Chairman of the Executive Board Prof. Dr Anton Pijpers bids farewell to Utrecht University

The windows of the 5th floor of the administration building offer a panoramic view. In the distance, the Dom Tower rises above the city, while down below at the Science Park, the academic year is getting underway. Here, on familiar ground, we speak with Prof. Anton Pijpers, chair of the Executive Board of Utrecht University since 2017. On the eve of his departure, we look back with him on his time at the university, based on previous statements he made in Illuster.

When you took office in 2017, you described yourself as ‘a happy and privileged person’ because you had been given the opportunity to lead Utrecht University. Do you still feel that way?

“Definitely. When I cycle through the Science Park during the introduction weeks and see groups of first-year students with their curious expressions, I still feel that way. Or when I talk to a professor about research, or at the opening of the academic year. Those are moments when I really think: how special that I get to help shape this, together with many others, of course.” 

In your first interview with Illuster, you said: ‘I grew up at and through Utrecht University.’ Did UU shape you?

“Of course, it couldn't be any other way. I started as a veterinary student in 1976, and a large part of my working life has been spent here. That was a conscious choice on my part. Utrecht University is a great place to work. For me, that's down to the way we work together and the feeling that we form a close-knit academic community.” 

Will you miss it?

"I was asked the same question when I retired as a practising veterinarian. When I think back on that time, I can still smell the freshly cut grass as we drove through the meadows in spring on our way to deliver a birth. Those were wonderful times. I believe the same is true of the chairmanship: a wonderful time to look back on later."

In 2017, you said that as vice-chairman you were already involved in decision-making, but that “as chairman you are really at the helm”. What did that shift mean for you?

Is there still room for doubt?

"Reflection and doubt are the essence of academia. I have been a researcher myself and have supervised PhD students. So you know that every answer raises new questions. If administrators themselves no longer reflect, then something is not right. You cannot keep discussing things endlessly; something has to be done, but that does not mean you stop asking critical questions."

"I am sitting here on the fifth floor of the administration building. It is my job to organise the people around me who say, “Well, is that really wise?” Fortunately, the works council is also very critical. And my wife and children also tell me off at home when I say something silly, which is important."  

Nevertheless, there are groups, for example in discussions about fossil fuels or Palestine, who feel they are not being heard. How do you deal with that?

“These are complex issues. In such a large community, opinions sometimes differ greatly. I don't see the university as a tanker that you slowly steer, but as an armada, a fleet of small boats that have to navigate together. As a board, you try to get all those boats on board by gathering opinions and coming to a balanced decision.”

"Sometimes you have to revisit a decision or reconsider it. It's not about everyone agreeing with each other; with 40,000 students and over 8,000 staff, that's impossible. But it is about everyone understanding why certain choices have been made. We are happy to invite petitioners for a discussion. If you can look each other in the eye and discuss matters respectfully, fewer crazy things happen. We listen not only to the extremes, but also to the broad middle group that often keeps quiet."

In 2017, you asked yourself: ‘What will the university landscape look like in 2025?’ Now that we have arrived there, what is your answer?

"In recent years, universities have grown significantly, and much has been achieved in the areas of internationalisation and digitisation. Open Science has become more important. We have become more connected to society. We are no longer solely concerned with 'how high we are in the rankings', although the quality of research is still very important. We also look at what we contribute in concrete terms. For example, with projects in Utrecht neighbourhoods, together with vocational, higher professional and university students. Initiatives like these take us out of our bubble."

In your first Illuster interview as chair, you said you wanted to invest more in alumni. Have you succeeded in doing so?