{"id":166938,"date":"2024-04-24T11:14:59","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T09:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=166938"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:18","slug":"a-day-with-robbert-dijkgraaf-when-youre-a-caretaker-minister-you-govern-as-if-every-day-is-your-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/04\/24\/a-day-with-robbert-dijkgraaf-when-youre-a-caretaker-minister-you-govern-as-if-every-day-is-your-last\/","title":{"rendered":"A day with Robbert Dijkgraaf: ‘When you\u2019re a caretaker minister, you govern as if every day is your last’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Presenting an award, receiving a report, complimenting everyone … It\u2019s a stress-free afternoon with Minister Dijkgraaf. \u201cI\u2019ve never quite felt that I was really a caretaker minister.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Robbert Dijkgraaf, Minister of Education, Culture and Science.<\/span><\/p>

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Robbert Dijkgraaf, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, always seems to be in a good mood. Looking at him, you\u2019d hardly think that these are turbulent times. The government has fallen, elections have been held and no one can predict where things will go from here. Maybe Dijkgraaf will remain in office for months, or maybe it will all be over tomorrow. How does he deal with that? What does a minister do, when any day could be his last?<\/p>\n

Performing his role with gusto<\/h2>

We follow him around for an afternoon. It\u2019s a bit like going out on the town with Santa. All eyes are on him. Dijkgraaf is the guest of honour, and he performs that role with gusto. He nods when someone talks sense and laughs at jokes. Today, he\u2019s driving his official car to a community centre in Nieuwegein to receive a report. The report discusses the role of the humanities in addressing complex social problems.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t