In Memoriam Thijmen de Bruine

It is with heavy sadness in our hearts that we share the news that Thijmen de Bruine, a third-year student in our Bedrijfskunde programme, recently passed away following a serious traffic accident while studying abroad at Tulane University – A.B. Freeman School of Business in New Orleans, USA. He fought bravely for his life for over six weeks; however, his injuries were too severe, and he passed away in November with his family by his side.

Thijmen truly embodied positive change in action. He was intellectually curious and aspired to make a lasting impact on the world by contributing to the global energy transition. At such a young age, he was already an entrepreneur, successfully managing a web shop while also balancing his love for kitesurfing and football, and volunteering as a pilot for Hoogvliegers Dagen, where he brought joy to developmentally challenged children by sharing his passion for flying. Thijmen had a kind and adventurous spirit, and we were proud to have him represent our school and our country during this exchange and, more importantly, of the person that he was. We are honoured to have been part of his life. He made a profound impact on all who knew him.

A memorial will be set up on T-3 in the Mandeville Building from Monday, 9 December, until Thursday, 19 December, for those who wish to pay their respects. Private messages, condolences, and photos are also being collected for his family and can be emailed to Erika Harriford-McLaren, RSM’s Communications Manager, at [email protected].

Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and everyone at Erasmus University who knew Thijmen. He will be deeply missed.

On behalf of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Michel Lander
RSM Dean of Education