‘Science meets city: creating knowledge together’, ‘Creating bright communities’, ‘Food and Agriculture: Europe and the World’. Not only the themes chosen for the ceremonial opening of the 2018-2019 academic year, but likewise the guest speakers – including Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Education, Culture & Science Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven, Health, Welfare & Sport Minister Hugo de Jonge, author Bert Wagendorp, Tauw Group CEO Annemieke Nijhof and One Young World founder Kate Robertson – testify to the role that the Dutch universities aspire to fulfil.

A role at the centre of public life, representing the highest quality of teaching, science and scholarship, and a force for the advancement of society, both in the Netherlands and far beyond.

All of the universities opened the new academic year by underlining the contributions that education, research and valorisation can make to addressing the great challenges that face the world today. In particular, they called attention to students, both those embarking on and those resuming their academic careers, because it is they who, fuelled by their knowledge, passion and unique abilities, will change the world. Whether close to home, or far away.

Happy reading and viewing in this latest issue of our e-zine!

Pieter Duisenberg
President of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands