job. I applied for a job at Unilever and Proctor & Gamble. No luck. They thought I wouldn’t fit into their company culture. They found me more of a creative ad man. I didn’t think that at all. I was rescued six months later by a lecturer from the Erasmus University. He couldn’t believe that a good marketing student like me still didn’t have a job. I didn’t know why it was either. He found me a job at a small IT and marketing company in Vlaardingen, with which he was involved. Good pay, a car and a laptop. I was pleased to have a job at all. I could stand on my own two feet and could even save some money. My parents could be proud of me.
Boys from Brazil That was until one day the new director started his lunch a bit later than the rest and caught me at the worktop in the canteen feeding flour and water to my sourdough culture. You need the culture to make sourdough bread. You have to look after it for weeks before it will work. ‘What on earth are you doing?’ My new director must have thought I’d lost the plot. I was summoned
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always too small, of course. And then all those reports: what a lot of hot air. At one point, I even produced a report for my boss concluding that it would be better to close the office, but I was met by a wall of power and politics. The company was closed three years later, by the way.
Hot air I felt really restless and knew I had to do something. I wanted to do something more honest, something with my hands, something you can really smell and taste. And yes, I was already getting into bread as a hobby. But I hadn’t ever thought of becoming a baker. I just didn’t like Dutch bread: it’s like a sponge. It’s hot air. If you squeeze it you get a big, soggy ball. I also knew French bread. It smells so much better, much tastier; it’s crusty, coarse, more real. The story went that we can’t make bread in the Netherlands and always have to rely on tricks, chemical substances, ‘bread improvers’ and the like. I couldn’t accept this, so I ordered books on bread making and started experimenting at home. I even took a seven-day artisan-breadmaking course in Paris, at the expense of my first boss in Vlaardingen. The penny still hadn’t dropped and I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. I decided to seek help from my hero, Eckart Wintzen, a completely nonconformist businessman who worked in a castle in Doorn and drove a Renault Twingo – what
was the point of a petrol guzzling machomobile? In 1989 Wintzen wrote his annual report in language for children so that when Daddy came home with his paperwork, diddums would be able to understand it too. Brilliant! Of course, I couldn’t just go knock on his door, so I sent him a box file filled with objects that defined me: the Eureka Week handbook, some columns I’d written for the faculty association, that sort of thing. When I got to meet him I was nervous as hell and began to prattle on about myself. After a few minutes he told me to stop and began to tell me some home truths, such as, ‘you come across as so unbelievably arrogant,’ and, ‘what do you want from me?’ Luckily the atmosphere improved and I talked enthusiastically about my hobby: bread. ‘Bread? That’s interesting,’ he said.
Authentic French bread What I wanted was to learn how to make sourdough bread. Bread without additives to change its colour, smell or taste, and without bread improvers. Pure, like they make it in France, with a characteristic crust. I wanted to learn to do it all myself, in an artisan way, so that I wouldn’t become the puppet of some flour manufacturer, as unfortunately is usually the case with bakers in the Netherlands. But I also didn’t fancy having to start all over again and studying for years on end, so I travelled to France for an intensive course at the famous baking school in Rouen, Normandy. The cost? A mere twelve thousand guilders. You really have to learn it there, because the books don’t tell you the tricks of the trade. You have to learn to read the sourdough culture. If you add too much flour or too little water, this can make the difference between lovely crusty bread and that sour wholesome stuff. It was nine months of slaving away between the bakery ovens for ten hours a day. I passed the test and came across a vacancy at a bakery in Paris, Basil Kamir, where they have an authentic, wood-fired stone oven in which sourdough bread has been baked since 1912.I was taken on but initially to bash baguettes. That’s no fun at all. I would only be able to work with the antique oven six months later.
Menno had the bread knife – with the inscription vanmenno (Menno’s)– specially made in Germany. ‘It’s not the most expensive bread knife, but it is the best one.’ When a top chef in Menno’s circle of friends earns a Michelin star, and this is a regular occurrence, Menno sends such a knife as a promotional gift. ‘Don’t forget to give it back if you lose the star, I say.’
Menno often loses all track of time when he’s working in the bakery. It’s hours before he’s sighted again in the office upstairs.
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A day in the life of Menno ‘t Hoen
I didn’t have the patience for that at all, I told the baker. On the next day, there I was working in a cramped cellar somewhere in the middle of Paris with hardly any air and no daylight at all, in the heat of my dream oven. I did that for a year. Then I was chomping at the bit to try it out in the Netherlands. There had to be a market for it here. So I returned to Rotterdam to see.
‘Nine months of slaving away ten hours a day between the ovens.’ Top Chefs With a bit of help from my parents I installed expensive ovens, which I had managed to pick up second-hand, in the premises of a former patisserie. That was on the Bergweg, in the same building in North Rotterdam as where a friend had started a little shop. The part-time shop assistant, she was a student at the art academy at the time, became my wife. It took a year to set it all up. It was a shaky start. I didn’t know if I still had it in me, and I didn’t have that much Menno is on the work floor every day and sometimes he pulls at the bread, tears it, sniffs it and tries it even before it’s fully baked.
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experience. I cycled round the different top restaurants in Rotterdam with my bread. My sourdough bread became a hit. Herman den Blijker became a regular customer straight away, and told all and sundry about Menno’s bread. My social life died away completely for a while. I baked bread at night and then I did the bookkeeping and purchasing before sleeping for a few short hours. Seven days a week. After three months, I had to take on an extra baker. We moved to the Lekhaven. We had to grow because we couldn’t say no to top chefs such as Robert Kranenborg just because it was the summer. It’s been going now for ten years. I met my business partner Alexander, who deals with the business side, five years ago. I can do the accounts but I’d rather not. I deal with the bread and the marketing. We are now located on a business park in IJsselstein, just outside Utrecht. We employ twenty people and haven’t sold only to restaurants for a long time now. We’ve got better ovens, although we work in an increasingly artisan way. Now I’m thinking about how we can get people to buy an unfinished artisan product that they finish off in the oven themselves. That way the sourdough bread we sell will taste even better.’
Career x2 They have a degree in the same subject but their career paths have been very different. Two alumni talk about their work. text Eveline van de Lagemaat photo Levien Willemse
Name Monique Lindeboom-Moolenaar Age 46 Graduated in 2000 Degree programme Fiscal Law Current position Owner of and instructor at a Pilates & yoga studio Salary about EUR 12,000 per year
I wondered if this was what I really wanted Why did you decide to go to university? ‘My father was a court archivist and he studied law as a mature student. He encouraged me to do a university degree alongside my yoga training in Amsterdam. The funny thing is that my sister, who’s six years younger than me, did the same degree but has also become a yoga instructor. All my father had to say about this was, “it’s your lives.”’ What was your time at university like? ‘In the year that I got my propadeutic certificate in Law, the University began a degree programme in Fiscal Law. I swapped to this. I found it a really enjoyable programme and did an internship at the VAT department of Arthur Andersen. In the first year, I also completed my hatha yoga training and started teaching yoga. I also fenced at a competitive level.’ And then? ‘I found the degree programme really fascinating, but the transition to work was huge. I have the
impression that that was the case for many of my fellow students. After I graduated I got a job at BDO. “Why not?” I thought. It proved to be a man’s world with an ‘every man for himself’ culture. For two whole years, I worked four days a week and was never finished before six. I also had to attend extra training courses. I had a two-year old daughter, and in the end was so tired that I had to ask myself if this was what I really wanted. I had continued to teach yoga during this time, so decided to set up my own business, first as a yoga teacher and, after I had completed my Pilates training, as a Pilates teacher too from 2003. I introduced yoga-Pilates as a form of exercise to the Netherlands.’ Any regrets? ‘No, I love being my own boss and, apart from the classes, can organize my time as I like. I work about two days a week. Particularly when it comes to paperwork, tax declarations and writing letters I still benefit from my degree in Fiscal Law.’
