New President for the Utrecht University Fund

René Kuijten will be the new President of the Utrecht University Fund as of 1 January 2026. The board is glad that he will succeed Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh, who will step down after having been President for 8 years.  

About René Kuijten

René Kuijten is no stranger to many alumni. He is making progress with EQT Life Sciences, a venture-capital company which invests globally in innovative life-sciences companies, is the founder and Vice President of the Utrecht-based Oncode Institute, and was active as Treasurer of the Vereniging Rembrandt and President of the Stichting Steun Emma Kinderziekenhuis.  

Kuijten says: “After my Medicine degree programme, I’ve always had deep affection for my alma mater and I’ve remained involved, such as in the jury of the Agnites Vrolik Award and in the Advisory Board of Utrecht Life Sciences. I believe it's an honour to continue on Lodewijk and the board's good work. We have a big and qualitatively strong base of alumni, of whom I believe many want to support the university with advice, actions and maybe funding, what is really needed in the current times of limitation and austerity. Specifically, I see opportunities to further focus the activities and goals of the fund on the strategic priorities of the university, strongly expand Utrecht 1636 and consult committed alumni for advice. The motto of the fund, Generous for Generations, is a beautiful guide in this.” 

Retrospect by Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh

Hijmans van den Bergh happily looks back on the past eight years, with special memories of the Covid period in which the fund was able to help students with financial problems via crowdfunding. Another event he calls a highlight is the founding of our network Utrecht 1636 for donors who want to make additional contributions. During the successful University Dinner 2024, in the Auditorium of the university, miniatures of historical buildings were successfully presented. These unique miniatures of, for instance, Utrecht University Hall and association buildings surrounding the Janskerkhof were especially made for donors of Utrecht 1636.  

A strong foundation for the future

The university fund is doing well. The collaboration with UU is built on a firm foundation thanks to the good collaboration with then Board President Anton Pijpers. The proceeds have quadrupled and will benefit research, education and scholarships.  

But the ambition still remains great, Hijmans van den Bergh says: “The recently formulated purpose of the fund Generous for Generations provides a beautiful starting point for the upcoming lustrum and the years after it. A closer collaboration with the faculties can be realised, especially in these times of a budget-cutting government. There are many opportunities for our fund to contribute even more to research and education, and to help educate students into critical citizens who are fully involved in our society.” 

Text: Annemiek Vermeulen Image: Rosa Falkenburg