It is good to know that alumni and other stakeholders are supporting us financially so that our researchers and students can make a lasting impact on society.
Annelien Bredenoord
Chair of the Executive Board
Annelien Bredenoord, Chair of the Executive Board at Erasmus University Rotterdam, believes in the university’s role in society. Donations from benefactors ensure that the university can continue to fulfil that role. Bredenoord: ''As chair of the Executive Board, it is good to know that alumni and other stakeholders are supporting us financially so that our researchers and students can make a lasting impact on society.''
The partnership between the Erasmus Trust Fund and the university has been in place for 110 years. Bredenoord: ''We are proud that this long-standing partnership has existed since 1913, when the Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool was founded. Who could have imagined back then that we would grow into the university we are today, with seven faculties, two research institutes and an Erasmus University College?''
Over the past hundred-plus years, the university has developed into a leading institution. Society is increasingly calling upon scientific knowledge. Bredenoord: ''We need science to find answers to the complex questions of our time, such as climate change, polarisation, digitalisation, technological developments and social inequality. Finding solutions to today’s major challenges through co-creation with societal partners and businesses: that is the strength of the researchers at Erasmus University and Erasmus MC.''
Support is needed
However, the university cannot do this alone; financial support is urgently needed. ''Through donations and bequests to the Erasmus Trust Fund, Erasmus University Rotterdam can live up to its reputation as a leading university and realise its ambitions in terms of research impact and educational quality. With the additional funding we generate in this way, we enable the university to pool its resources to arrive at new insights and solutions for major societal challenges, from local to global. How wonderful it is, for example, that testators can contribute to our mission by including us in their wills. The Erasmus Trust Fund helps our researchers to excel and supports students in their ambitions.''