Name Name Patrick Boeters Age 40 Graduated in 1998 and 1999 Degree programmes Business Economics, Fiscal Law Current position Partner and tax consultant at B&L Accountants & Tax Consultants Salary about EUR 100,000 per year
This is not a nine-to-five job Why two degrees? ‘My father was an accountant and the work really appealed to me. That’s why I decided to do Business Economics. But I hated it: too much theoretical stuff. As in that time there was still military service, I decided to put it off by doing a second degree: Law, and from the second year, Fiscal Law.’ What was your time at university like? ‘I found Fiscal Law really inspiring: the way you research things analytically and focus on real-life issues by looking at what happened and laying that next to the law. I had different student jobs to finance my studies including working in the greenhouses and working in a shop. For a couple of years I worked three days a week in a bank. This meant that I didn’t really have a student life.’ And then your real career began? ‘Whilst I was still studying I started working at Ernst & Young, the tax consultants. It was an educational time during which I was left to my own devices quite a lot. The target-driven
culture didn’t appeal to me though. A few years later, all the small branches of Ernst & Young closed as well. I didn’t like it. I like an office where everyone knows everyone else. I found a job at a medium-sized tax consultancy. It had an almost feudal structure. I didn’t want that either, so I resigned from my job without having a new one. A week later a former colleague from Ernst & Young phoned to ask if I wanted to work at B&L as a tax consultant and as a partner.’ Do you like it there? ‘B&L employs 55 people and has six partners. I’m responsible for consulting medium-sized, often innovative companies in the Delft area on tax matters. I really enjoy sitting with these entrepreneurs and coming up with strategies for the future. It’s not a nine-to-five job, and even during the holidays I still do a bit of work every day. I feel that it’s my responsibility that our Beconnummer (tax consultant number) from the Dutch Tax Administration continues to deserve its indisputably trustworthy reputation.’
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Alumni give something back
Business plans weighed up by alumni If you’re a Business Administration student you can submit your business plan to the ‘Supervisory Board’ for some sharp feedback. On this board are alumni of the Rotterdam School of Management, with their extensive experience in business. text Martine Zeijlstra illustration Hans van den Tillaart
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Waiting for a good business plan...
Valerie van den Huijsen (30), an account manager at Keesie, would have welcomed the help of an alumnus when she was a student, ‘I found it really difficult to write a business plan,’ she says. ‘You have a good understanding of the theory, but the practice is much more of a challenge. If I wanted to learn things from real life, I asked my dad, because he had his own business. Now I can share my own experiences with students.’ Van den Huijsen is a ‘commissioner’ for the strategic business plans of first-year students at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM). Van den Huijsen and other alumni evaluate whether the strategic options in the students’ business plans as they develop them are feasible. ‘Lots of students are very savvy, but they’re still very young,’ says Van den Huijsen. ‘One group had to write a business plan for a food company and the owner maintained that his product was the best in the branch. I knew this market and advised the students to get to know the branch better. That really got them thinking. Some of them approached me after the session because they wanted to know more about the industry.’ Ronald Nanninga (47) also took part as a ‘commissioner’. This RSM alumnus set up and is
CEO of Crosslinks, a biotech spinoff of Erasmus MC. He is also impressed by the quality of the students, ‘I would be happy for some of them to work for us on placement,’ he says, ‘but that’s not to say they can’t use our help. Some groups followed the book exactly as they worked out their theoretical strategies, but not all strategies can be applied to all companies. A Chinese restaurant that the same family has run for generations, for example, is not well served by a sale if this does not result in enough money to support the whole family.’
Mentoring with a life of its own Nanninga is not just a ‘commissioner’, he is also a graduate mentor. And sometimes such mentoring takes on a life of its own, as was the case with Gerard Vaandrager (29) and Benno Groosman (27). Nanninga coached them two years ago during their Master’s in Entrepreneurship & New Business Venturing. This autumn their company Salusion will enter the market with a disposable sensor sticker and portable scanner for incontinence pads. The sensor sticker makes it clear immediately when a pad needs to be changed.
Column The L-Building
Nanninga took a red pen to their business plan, gave them tips and ensured they had the right contacts in the medical world. ‘Ronald has written lots of business plans and formulates things just that bit more precisely,’ says Gerard Vaandrager. ‘That can make the difference between getting a loan or not. He introduced us to his contacts at the Erasmus MC and VU MC and that led to the starters’ grant that enabled us to launch Salusion. That is why his help has been so valuable.’ Nanninga is still an unpaid supervisor at Salusion. ‘I don’t do this with any old student. Gerard and Benno were very serious from the start, for example with sorting out the
‘It’s fantastic to work with young people like this’ TNO patent for the sensors on the incontinence pads. They are enormously driven to make a success of it. It’s fantastic to work with young people like this and witness their development.’ Whilst his former charges were in the process of setting up the company, Nanninga discussed tactics with them, but now Vaandrager and his colleague make all the decisions themselves, ‘but we still lunch together regularly and discuss financing options for the company,’ says Vaandrager, ‘because Ronald knows the tricks of the trade and we’re on the same wavelength when it comes to business.’
Marathon RSM takes its relationship with its alumni very seriously, ‘We like to involve our alumni in our teaching,’ explains Connie Tai from RSM. ‘Students are at RSM because they would like a career in business. Alumni and their networks are hugely important in this, in the Netherlands and abroad. We organize receptions, barbecues, workshops and events to ensure that alumni continue to see each other and keep abreast of the newest academic developments. Databases and contacts are indispensable.’ RSM encourages alumni to help with the degree programmes as a mentor, Business Plan ‘director’ or guest speaker. ‘And during the Rotterdam Marathon,’ says Tai, ‘we raise money to sponsor talented international students who are on a tight budget. Furthermore, we are literally a running advert for RSM. You can’t miss eighty people wearing shirts saying ‘I WILL keep RSM running strong’. Want to find out more about what you can contribute as an RSM alumnus? Go to www.alumni.nl
At the back of the L-Building, where the computers were, was where I could often be found when I was a student, working on a paper or just surfing the internet. I would check my e-mail about every ten minutes and visit the news site nu.nl about every five. I was surprised by the many spelling and grammatical mistakes. Isn’t the least any self-respecting editor can do is read the text through before publishing it? I would e-mail the editors every time I found an error. Sometimes they corrected them but more often than not they didn’t. This laziness surprised me. Admittedly, I usually understood the meaning of the text, but careless language use makes you wonder if the user is aware of how powerful words can be. That’s what I learnt as a student. In their use of language, journalists can consciously and unconsciously paint a different picture of reality. Do you call someone a ‘freedom fighter’ or a ‘terrorist’, for example? After I graduated, I started the Copytijgers (Copy Tigers) weblog, which is full of textual bloopers, such as a Citroën banner on GeenStijl with the text, ‘Wat is jouw idiale route?’ (‘What is your idial route?’) How is it possible that no one from the advertising agency, Citroën or GeenStijl saw the error? The number of visitors increased and complete strangers began to send me language errors. A language book I’ve written based on my blog will even be published soon. I could never have imagined that in my L-Building days. Nowadays you see spelling and grammatical mistakes everywhere – made by communication professionals too. Even some lecturers don’t know if you should use a t or a d in Dutch. Language is alive, of course, and is always changing. But I have a problem when it’s the laziness of its users that forces language to evolve. Instead of becoming irritated by this laziness, I deal professionally with language every day and thus make my contribution to a better ‘language climate’. We simply can’t let sloppy communication and the idea that it’s fine because the message can be understood anyway become the norm. Then there would be something more up than just a typing error in a slogan. I might never have found the L-Building at all in those days, being engaged in a fruitless search for a computer in the K-Building. Sander Ruijsbroek (1980) did a Master’s degree in Media & Journalism at the EUR in 2005/2006. He now has his own company schrijfservice.nl specializing in copywriting, SEO copywriting and communication advice. His book Tampasta en Nazi Goreng will be published at the end of the year.
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Focus on research
PSYCHOLOGY ANNIVERSARY
EUR GOES TO SCHOOL Gertjan van Rangelrooy is deputy head of De Reijer primary school in Ridderkerk, where this photo was taken. ‘We meet with the Psychology Department of Erasmus University once a year, and a number of different students have conducted research at our schools’, says Van Rangelrooy. ‘We’re pleased with and also rather proud of this relationship.’
