{"id":199736,"date":"2026-10-01T13:51:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T11:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=199736"},"modified":"2026-10-01T13:55:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T11:55:04","slug":"25-jaar-rotterdamse-psychologie-we-hebben-er-toch-iets-moois-van-gemaakt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/10\/01\/25-jaar-rotterdamse-psychologie-we-hebben-er-toch-iets-moois-van-gemaakt\/","title":{"rendered":"25 years of Rotterdam Psychology: \u2018In the end we made something really special\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Psychology programme has been running for 25 years. \u2018Founding father\u2019 Henk Schmidt and founding lecturers joined students from the first cohort to share memories. \u201cHenk was the favourite and everyone was in love with Peter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Henk Schmidt and his very young colleagues from Maastricht in 2001. From left to right: Remy Rikers, Wilco te Winkel, Evelien Osseweijer, Henk Schmidt, Peter Verkoeijen and Gino Camp.<\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHenk Schmidt<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the basement of the Erasmus building, cakes and lemonade are ready on Friday afternoon. On the cocktail tables lie black-and-white photos of the first Psychology lecturers and students from 2001. Former student Frank Groosjohan is studying on a group photo. \u201cI can\u2019t locate myself\u201d, he says. He looks at the blurred faces on the print \u00a0in front of him. A moment later: \u201cOh, there I am. At the back on the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Maastricht<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Around thirty people come together on Friday afternoon to reminisce about the early days of the programme. In 2001, Psychology professor Henk Schmidt moved from Maastricht to Rotterdam to build a new psychology programme from the ground up. \u201cI lived in Limburg, in Epen, a lovely little village. But I also wanted to live in a big city at least once, so I could cycle to the cinema.\u201d That dream came true. From his home in Kralingen he could take his bike to Cinerama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schmidt did not come to Rotterdam all by himself. He brought four very young colleagues with him. Peter Verkoeijen was part of that group, along with Wilco te Winkel, Gino Camp and Remy Rikers. Some of them ended up living in Crooswijk. \u201cAnd we were immediately confronted with big-city charm. At one point, I think there was even a junk urinating against Wilco and Remy\u2019s front window. It was a huge glass fa\u00e7ade. We were initiated straight away\u201d, laughs Peter Verkoeijen. \u201cIt was an introduction to the real city. We were still a bit used to the provincial atmosphere of Maastricht.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first Psychology students in 2001.<\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCollection Psychology Faculty<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first students<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Maastricht lecturers arrived in January and by August 2001 the programme had already started with its first cohort of students. \u201cI was interviewed by Rotterdam\u2019s Algemeen Dagblad<\/em> and told them that a new programme was starting\u201d, Schmidt says. \u201cAnd on the open day, I think about a hundred students turned up.\u201d In the end, ninety students started on the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These first students also look back on their study years with great affection. \u201cI have always felt very much at home\u201d, says former student Wim Labree. \u201cThe programme was small, so you knew everyone. The lecturers were young, which made it very easy to approach them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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\n\t\t'Henk Schmidt is everyone\u2019s favourite. And everyone was secretly in love with Peter Verkoeijen'\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAn alumnus \n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the things that has stayed with him was a study trip to Vienna. They followed in the footsteps of Sigmund Freud, the Austrian founder of psychoanalysis, although there was little of Freud himself to see. \u201cWe spent half an hour in the Freud museum. That was it\u201d, he laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former student Dirk-Jan Bierenbroodspot has fond memories of a barbecue by the Kralingse Plas. \u201cI believe we always did that to kick off the academic year.\u201d His favourite lecturer? Henk Schmidt. \u201cBut Henk Schmidt is everyone\u2019s favourite, he\u2019s a born storyteller. And, don\u2019t tell anyone, but everyone was secretly in love with Peter Verkoeijen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The former students and the founders of the programme reminisce together in the Erasmus Building.<\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRhalda Jansen<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Straight to number one<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the first year, the programme went straight to number one in Elsevier\u2019s Keuzegids. For twelve years in a row, the degree was rated the best psychology programme in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was always celebrated in style\u201d, Schmidt says. \u201cI remember at one point I had to be picked up off the floor by Wilco\u201d, he laughs. Champagne played an important role in that. \u201cWe drank it on an empty stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problem-based learning<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What made the programme popular, according to the lecturers, were the principles of problem-based learning. That teaching method was still new at the time: students worked in small groups and mainly learned by actively engaging with the course material themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marise Born, who joined the programme in April 2001 and is today saying goodbye as a professor, is a firm believer in the power of problem-based learning. \u201cAlongside subject knowledge, in small groups you also learn how to work together.\u201d As an occupational psychologist, Born sees great value in that. \u201cPeople who are introverted, or extremely dominant, learn in such a group to take each other into account. You only learn those kinds of skills in small groups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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\n\t
\n\t\t'Those five years I spent in the programme were, professionally and personally, the best years of my life'\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHenk Schmidt\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Scaling up<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the first ninety students, the programme has now grown to almost six hundred students. Schmidt views this with mixed feelings. \u201cI have a strong belief in relatively small programmes with a limited staff. Then, contact between students and lecturers is much easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verkoeijen, who is still attached to the programme as an endowed professor, also regrets that problem-based learning has disappeared. \u201cIt coincided with scaling up\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The financial pressure on universities plays an important role, according to Born. \u201cFor all higher education institutions, it has become increasingly difficult financially. The amount you receive per diploma has steadily declined over time. One way of dealing with that was simply to admit more students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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Een lijst van afbeeldingen<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t
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