{"id":108186,"date":"2020-01-20T16:21:40","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T15:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=108186"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:47:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:47:05","slug":"new-universitys-chair-isnt-merely-here-to-mind-the-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/01\/20\/new-universitys-chair-isnt-merely-here-to-mind-the-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"New university\u2019s Chair isn\u2019t merely here to mind the shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hans Smits (69) was appointed interim Chair of EUR\u2019s Executive Board in December. Although his term will be ending in just under six months, Smits isn\u2019t simply minding the shop. Before the summer, EUR needs to take a number of important decisions about its partnership with Delft University of Technology and the Erasmus MC. Time for an introductory interview.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

How were your first six weeks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cVery enjoyable! I\u2019ve read a great deal, had a lot of introductory meetings and gained new impressions. What struck me most is how incredibly enthusiastic and committed people are. It\u2019s very important to them that their decisions and considerations are balanced and substantiated. Of course this is also what you\u2019d expect at a university, but I can confirm that it\u2019s the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve had a long career working for various Ministries, the Port Authority, Schiphol, Rabobank, KLM. In which sense does university culture differ from your previous employers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to make generalisations, but one thing I have noticed is that decision-making goes a bit slower. There are a lot of stakeholders, and there\u2019s extensive consultation. While decisions are taken with more care, occasionally I do feel the level of detail is somewhat excessive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bureaucratic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sometimes I believe things could be handled more efficiently. But it\u2019s also part of the organisational culture, and it\u2019s something you\u2019re aware of beforehand. If you dread that kind of thing, this isn\u2019t the place for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Supervisory Board determines who will be Chair. You were yourself a member of this board at the time of your appointment. Isn\u2019t that a bit strange?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not as exceptional at it sounds. As a member of the Supervisory Board, you may run into situations where a seat on the Executive Board needs to be filled. At that point, it\u2019s quite normal for the Supervisory Board members to look across the table and ask: Who could do this? Who has the time for it? Whom can we trust with this job? The same thing happened when I was working for the Port Authority. My term at the construction company was winding down \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\n\t<\/button>\n<\/span>\n, so I was available. If this had cropped up six months ago, I would have said no.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you see as your main task over the next half year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been assigned a specific task, but we do need to take a number of important decisions in the period ahead. Make a start on the execution of the strategic plan, for example. And of course, we also need to flesh out the plans for the convergence projects with the Erasmus MC and with Delft and Leiden. That\u2019s something we will be focussing on as an Executive Board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018We want to set up an institution on our campus for applied research in the field of artificial intelligence, data and digitalisation\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Convergence projects?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the triptych of EUR\u2019s partnership with the Erasmus MC and Delft University. Starting with our collaboration in the field of health and technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecondly, in the area of artificial intelligence, data and digitalisation. This is becoming incredibly important. We want to set up an institution on our campus for applied research in this field. A kind of specialised science faculty. Why? Well, we\u2019re sitting on a mass of data, gathered in a range of different fields. In the near future, this information can be processed via all sorts of new technologies, allowing you to formulate new predictions or conclusions about a variety of phenomena. 85.000 students\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\n\t<\/button>\n<\/span>\n will get artificial intelligence in education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe third part of the triptych deals with the Rhine-Maas Delta region. Questions relating to sustainability and climate, for example, or health and social issues in metropolitan areas. EUR has a number of assets in this context, of course. In these projects, we want to team up with Delft, since they have expertise in the area of urban development, infrastructure, etc.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the near future, EUR will need to invest FTEs and funds in this triptych \u2013 new buildings, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

It sounds like a major, long-term project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLast Monday, we agreed to really maintain pace and round off a number of important decisions well before the summer. Indeed, I see this as one of the Executive Board\u2019s key tasks in the months ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which important decisions are we talking about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will we be doing exactly over the next few years? Which assets do we need for this? We\u2019ll be drawing up business plans for each of the three projects. Of course, we were already working together with other institutions via LDE and Medical Delta, but this is a bigger step by far. For example, it could mean that the medical faculty is jointly managed by Delft University of Technology and EUR. We\u2019ll be looking into this option.\u201d<\/p>\n

So we can definitely say that you aren\u2019t merely minding the shop?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I wouldn\u2019t even be here if that were the case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Don\u2019t talk to me about retirement, I\u2019ve really started to dislike that word\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

You were a student at EUR yourself in the 1970s. What were the main differences with today\u2019s university?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I studied Business Administration. But I actually didn\u2019t spend that much time here on campus. My programme was at the Business Administration inter-faculty, a joint faculty of Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University. Most of our lectures were in Delft. Except for Architecture and Construction Engineering, Delft was a very male environment. I studied Civil Engineering and whenever a woman showed up, you could see people\u2019s heads turning in her direction. That has changed for sure. And of course, another striking difference is the number of international students. In the 1970s they were quite rare.\u201d<\/p>\n

You have managed all sorts of large companies and complex organisations. Is heading a university a soothing dessert before retirement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t talk to me about retirement \u2013 I\u2019ve really started to dislike that word. When you\u2019re around 65, everyone keeps asking: so when will you be retiring? I hate that. As long as I still have my health and a challenge to sink my teeth in, I consider myself a very lucky man. I really enjoy working with other people, and this is definitely a job you do together.\u201d<\/p>\n

You plan on pursuing a doctorate too, correct?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. I\u2019ve already been in touch with an ESSB professor about an issue that I find very intriguing: how can hybrid organisations that operate on the public-private interface, but whose main task is serving the public interest, actually promote that common good? Power companies, for example, or infrastructure, Schiphol airport, the port. It can be quite tricky to operate on this interface. Sometimes, you see organisations swing too much in one direction, acting as if they\u2019re a regular corporation. Other companies remain stuck in a non-profit mentality. How does this work out with major projects like the realisation of a fifth runway at Schiphol, or the construction of Maasvlakte 2? And which guarantees can we come up with to protect the public interest? This is something I\u2019m very interested in researching \u2013 although I\u2019ve put it on hold until after the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an interview with Eindhovens Dagblad, you mentioned your \u2018home front\u2019 has asked you to take things a bit slower, but you\u2019re planning otherwise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Laughs: \u201cYou hit the nail on the head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t