The Psychology degree programme at the EUR is ten years old. The programme now consists of a Bachelor’s degree with five Master’s specialisms. There are four research groups: Biological and Cognitive Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Work and Organizational Psychology, and Educational and Developmental Psychology.
ERASMUS CLASSES The relationship began with the idea of special classes for gifted children. The 3primair foundation (encompasses all state schools in Barendrecht, Ridderkerk and Zwijndrecht, to which De Reijer belongs) asked the EUR for help on how to do this best. The Erasmus classes have proved a success.
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LEARNING FROM ANIMATIONS How do people learn? And what role do examples play in this? This is what Tamara van Gog, an Educational Psychologist at the EUR, is researching. The emphasis that is placed nowadays on ‘doing it yourself’ is not effective with pupils who don’t yet know much about a subject, says Van Gog. What does work is if they look at examples provided by someone else. ‘The question now is how we can make examples as effective as possible.’ Increasing use is being made of animation in education. But expensive animations are often no better than cheaper static images, unless they contain human movement. Van Gog is consequently now leading a study of the use of the Wii and animations in the classroom entitled ‘Yes, Wii can’.
text Mieke Fiers photo Levien Willemse
Wii Bonnie van Huik became a PhD student at Erasmus University in June 2011. She is one of the researchers on the ‘Yes, Wii can’ project. This autumn she will go round the classes for the first time. The pupils will be shown all sorts of animations – without human gestures, with human gestures, animations where they must gesture themselves (with a Wii) and a combination of the latter two. The pupils’ educational performance will then be measured. Van Huik’s animations are about concepts from physics such as levers and day/ night. A third PhD student, Lysanne Post (not in the photo), is doing the same with language, and a PhD student in Nijmegen is looking at mathematics.
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Science News
‘Pink ribbon counterproductive’
EUR fourth in valorization ranking list The EUR takes fourth place in the first valorization ranking list of Dutch universities, recently published in Elsevier magazine. Valorization, creating economic and social value from scientific knowledge, is an increasing focus of attention. Although the EUR is therefore doing well, the university will be focusing more on this in the near future. The Erasmus MC in particular has been successful at valorizing research. This is still in its infancy in the humanities and social sciences.
The communication about breast cancer is ‘feminine’ with its pink ribbons and images of women. This could well have a counterproductive effect, research by Stefano Puntoni (RSM) and others has shown. Women react to feminine symbols in the campaign and think that it won’t happen to them.
Shopping basket vs trolley
If you shop with a basket, you are more likely to buy unhealthy products such as chocolate than if you use a trolley. That is the conclusion of research by Bram van den Bergh of the Rotterdam School of Management. He sees the difference not in basket versus trolley but in your posture: Bent versus arms outstretched. Incidentally, Van den Bergh shops with a trolley.
Exhibition Medical center
Conspiracy theorists
Whether it’s conspiring climatologists or hidden alliances between the state and multinationals, conspiracy theories are popular. The Rotterdam cultural sociologists Peter Achterberg, Stef Aupers and Dick Houtman are to research this: not whether the conspiracies are true but who is receptive to them.
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Does air pollution affect the unborn child? What can we learn from brain scans of children? Are some people more likely to start smoking? You will find the answer to this and other questions at the exhibition ‘Van piep tot stok: jong geleerd, oud gezond!’ (‘From baby names to zimmer frames: learn young, learn fair’) at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam. The exhibition is based on the Erasmus MC’s large-scale, long-term research projects ERGO and Generation R. The exhibition at the Natural History Museum will run until 25 March 2012. www.nmr.nl
Judges’ verdicts
How does a judge’s impression of a suspect affect the form of punishment the judge imposes? And how do judges and suspects perceive different sorts of punishment, such as detention or community service? Sociologists Peter Mascini (EUR) and Don Weenink (WUR) have been awarded an NWO grant to study this. They are also going to look at whether the suspects’ behaviour towards the judge influences the kind of punishment the judge chooses. Little research has been conducted into how judges select from different forms of punishment, although research has been conducted into the inequality of decisions according to the degree of punishment. This is remarkable because judges have more freedom for the form than the degree of punishment.
Clean ‘green’ beds sought Drinking coffee
How much coffee you can drink depends on how good your liver is at processing the caffeine. This is determined by your genes, a large-scale study led by Erasmus MC has concluded. The research shows that the genes that determine whether you drink a lot of coffee also influence Parkinson’s disease and high blood pressure. Their exact relationship is still unknown. Head researcher Cornelia van Duijn says, ‘Patients with Parkinson’s Disease have been shown to drink less coffee. The question is whether drinking more coffee actually protects you from the disease or that the genes that determine that you do not drink a lot of coffee are coincidentally also the genes that play a role in Parkinson’s.’
The Erasmus MC is challenging the industry to disinfect hospital beds and mattresses in an efficient and sustainable way. About 70,000 beds and mattresses are cleaned each year at the Erasmus MC. This happens in a bed wash a bit like a car wash. A lot of hot water, steam, soap and warm air are needed for the cleaning. The current bed-washing centre coming to the end of its life, but instead of simply replacing such an expensive centre, the Erasmus MC is asking suppliers to come up with a solution for a clean ‘green’ bed. This sustainable idea needs to be put into practice in the summer of 2013. With the campaign, the Erasmus MC is hoping to discover and implement techniques from branches other than healthcare. Interested? You can find more information about the challenge at www.aanbestedingskalender.nl or via www. erasmusmc.nl
Urban network not the ultimate solution Could the cities in the Randstad area operate more efficiently together than alone? The supposed economies of scale always come up in the recurring discussions on this. However, this has not been proved, says EUR academic Martijn Burger in recent research. Burger studied examples in Great Britain, the Netherlands and the United States. Regions with one big centre proved to be more economically efficient than regions with multiple centres. For some economic functions, far-reaching collaboration between municipalities and provinces is conceivable or desirable; other functions, however, can better be organized at the local level. When discussing far-reaching collaboration between the provinces in the field of public transport, for example, you can’t blithely assume that this collaboration will make its management more efficient.
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Remco Zuidbroek (20) of Just Stuff webshop
Starting your own business Some students have a part-time job; others have their own business. Student start-ups are springing up like mushrooms, such as those of Remco Zuidbroek and Nira Talova. text René van Leeuwen photo Ronald van den Heerik
The headquarters of the Just Stuff webshop is in his parents’ attic. Remco Zuidbroek (20), a student of Economics at the EUR, began the shop together with his younger brother Rick (17), whom he calls without fail his ‘business partner’. Just Stuff sells the hippest and newest fashion accessories. Previously, the two brothers set up a terrace-cleaning business, but Just Stuff has a much tighter organization. ‘The number of webshop start-ups in the Netherlands is huge,’ says Zuidbroek, ‘but lots of people stop after two months when they realize that it isn’t as easy as they
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thought. Being an entrepreneur means persevering and that has nothing to do with age or experience.’ Persevering means hard work. The webshop doesn’t yet generate enough money, says Zuidbroek, which is why he has two part-time jobs alongside his studies and his own business. His parents are impressing upon him that the main thing is to complete his degree, ‘but they do support us. You learn a lot at university. You get a lot of theory, but you have to find a way of putting it into practice. By having your own business you learn an incredible amount.’ Remco’s fellow students sometimes have a bit of a laugh about his company. He shrugs his shoulders. The suppliers are a bigger problem. They sometimes give a funny look when the two lads enter their office. He says the solution is to study the brand well, be prepared and show that you are serious and business-like.
Online bridge Nira Talova (30) is also in the internet business, with her Bridge Big online bridge platform. Talova met her husband René at the junior bridge world championship in 2001,
Entrepreneur and student
while still a student eventually moved to the Netherlands to be with him, and did a Master’s in Entrepreneurship at the EUR. She graduated in June 2011. With Talova’s business expertise, her husband’s passion for programming and their joint love of bridge they have found the perfect recipe for their business. After long nights spent ruminating, thinking and doubting, the couple took the plunge, and Bridge Big was launched. This was alongside her degree and their shared task of looking after their little daughter. Talova gradually becomes more and more positive when talking about working with her husband. She laughs, ‘they often say you shouldn’t play bridge with your husband. I don’t know what they’d say about setting up a bridge company with your husband.’
