Jacco van Sterkenburg is the new Chief Diversity Officer

Jacco van Sterkenburg succeeds Jane Murray Cramm as the Chief Diversity Officer of the university. The professor of ‘Race’, Inclusion, and Communication conducts research into inclusion, equality, and diversity within the media and the world of sports. Among other things, he wants to work on increasing diversity in leadership positions.

As of February 1, Erasmus University has a new Chief Diversity Officer: Jacco van Sterkenburg. He will head the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Center, or IDEA for short. The people on this team are working to make the university diverse and inclusive, so that all staff and students feel safe. The university has had a Chief Diversity Officer since 2015, and IDEA has existed as a department since 2018.

“Erasmus University recognises the importance of IDEA”, says Van Sterkenburg. “A lot of good work has been done in recent years.” For example, initial targets for female professors have been achieved and after that raised. According to him, the university is also working hard to make the campus more physically accessible. “In the coming period, the team and I will look at areas where we can still improve. For example, we will investigate which groups are still being overlooked in policy.” To this end, they will look at student surveys, among other things, but Van Sterkenburg sincerely hopes that students and staff will approach him or IDEA if they have any ideas on this subject.

The coming years

In the coming years, the new Chief Diversity Officer hopes to work on increasing diversity in management positions and making more students and staff feel at home at this university. “If you ask me in three years’ time: what has been done? Then I hope to have a lot to tell you”, he says. “Of course, implementing change is not as simple as: we do our best and then everything will be better.” Van Sterkenburg is not particularly concerned about resistance to his plans; he finds the word ‘resistance’ a bit strong. “It’s always possible that people will oppose certain plans. In that case, it’s important to engage in dialogue. You have to find common ground.”

Annelien Bredenoord, chair of the Executive Board (CvB), says she is pleased with Van Sterkenburg’s appointment: “Jacco is an inclusive leader and someone who is good at connecting people. With his research into racism and discrimination, he contributes to a more equal society and the public debate on these relevant and important topics. The Executive Board looks forward to working with him.”