Frank van Rijnsoever appointed professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Higher Education for Sustainability

As of 1 March, Frank van Rijnsoever will be appointed professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Higher Education for Sustainability. Van Rijnsoever currently works as an associate professor in the field of innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability at the Copernicus Institute. Steven de Jong, acting dean of the Faculty of Geosciences, is delighted with his appointment: "I am very pleased with the appointment of Frank van Rijnsoever. I know Frank as an enthusiastic and highly energetic lecturer and researcher. Frank wants to train his students to become “agents of change” who can actually bring about social change. His research focuses on collaboration between universities and (small) businesses in order to stimulate sustainable entrepreneurship. I wish him the best of luck in his new position."

Frank van Rijnsoever conducts research into encouraging “change agents” who can contribute to solving major societal challenges, such as climate change, health crises, and securing future widespread prosperity. In his work, he investigates what ecosystems for change agency look like and how higher education can stimulate change agency skills. The chair is therefore closely aligned with the university's ambitions to create social impact through education and research. Van Rijnsoever successfully completed the Senior Fellow Programme of Utrecht University’s Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning, which is aimed at strengthening educational leadership within and beyond the university.

Research and education for change agency

In his chair, Frank van Rijnsoever combines advanced data-driven methods and artificial intelligence with a qualitative approach. He investigates the personal motivations and learning moments of change agents in order to understand them. ‘My goal is to operate at the intersection of education, research and social impact. That's why I want to strengthen change agency skills in our bachelor's and master's programmes as well as in education for professionals,’ says Van Rijnsoever. Change agents can be sustainable or social entrepreneurs, but also initiators of social initiatives, such as foundations or large organisations. The role of people as change agents is crucial in this regard. It is important for change agents to be motivated and have the right skills to make a difference. In addition, it is essential that the environment in which they operate also promotes initiatives for sustainability. That is why Van Rijnsoever is also investigating how regions contribute to change agency initiatives through rules, culture or material support.

Change agents in a turbulent world

The chair also takes into account the fact that the world is becoming increasingly uncertain. Geopolitical tensions are creating new challenges and limitations for the impact of change agents. In addition, technologies such as artificial intelligence are having a major impact on student learning. According to Van Rijnsoever, this underlines the importance of not only organising our education within the classroom, but also bringing students into contact with practical situations and real human interaction.

Strategic theme

Van Rijnsoever's chair is closely linked to the theme of bottom-up initiatives, of which he is one of the initiators. In addition, the chair reinforces the strategic theme of Pathways to Sustainability through its contribution to sustainability education.