Boring card game Online bridge does already exist but not in the form which Talova has thought up. Players play the game ‘duplicate bridge’ and pay Bridge Big a small fee on top of their ‘entry fee’ for each tournament. That fee is called the ‘rake’ and is Bridge Big’s profit. The players play each other for money. Tens of millions of people all over the world are already
passionate players of the game – offline that is. Now the challenge for Talova is to make this gigantic market receptive to the online-bridge experience. Online poker is already much more well-known, but compared with bridge poker is about the most boring card game possible, if you ask Talova. Bridge is faster, more exciting and based on skill rather than luck. However, Talova and her husband did play online poker regularly for a while and won enough money doing so
Nira Talova (30) of Bridge Big online bridge platform
‘His parents keep emphasizing how important it is to finish his degree’ to live off. Family and friends jumped to their aid for the first investment in the company. Since then, Bridge Big has attracted such big investments that, alongside Talova and her husband, it can employ two full-time members of staff to develop the software. If all goes well, the site will be launched in December. This promises to be the biggest online bridge event in the world with a gigantic guaranteed prize pot.
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Erasmus University and the arts and culture
Planned cuts in brief - Cuts to the tune of EUR 200 to grants in the arts and culture sector. State Secretary Halbe Zijlstra is sparing a few top institutions such as the Rijksmuseum, the Nederlandse Opera and the Nederlands Dans Theater. - In addition, art schemes will be discontinued, such as the culture card for young people and the Artists’ Work and Income Act (WWIK) that supports starting artists. - Furthermore, the VAT on performance tickets was increased as of 1 July from 6 to 19 percent. The favourite art form of... cultural economist Arjo Klamer ‘Visual arts and the stage. I used to paint a lot myself and I’m a visual person. I find theatre a challenging art form, but interesting to see how a story is told through the physical.’ sociologist of art Hans Abbing ‘I find dance music very exciting. It’s the classical music of the future.’ economist Martijn Burger ‘I do amateur dramatics myself. I’m a particular fan of experience theatre. Theatre where the audience has an active role gets you thinking about things that seem obvious in daily life.’ cultural sociologist Dick Houtman ‘Music: from Bach to Johnny Cash and from Tom Waits to the Ramones.’
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Researchers on the cuts in the culture sector The arts and culture sector is under fire due to cuts and public opinion. What do researchers from Erasmus University think will be lost? And what could be gained? text Dennis Mijnheer illustration Lobke van Aar
These are interesting times for Arjo Klamer, Professor of Cultural Economics at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC): a lecture here, a symposium there and a discipline in which unrest is brewing. With the heavy cuts made by Rutte’s Cabinet in the arts and culture sector the arts have lost a significant part of their financial support. The pressing question at many organizations is what now? It was in the light of this that Arjo Klamer and Associate Professor Cees Langeveld held a symposium in March 2011 to collect ideas for alternative funding. It resulted in the book Pak Aan (Get Going), with contributions about the value of art and a hundred suggestions for alternative funding. In the museum world, they have already
The Wereldmuseum Rotterdam wants to sell part of its Africa collection taken some steps, with the Tropenmuseum Amsterdam now closed on Mondays and the museumgoudA selling off a top piece by Marlène Dumas in order to balance the books. Selling museum pieces is generally not done and this led to a storm of criticism, and the Netherlands Museums Association even threatened to expel museumgoudA. However, the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam has similar plans to sell part of its Africa collection.
Parasites That such taboos have been broken shows
how difficult times are. The scale of the cuts is unprecedented, but Dick Houtman, Professor of Cultural Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, believes they are part of the zeitgeist, ‘Before 2002 there was no political party for the man on the street, at least not with respect to questions other than those of economic distribution, but since Pim Fortuyn their voice has become a factor in politics. They tend to be suspicious of the cultural elite who were always able to create their own world. Your average Joe sees art as a left-wing hobby and thinks in terms of his cents being snatched away for strange arty-farty purposes. He views artists as a kind of parasite.’ This rhetoric is a result of new contrasts in society. ‘The cultural elite versus the cultural proletariat that has little affinity for art and culture,’ says Houtman, referring to the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, who discovered a relationship between a person’s interest in art and culture and a high level of education. ‘Those who have been through higher education now tend to belong to GroenLinks (the Dutch Green Party), which is the party par excellence of the cultural elite,’ he says. This observation is confirmed by a Synovate survey that was carried out for the Nova current affairs programme. Those who voted for GroenLinks were least willing to cut the budget of the arts and culture sector (39% agreed with cuts in the arts and culture sector), whereas the supporters of the right-wing Cabinet were considerably more willing (CDA: 68%, VVD: 64% and its support partner, the PVV: 66%).
Special status The cuts to the arts and culture sector have therefore not just been prompted by the financial crisis, says Hans Abbing. He is Associate Professor of the Sociology of Art at the University of Amsterdam and works at the ESHCC as a thesis supervisor. ‘The taboo on questioning the value of art has been broken. Ten years ago, this was still unthinkable and you would be dismissed as a cultural barbarian.’
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Erasmus University and the arts and culture
There is less respect for the arts now,’ says Abbing. He expects such criticism to cause a decline in the symbolic value of art, and he thinks the paradoxical result of this will be that artists’ incomes actually rise, ‘Art is swathed in magic, authenticity, fame, an artist’s signature and the star status of some artists. This symbolic value means many young people are satisfied with a very low income in exchange for the special status of being an artist. But if art, and consequently the artist, becomes more “ordinary”, people will no longer be prepared to work for such ridiculously low pay.’
‘If art becomes more normal, the ridiculously low income of an artist will increase’
such as publishing, design, advertising and radio and television.’ Burger also points to how the arts and culture attract people who have been through higher education, ‘They want a higher quality of life, and the arts and culture are often considered part of this. If there is a lively cultural scene the human capital of a town increases, and a population with more people who have been through higher education is attractive to businesses. They set up shop in the cities where they can find good people,’ says Burger, drawing on the example of the recent move made by the Philips head office to Amsterdam.
Pioneering role A flourishing arts and culture sector also has a positive effect on urban development, according to Klamer, ‘Towns that are good economic performers almost always have a flourishing cultural sector with lots of active artists. Years ago, Soho was a degenerating
Cost-benefit analysis Now the taboo has been broken much is being made of the cost of the arts and culture sector. RTL News documented the whole jungle of grants. They added together all the arts and culture grants provided by municipalities, provinces and the government and came to the figure of EUR 1.7 billion in 2009. That is an average of EUR 100 per member of the Dutch population. With EUR 188 per person, the inhabitants of Rotterdam contribute the most. The question is what the proceeds of the cultural sector are. There are no hard figures, but according to Klamer, a cultural economist, they are not the right criterion to use anyway, ‘With cultural institutions what is more important is how many people have been inspired. We humans are spiritual beings who like to seek out something “higher”. The church used to have a significant role here, but nowadays many people seek an equivalent in music and other forms of art. They want to invest in their cultural capital, in their capacity to be inspired.’ However, Martijn Burger, university lecturer at the EUR’s Department of Applied Economics, is currently trying to document the proceeds from the art and cultural sector. ‘The indirect proceeds are often left out of the discussion,’ he says. ‘Artists are often significant to the regional labour market. People with degrees in the arts learn skills that are useful in other sectors,
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neighbourhood in New York. This meant that artists could buy a cheap loft and atelier, and that gave the area an enormous boost. Soho has now become a beautiful neighbourhood.’ Klamer can see a similar phenomenon occurring in Amsterdam-Noord (North Amsterdam), which is jokingly called ‘Amsterdam-Gestoord’ (Crazy Amsterdam) in the Amsterdam vernacular. ‘Artists there have been given the NDSM grounds and that has given the area a boost. The Film Museum will be moving there soon. The pioneering role of artists in urban development is often overlooked.’ This is partly why economist Burger does not think the cuts have been particularly cleverly implemented.
