Annelien Bredenoord is appointed as President of Erasmus University Rotterdam’s Executive Board, commencing 1 September 2024. She is responsible for general governance issues, the university’s strategic policy and international affairs. In addition, created and maintained contact with external parties including government departments and agencies, the business community and other knowledge institutions. The appointment is for a period of four years.
She succeeds Professor Ed Brinksma, who is stepping down as president after four years due to reaching his retirement age. From 1 October 2021 to 31 August 2024, Prof Annelien Bredenoord was Rector Magnificus of Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Annelien Bredenoord is a professor, supervisory authority and director and works at the interface of healthcare, technology and innovation, ethics and politics.
"I very much believe in the social role that a university has. We need science to find answers to the complex questions of our time."
Until her appointment, Bredenoord headed the Department of Medical Humanities at UMC Utrecht, an interdisciplinary department containing ethicists, health lawyers, medical historians and narrative medicine: using stories from both patients and healthcare professionals to make healthcare more humane. Her research group focuses on ethical and social questions surrounding new, often controversial technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and biobanks, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and stem cell research, genetics (such as CRISPR/Cas) reproductive technologies.
"I very much believe in the social role that a university has. We need science to find answers to the complex questions of our time, such as climate change, polarisation, digitalisation, technological innovation, demographic developments and social inequality. Both the DNA of the EUR and its location in the Rotterdam metropolitan region offers an excellent starting point to address such issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and close to everyday reality," says Annelien Bredenoord.
In the media
"I want to ensure as much academic freedom as possible, so I shouldn’t make political statements"
In this interview with EM, Bredenoord discusses the role of universities in international conflicts.
New Rector Magnificus Erasmus University: "I hate the terms higher and lower educated"
Photos
Background
Bredenoord studied theology and political science at Leiden University and obtained her doctorate in medical ethics at Maastricht University in 2010. In 2014 Bredenoord was installed as a member of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). In 2017 she was appointed professor of Ethics of Biomedical Innovation at UMC Utrecht.
Prof. Bredenoord has held many administrative/advisory positions during her academic career, including for the ZonMw board and with the Supervisory Board of Amsterdam UMC, and has gained a great deal of social and managerial experience. In addition, she has been a member of the Senate for D66 since 2015 and parliamentary group chair since 2019.
Podcasts
Annelien Bredenoord gives an insight into her bookcase
In Bookmarks & Dog Ears, Bredenoord talks to Het Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet about the love of reading.
Conversations with women leaders in academia
In the podcast Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Bredenoord talks about how she paved her way to the top.