Joop van den Ende calls for government funding International theatre and
The success of an institution depends on this, but it should be about whether your idea has been turned into a successful performance and whether enough people were inspired. With the current grant system there is no need to make a performance relevant to the audience. You just have to convince the backers.’ Associate Professor of Sociology of Art Abbing, agrees, ‘The audience is currently unimportant. If only 15 percent of your income comes from ticket sales, you don’t focus on the audience but on the bodies that are providing the other 85 percent. Then it seems as if you are creating autonomous art, but that’s actually absolute nonsense; you’re still focusing on the committees that are awarding the grants.’ The cuts could cause a sea change in thinking, ‘I think that institutions will focus a lot more on business economics and will have to make a product for which there is sufficient demand.’
television producer Joop van den Ende spoke of the value of the arts and culture in the Mandeville Lecture at the EUR on 19 May 2011. Van den Ende was honoured on this day by the University and the Rotterdam business community with a ‘social honorary doctorate’ for his pioneering role in live entertainment and his contribution to culture in the Netherlands. Van den Ende closed his lecture ‘Philanthropy in the Netherlands’ with some advice for State Secretary Halbe Zijlstra. He advised setting up a government fund
‘The pioneering role of artists is often overlooked’ of EUR 100 million for good
Halbe Zijlstra announced that a few top institutions in particular, such as the Rijksmuseum and the Nederlands Dans Theater, would be spared. Burger says, ‘for big companies and sponsors it is precisely the top institutions that they wish to be associated with. They are more likely to put money into these than into smaller, less well-known organizations. The government should therefore continue to provide financial support for these peripheral groups.’
Autonomous art Cultural economist Klamer expects the cuts to have a positive effect on the arts and culture sector, ‘In the current grant system it is all about securing funding.
Crowdsourcing
blockbuster exhibitions in the
Klamer thinks it is becoming increasingly important to involve the audience in an artistic production to raise money. That is certainly the case with crowdsourcing, where individuals can make a small donation in order to make a production financially possible. Klamer also refers to America where the government hardly contributes at all to the arts and culture sector. Museums and orchestras are primarily funded by donations. Abbing does not expect external funding will provide enough: ‘The Netherlands does not have a philanthropic tradition in the arts. I think that more can be achieved if there is a greater focus on making savings. That should be possible with some performing arts, for example the opera. So much is set in stone there: an opera absolutely has to cost a million and if it was written for 75 people, then 75 people absolutely have to perform it. It is childish and almost a fetish.’ Abbing thinks that there will be a need to let go of such principles, ‘If the opera has less money, then the directors can decide to produce fewer operas or they will have to start making cheaper operas. I expect the latter will be the case.’
most important museums in the Netherlands. Half of this amount would be set aside for international marketing to attract tourists to the Netherlands for such exhibitions. An additional advantage would be that the Nederlandse Opera, the ballet and the symphonic orchestras would also benefit from artloving tourists. On the basis of figures from London, New York and Paris, he calculated that the Dutch scenario would mean 3.4 million more tourists coming to the Netherlands, who would spend EUR 388 on average per person. The earnings would be EUR 1.3 billion, EUR 650 million of which would flow to the treasury in the form of taxes.
erasmusalumni. magazine 29
Why Rotterdam?
So I opened an icecream parlour in Beijing The Chinese student Yangsong Li fell in love with the ice cream at De IJssalon ice-cream parlour on De Meent in Rotterdam. Once back home, he opened a branch in Beijing. text Mieke Fiers photo Ronald van den Heerik
Name: Yangsong Li (28) Studied: Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Logistic Management Graduated: 2010 Proud of: De IJssalon (The Ice-Cream Parlour) foto below: De IJssalon on De Meent)
Of course Yangsong Li knew what ice cream was before he came to study in Rotterdam in 2004. There are different branches of icecream chains such as Haägen-Dazs and Cold Stone Creamery in his hometown. But what he discovered in De IJssalon in Rotterdam was, he believes, ‘unique’. ‘I lived on the same street, on De Meent. Every time I walked past the ice-cream parlour, I would want to buy an ice cream, and if the weather was slightly good, I usually did. I tried all the flavours, and they’re all equally nice. My personal favourites are pistachio and fresh mint. ‘Whilst I was studying I saw De IJssalon grow to become the most popular ice-cream parlour in Rotterdam. New branches were opened in other towns, and this growth led to
my idea of opening an IJssalon in Beijing.’ He approached Robin Alting with the idea. Alting has often won the Dutch ice-creammaking competition and is the owner of De IJssalon. Once Yangsong was back in Beijing in July 2010, the preparations began, and the parlour opened in mid-2011. The name and logo of the Chinese IJssalon are the same as the Dutch ones, and the ice cream is made according to Robin Alting’s recipes. The ice-cream makers in the different locations are in regular touch. ‘De IJssalon is doing well because it combines a modern look with the traditional Italian style,’ says Yangsong. ‘Chinese people love ice cream. They enjoy the delicious taste of Italian ice cream made from the best of ingredients.’
erasmusalumni. magazine 31 29
Alumni Affairs
Erasmus University Rotterdam Alumni & Corporate Relations Office Carien van der Wal Room A1-60 010-4081815 vanderwal@smc.eur.nl www.alumni.nl Erasmus Alumni Advisory Board Frans van Houten, Derek Roos, Dominique Schrijer, Michel Dutrée, Paul van de Maas, Sietze Hepkema, Henk Weltevreden, Ebru Umar, Dick Verbeek, Ila Kasem, Steven van Eijck, Frans Weisglas,
Dies Natalis 2011 The 98th birthday of Erasmus University will be celebrated on 8 November. According to tradition, the University will award an honorary doctorate on this its Dies Natalis. This year the doctorate goes to Lord Alan Rodger. Rodger, a Scot, was a judge in the Supreme Court, the highest legal body in the United Kingdom. The honorary doctorate will be awarded posthumously, because Rodger died in June 2011 at the age of 66.
Pieter Zevenbergen (voorzitter), Marcella Breedeveld, Rinske Brand, Lilianne Ploumen, Fiona Dove, Jan Hendrik Egberts, Arie Fakkert. New Director of Development Esther Huls has been working as Director of Development at the Alumni Office since 15 August. Before this, she worked as Corporate & Foundation Partnerships Manager at UNICEF Nederland. Esther (1969) studied Business Administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She is responsible for setting up an EUR-wide fundraising portfolio and for the coordination of fundraising activities.
Tuesday 8 November 2011, 3.30 p.m. Auditorium www.eur.nl/dies
New UB-card process From 1 January 2012, the Alumni Office will no longer provide UB membership cards. Alumni who wish to acquire a membership card will be able to do so at the UB itself from this date. In 2012, the membership card will cost €15 per year. Language courses The Language and Training Centre (TTC) of the EUR
32 erasmusalumni. magazine
provides evening courses in Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, English, French and German. EUR alumni receive a 10% discount on the fee for external participants. http://www.eur.nl/ttc/alumni/ Social Media Erasmus University is making increasing use of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to communicate with its graduates. The Erasmus Alumni Office also has its own YouTube channel (AlumniEUR). If you have any pictures or films (from the old days or from now), we’d love you to contact alumni@smc.eur.nl. WO-Monitor Did you graduate between 1/10/09 and 30/09/10 (Bachelor’s, no further degree, Master’s or PhD)? Please note: the biennial WO-Monitor will be conducted in the autumn of 2011. The results of this will be used to make changes to the educational and alumni policy of the University. So please take part. International Alumni Barometer A survey was conducted in the spring of 2011 of the international alumni of Dutch universities. The results of this survey can be found at www.eur.nl/ alumni Erasmus Alumni Association EAV secretarial office PO Box 4382 3006 AJ Rotterdam 0031(0)10 4149407 www.erasmusalumnivereniging.nl
Desiderius dis/dies EAV in collaboration with ESE Dr A.H.G. (Alexander) Rinnooy Kan, SER Chair, former Rector Magnificus of the EUR and EAV member, will discuss with a few prominent younger alumni of ESE and other EUR faculties current issues that concern them. 27 October 2011, 4.30 p.m., Museum of Natural History Rotterdam, Westzeedijk 345 (Museumpark), 3015 AA, Rotterdam www.erasmusalumnivereniging.nl www.nmr.nl/nmr/home.do HonEURs HonEURs Alumni Association Sanida Sejkic Room M7-34 06-42877491 www.honeursalumnivereniging.nl Alumni organization for former participants of the Erasmus Honours Programme. The aim of HonEURs is to continue to increase the knowledge and network of Honours Programme alumni. It does this by organizing meetings on a specific topic with prominent speakers, cultural gatherings and receptions. If you took part in the Erasmus Honours Programme and are not yet a member of the HonEURS association or know anyone else who took part and is not yet a member, please contact us at: info@ honeursalumnivereniging.nl. Studium Generale/ Erasmus Culture Fedde Spoel/ Lucienne Boehmer Rooms E1-47/ E1-38
010-4082693/ 010-4081394 www.eur.nl/sgec In Praise of Folly, a bestseller for 500 years Wetenschapscafé with Prof. Hans Trapman, Cultural Historian (EUR) Mon 31 October 2011, 7.30 p.m., Dik T, Hoogstraat 110, Rotterdam www.science4you Come to your senses Lunch lecture series about the senses. www.eur.nl/sgec
Taste in worms By Dr Gert Jansen (cell biologist, Erasmus MC) Tue 15 Nov 2011, 12.30 p.m., Lecture Hall 3, Erasmus MC The hidden sense Art and science in all its glory. By Dr Cretien van Campen (psychologist) and Caro Verbeek (art historian) Tue22 Nov 2011, 12.30 p.m., Lecture Hall 3, Erasmus MC Imageneering Stimulating the senses: a new step in marketing and management. By Ronald Ligtenberg, founder of Skyway Foundation and lecturer at the EuroCollege in Rotterdam. Tue 29 Nov 2011, 12.00 noon, M1-19, Woudestein
Autumn guest: Inez Weski The top Dutch criminal lawyer Inez Weski has a preference for complex mega cases rather than your run-of-the-mill ones. She has represented a number of high-profile clients including Desi Bouterse, Guus K. (arms trading in Liberia) and August B. (Schiphol diamond robbery). This EUR alumna is known for her work ethic, her loud, infectious laugh and her vast knowledge of the subject. With her favourite film, TV and music clips, Weski will be talking to Geert Maarse (editor of Erasmus Magazine) about a number of things, including her relationship with the Public Prosecution Service and the Dutch legal system. Thu. 17 Nov 2011, 7.30 p.m., De Unie, Mauritsweg 34-35 www.eur.nl/sgec The end of all times The autumn programme of Studium Generale will end with a big bang! Just before the Christmas holiday, as 2011 draws to a close, Maarten Keulemans will be giving a lecture about different theories that proclaim that 2012 will mark the end of all times. Keulemans is science journalist for De Volkskrant and author of the book and website Exit Mundi: the 50 best scenarios. During this lunch lecture, Dr Stef Aupers, cultural sociologist at the FSW EUR will look into the question of how conspiracy theories actually arise. There will also be a spoken column by Gert van der Ende (Editor-in-Chief of Erasmus Magazine). Every twentieth person to register will receive free entry to the year 2012! Tue 13 Dec.
2011, 12 noon, VB-47, Woudestein www.eur.nl/sgec
Erasmus School of Economics Alumni Matters ESE Charles Hermans hermans@ese.eur.nl Room H7-19 010-4081803 www.esealumni.nl The ESE organizes a number of annual events such as the ESE Alumni Day in the spring on the opening day of the EFT Business Week, and the Autumn Day. www.esealumni.nl Agenda This year the ESE is organizing the Autumn Day together with the Erasmus Alumni Association (EAV). It will take place on 27 October 2011. www. erasmusalumnivereniging.nl or www.esealumni.nl Links with alumni The ESE attaches great importance to a strong relationship between the alumni themselves, and between the alumni and their faculty. This means graduates can learn from the practical experiences of others and can keep up to date with developments in their field. All new ESE alumni receive a twoyear trial membership of the EAV as a gift from their faculty.
The port and ‘wet’ law The Erasmus Alumni Association’s ‘Kring van Juristen’ (circle of lawyers) and the Stichting Dutch Legal Network for Shipping and Transport (DLNST) are giving a presentation on Thursday 15 December at the Port of Rotterdam Authority entitled ‘The Rotterdam Port and “wet” law in 2011’. DLNST Director Emily Dérogée will be talking about Dutch transport law, jurisprudence and arbitration, a judge will explain the current role of the ‘wet chamber’, and the maritime and transport-related law degree programmes will be presented. In short, this is a must for Rotterdam’s legal experts. 15 December 2011, 1.30 p.m., Port of Rotterdam Authority, 17th floor, Wilheminakade 909, Rotterdam www.dlnst.nl
Erasmus Education Fund The aim of the fund is to support initiatives that enable underprivileged, talented young people to benefit from further education and thus develop into the leaders of the future. More information at www. erasmuseducationfund.nl If you would like to make a financial contribution, please transfer it to account number 11.69.09.436 in the name of the Erasmus Trustfonds, Rotterdam stating ‘Erasmus Education Fund’.
erasmusalumni. magazine 33
Alumni Affairs
FSR looking for international companies Twenty students (in the last phase of their degree in Finance or Accountancy) are visiting Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok from 23/4 to 4/5 2012 as part of a research project. A further group of twenty students will solve prestigious cases at different
companies in Milan (2630/3/2012). The Financial Studies Association Rotterdam is therefore looking for companies in the above cities that are prepared to receive a group of students for a morning or afternoon programme. activities@fsr.nu or 010 – 408
‘Advo-coach’ begun Via the Advo-coach programme, which was set up by ESL, VU and NOvA, B2 and B3 students can familiarize themselves with the legal profession under the supervision of a lawyer. More information from Munish Ramlal, ramlal@law.eur.nl.
Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS)
Mosaic Grant for alumnus Bouabid Criminology alumnus
FSS Alumni Matters Public Administration: Lalita Rambhadjan Room M8-34 010-4082526 www.eur.nl/fsw/bsk/abeur alumnisociologie@fsw.eur.nl active LinkedIn group @ABEUR_alumni New ABEUR Board Eva van Beek, Jeanine Evers, Gerco Buijk and Linda Jansen New professors Prof. Harry Geerlings, Sustainable mobility Prof. Steven van de Walle, Comparative Public Administration
Giving for science and culture The science and the arts and culture sectors are currently being confronted with the government’s partial withdrawal as financial backer. This means they must seek alternative sources of funding. Patronage seems to be the magic word here, but what exactly is patronage in the context of universities and culture? A financial donation, but also sharing knowledge and experience or a network can also represent welcome help. Reason enough to put the spotlight on patronage, giving to science and culture, on the eleventh De Doelder Day on 18 November 2011. The issue, of course, will be placed in a legal and academic context. Register via www.esl.eur.nl/doelderdag. 18 November 2011, 1.15 p.m., Novotel Brainpark http://www.esl.eur.nl/doelderdag
34 erasmusalumni. magazine
Psychology Ilona Boutestijn Room T13 boutestijn@fsw.eur.nl Sociology Dr Erik Snel Room M6-34 snel@fsw.eur.nl
Erasmus School of Law (ESL) ESL Alumni Matters Arnoud Houweling Room L5-30 010-4089758 www.frg.eur.nl/alumni
Abdessamad Bouabid has received a prestigious Mosaic Grant of EUR 200,000 from NWO. Bouabid will study the group image of young Moroccans and has already been the focus of a storm of media attention ranging from the Telegraaf newspaper to the BNR radio station.
Professor of Enforcement Issues in Private Law Prof. N. Rickman, Professor of Chair Costs and Benefits of Regulation Prof. A.R. Houweling, Endowed Professor of Labour Law Prof. M.J. van Ginneken, Professor of International Company Law with a particular focus on International Corporate Governance Prof. J.B.S. Hijink, Professor of Financial Reporting Lawt
Erasmus MC Erasmus MC Alumni Affairs Erasmus MC, Room Fe 331 010-7044538 alumni@erasmusmc.nl www.erasmusmc.nl/ verenigingen/alumni Erasmus MC Alumni Association Laurence Walhout Room Fe 331 010-7044538 alumni@erasmusmc.nl
(photo: mildred Ramzan)
Agenda 1/12/2011 final lecture of Prof. R. Foqué 18/11/2011 De Doelder Day 2011: ‘The new patronage: giving to science and culture’ Inaugural lectures 10/11/2011 Prof. G. Wagner 2/12/2011 Prof. R.H.J.M. Staring 9/12/2011 Prof. W.S.R. Stoter Professors appointed Prof. R.W.M. Giard, Professor of Methodology and Liability Prof. A. Stadler, Professor of Comparative Mass Litigation Prof. M.W. Scheltema,
Faculty of Philosophy (FW) FW Alumni Matters Ticia Herold 010-4088980 alumni@fwb.eur.nl ERA Alumni Association Monique Goense moniquegoense@hotmail.com
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication ESHCC Alumni Matters Sabai Doodkorte Room L3-30 010-4082874 doodkorte@eshcc.eur.nl www.eshcc.eur.nl/alumni
Labour Market Orientation Days Different workshops such as practice interviews and the use of social media when looking for a job. 22 and 23 February 2012, 9.00 a.m-5:00 p.m., Woudestein Campus www.eshcc.eur.nl/amo Alumni Reception 23 February 2012, 7.00-9.00 p.m., De Etage, L-Building, Woudestein Campus www.eshcc.eur.nl/alumni
museums play in this? This is the subject of the symposium The Museum as Middleman that the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland (South Holland Heritage House) are holding on 10 November in Dordrecht Museum. 10 November 2011 Dordrecht Museum www.eshcc.eur.nl
National Heritage Symposium: The museum as middleman What turns individuals into a community and what role can
Gijsbert Oonk to Harvard Gijsbert Oonk has been appointed the Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. International visiting scholar in the Business History Group, Harvard University, Boston, 2011-2012. He will be on the Harvard Campus in Boston from 15 April to 15 June 2012.
Alumni ESHCC LinkedIn Group Become a member of the ESHCC Alumni Group on LinkedIn. The Faculty’s Alumni Office publishes alumni news, job vacancies and offers on this page. You can find the link to the alumni group on the website: www.eschcc.eur. nl/alumni.
Anniversary of Histartes Faculty Associations Histartes will celebrate its thirtieth birthday in February 2012. The association’s anniversary committee is busy with preparations for a five-day celebration. Former Histartes members are welcome to join the anniversary celebrations. http://histartes.nl
On this page you will find a small selection of our stunning col-
One euro of each order is donated to the Erasmus Scholarship
lection of promotional gifts from Erasmus University. You can
Fund. The aim of this fund is to give intelligent young people
find our full collection at www.eur.nl/faciliteiten/relatiegeschen-
from outside the European Union the chance to study at Rotter-
ken/assortiment/. Orders can be placed by sending an e-mail to
dam. For more information and donations visit:
bestelling@eur.nl.
www.eur.nl/alumni/esf.
Rrob derks / rene leisink
Erasmus in Europe € 3,95 The life story of Erasmus, in comic–book format; from 7 years of age, but for all ages. Dutch or English
Sweatshirt* € 29,95 Colours: pink/d.blue/ grey/green Sizes: xs – xxl * Sweatshirt plus jogging bottoms (not shown) for € 50 together
Pen set € 35 Ballpoint pen + fountain pen
T-shirt € 14,95 Colours: black / white / blue / grey / brown / green Sizes: xs – xxl
Bronze statue of Erasmus € 99,65 Height: 15 cm
Chocolate bar € 3,50 (Ø 12 cm)
Photography (partly): Frank Versteegen/www.encreative.nl
erasmus in europa Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
Erasmus University Rotterdam
EUR promotional gifts
Alumni Affairs
Rotterdam School of Management RSM Alumni Matters Eva Rood, Business Administration Relations Alumni Manager Room T6-25 010-408 2698 alumni@rsm.nl www.alumni.nl RSM Outlook If you no longer receive – or have never received – our twice-yearly corporate magazine with business administration articles and alumni news, it is because we don’t have your latest address in our files. Send your contact details to alumni@rsm.nl and you will receive Outlook from now on.
international students, faculty, researchers, alumni, business leaders and staff with one unifying commitment: to make business, and business education, an instrument of positive change that can change the world. The RSM Annual Fund ensures that the most talented, promising and creative young leaders of the future will be part of the RSM community through our scholarship programmes. www.rsm.nl/annualfund
Erasmus Marketing Alumni Association Lina Hu Room H15-26 010-4081838 www.emaa.nl
Communication There is intensive communication between ISS and its alumni, and between the alumni themselves via newsletters and e-mail but mainly via Facebook and LinkedIn. During 2011, as the ISS website is incorporated in the EUR website, the alumni data of ISS will also be incorporated in the Erasmus Alumni Database. Graduation Ceremony The graduation ceremony will take place on 16 December 2011 when the MA students will be awarded their degrees. This event can be followed live on the website by all the family members, friends and others who are unable to attend. 16 December 2011, Woudestein Campus www.eur.nl/alumni
International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)
Alumni events and newsletter For a current and complete overview of alumni events visit our website or subscribe to our electronic newsletter. You will then receive a monthly overview of news and meetings. Send us an e-mail with ‘Newsletter Subscription’ in the subject line and we will put you on our mailing list. Give back through the RSM Annual Fund RSM is a diverse community of
36 erasmusalumni. magazine
ISS Alumni Matters Sandra Nijhof Kortenaerkade 12 2518 AX The Hague +31 70 4260 414 Alumni@iss.nl www.iss.nl/alumni About ISS The ISS in The Hague, which has been part of the EUR since 2009, has a global network of more than 11,000 alumni. The majority of these alumni come from developing or transition countries. There are regular alumni meetings at different locations to which other EUR alumni are often invited.
iBMG iBMG Alumni Matters Ernst Bakker alumni@bmg.eur.nl www.bmg.eur.nl/alumni Inaugural lecture of Professor Hans Severens Economic Evaluation in Healthcare Demands European Collaboration. Before the lecture a minisymposium will be held with international speakers. 11 November 2011, 4.00 p.m., Auditorium, Woudestein Campus www.bmg.eur.nl
Big Pharma: Principles vs. Profits International Congress 8-9 December 2011, Woudestein Campus www.erasmusobservatoryonhealthlaw.nl Academic Programme: Healthcare Management Programme in six course units focusing on the expanding the knowledge and skill of directors, policymakers and managers in the healthcare branch. Sessions on 16/3, 20/4, 1/6, 7/9, 5/10, 9/11 (all in 2012) Erasmus Centre for Management Development in the Healthcare Branch from 16 March 2012, Woudestein Campus, €4,500 (includes literature) www.erasmuscmdz.nl Alumni Association Health Policy & Management Alumni Association (aBMG) Yvonne van Persie secretaris@abmg.nl www.abmg.nl Congress: Networking in the Healthcare Branch The new network society requires people to work faster and more efficiently, and awakens expectations in healthcare providers and consumers. It also provides opportunities in the field of innovation and services closer to home, something which the new cabinet is also committing to with its policy objective Care Close to Home (Zorg Dichtbij). 6 October 2011, 1.00-7.00 p.m. Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in The Hague
Column …in corpore sano
http://abmg.nl/nieuws/2011/ congres-abmgjongvwsnetwerken-in-de-zorg. html
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies IHS Alumni International Sarah Steendam Room T14-33 +31 10 4089874 www.ihs.nl/alumnii
IHS Alumni Day 2011 The IHS’s past and present came together in a warm atmosphere on the IHS Alumni Day 2011, 25 May. IHS alumni from all over the world, students and staff exchanged ideas and shared experiences and memories.
IHS consultant database IHS would like to invite alumni to submit their CVs to the consultant database if they wish to cooperate on future projects. http://cvip.assortis.com/ihs/ apply/register.asp/ advisory@ihs.nl IHS employs alumni IHS Alumni Jeannette Calder (UMD5) and Anteneh Getnet Dagnachew (UMD4) were
employed on temporary assignments at the IHS. Their replacements are Veronica Olivotto (UMD6) and Oreoluwa Fika (UMD4). Updates for Urban Professionals For a number of years, the financial support of NUFFIC has enabled the IHS to hold regional refresher courses for its alumni and other urban professionals. This autumn, four refresher courses will take place in Nigeria, Ecuador, Egypt and South Africa. http://www.ihs.nl/alumni/ refresher_courses
Erasmus Institute for Financial Planning IFP Alumni Affairs Theo Hoogwout Room H 16-07 010-4081491 www.erasmusifp.nl Symposium: Investing in Real Estate The symposium will cover fiscal news regarding investing in real estate as well as investment perspectives in the Netherlands, Europe and/or the world. Investing in land, housing or shops will be discussed. 2 November 2011, doors open at 3.30 p.m. (starts at 4.00 p.m.), Woudestein Campus, Q Building www.erasmusifp.nl
Spring 1992, the refectory of the Catholic University of Leuven and we’re on the first foreign tour of the newly established Antibarbari Rotterdam Student Football Association. The student athletes in the canteen suddenly start banging on the table with their cutlery en masse, first softly and gently, then harder and harder. Great! We join in. Then English students in cocktail dresses who are dotted throughout the refectory jump on the tables. Amid loud cheers, the ladies strip off their clothes. This makes a huge impression on me, a young student fresh from the Achterhoek. For me, such moments are as inseparable from an active student life as meeting kindred spirits who might turn out to be friends for life. And there’s the management and social skills students learn from working for their association, be it a sport, study or fun association. Student sports also ensure mens sana in corpore sano: a healthy mind in a healthy body. This can’t do any harm after a night out on the town. What led me to take on the role of director of Erasmus Sport (previously Student Facilities Foundation Rotterdam) two-and-ahalf years ago was the conviction that what we want to give our students is a way to keep fit, social links, enriching experiences and memorable sport events. We want more and more students to experience this added value of student sports. This is why Rotterdam is also making a bid for the 2014 European Universities Games. On 26 November 2011, the announcement will be made about whether these games will be held in Lisbon, Wroclaw or Rotterdam. If we get the Games, four thousand students from all over Europe will come to Rotterdam for two weeks in July 2014 to take part in ten different sports: badminton, basketball, golf, handball, rowing, table tennis, tennis, football, volleyball and indoor football. For Erasmus University Rotterdam this would be a fantastic culmination to the 2013-2014 centenary celebrations. We want a student village to be the central meeting place for our foreign guests and Rotterdam students. Together with North Sea Jazz and Erasmus Culture, we are going to put on stunning performances in and around the new student pavilion each evening. And we will be able to watch the last phase of the World Cup in Brazil together, hopefully with the Netherlands in the final. It should be an unforgettable experience for the students. And we’ll make sure we have sturdy tables in the refectory. Menso de Maar (1970) is the director of Erasmus Sport and graduated in Business Economics from the EUR in 1997.
erasmusalumni. magazine 37
Waaromthe Erasmus Academie Choose values of top education Erasmus Academy: institute for postgraduate training
Algemene informatie www.erasmusacademie.nl
Erasmus Academy is not any old educational institution. What we at Erasmus Academy excel at is translating academic research into high-quality courses for you and your organization. Our core values drive us to do so. We want to inspire Erasmus Academy believes in high-quality knowledge that stimulates, inspires and motivates. This is knowledge that comes from academic research and has been made accessible and useable for our clients. Our clients can also use this knowledge to inspire their own organizations and others.
The power of innovation Erasmus Academy believes in the power of innovation and improvement. We are therefore constantly on the lookout for new subjects and disciplines that our clients can use and for new teaching methods with which to share this knowledge with them.
Collaboration is key Erasmus Academy believes that collaboration is the key to success: the collaboration with Erasmus University, with our partners and with our clients; the collaboration that inspires the development of new knowledge and new
degree programmes; and, of course, the collaboration that leads to the highest quality of education possible.
Sustainability as a priority Erasmus Academy believes in knowledge that contributes to sustainable development, in knowledge that has a lasting effect on both the individual and the organization. This shapes the design of our programmes. They are therefore developed in such a way that our clients profit optimally from the investment they have made.
Committed and diverse Erasmus Academy believes that knowledge must also contribute to a fair and open society. Our hope is that our degree programmes do not just contribute to our economic ambitions but also to more commitment to the world, to personal development and to critical powers of judgment. Knowledge must open one’s eyes to other people and things, to diversity and to changing perspectives.
Do you believe the same and does this appeal to you? If so, I would like to invite you to contact me (tel. 010-408 2090, e-mail hofstede@erasmusacademie.nl) for a meeting about our programmes. Alternatively, go to www.erasmusacademie.nl for our extensive selection of courses. Ad Hofstede, Director of Erasmus Academy Institute for postgraduate education, Erasmus University Rotterdam Legal | HR & Leadership | ICT & Management | Policy & Administration Financial & Business | Management & Strategy | Media & Communication Personal Development | In-company & Custom Solutions
Erasmus Academy: Lifelong learning
Family Portrait
The Klop Family (L-R) Brother: Erik, 65 Work: GP, retired Studied: Medicine from 1969 to 1975 Brother: Patrick, 60 Work: Orthopaedic surgeon Studied: Medicine from 1971 to 1977 Son (of Marius): Karel, 26 Work: PhD student in surgery Studied: Medicine from 2003 to 2010 Brother: Marius, 61 Work: Medical Advisor Studied: Medicine from 1969 to 1976
Three brothers looking over Karel’s shoulder The Klop family consisted of seven boys and one girl. Their father was a GP. Four of the sons also chose the medical profession, and three of them studied in Rotterdam - just like grandson Karel. text and photo Ronald van den Heerik
The brothers say, ‘A lot has changed in the degree programme. We had lots of separate partial course units: histology, anatomy, embryology, etc. Karel’s programme was more clinical and more integrated. In our days, everything was on a
smaller scale. The faculty was only three years old and there was only one lecture hall. The reputation of the subject has also changed. The increased vociferousness of the patient together with a more relativizing attitude has caused a decline in the status of the doctor, which probably isn’t a bad thing.’ Karel says ‘During my degree I had my father and uncles looking over my shoulder, which meant I had three extra opinions on the course material.’ Karel was a member of the RSC student fraternity just like his father and his uncle Patrick. They sometimes took advantage of the opportunity to visit him at the clubhouse. When the conversation turns to traditions in the fraternities, Erik shakes his head. He never joined.
Erik says, ‘I missed the ragging because of my military service, so I was invited to the fraternity for an introductory meeting. Whilst I sat waiting, a little upstart summoned me to stand up. Why should I do that and why are you using that tone to me was my immediate reaction. My student fraternity days were over before they even had a chance to begin.’ As a medical consultant, Marius makes use of the expertise of his brothers and his son Karel. Patrick has often given demonstrations in the dissection lessons that Karel gave as a student assistant. He would put a knee prosthesis in a cadaver, for example. Erik still has to get used to life now that he has retired, but he can still join in the conversation about the profession at family gettogethers.
erasmusalumni. magazine 39
YOu’RE CLEARLY AhEAd OF thE CuRVE RSM CAN kEEP YOU THERE As EUR alumnus you are a critical thinker with a desire to achieve. Now you are in the world of work. You know about success. You know the learning never stops. Are you ready for a boost with the best? We know your time is precious. You need the best practical tools with real results.
RSM Open Programmes offer world class training - straight to the point • The latest on the cutting edge issues you need to know about • Personal coaching from world class academics and business leaders • Outstanding professional networking opportunities
10% discount for alumni of RSM and EuR
For an overview of our open programmes please visit our website
www.rsm.nl/open
OPEN PROGRAMMES, A SERVICE LINE OF
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ROTTERDAM SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT ERASMUS UNIVERSITY