Renate de Groot

Profile

Renate de Groot is the Director of Erasmus University College and Professor of Biopsychology of Lifelong Learning at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences of Erasmus University Rotterdam. She studied health sciences at Maastricht University and specialised in cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and educational sciences. Before joining EUC, she held various academic and leadership positions, including professorships and management roles at the Open Universiteit and other Dutch and international universities.

Her academic work is strongly interdisciplinary, focusing on how biological, psychological, and social factors shape learning, cognition, development, and wellbeing across the lifespan. Renate brings extensive experience in research, teaching, and academic leadership, and is particularly committed to educational innovation, inclusive academic cultures, and translating scientific insights into meaningful practice. She is excited to be part of the EUC community in the heart of Rotterdam, where curiosity, encounter, and development come together.

Why do you work at EUC?

Erasmus University College offers a small-scale, intensive, and community-driven learning environment that I find deeply inspiring. Students, teachers, and professional staff all play an active role in shaping the college, creating a setting in which engagement and participation are central. Located in the dynamic city of Rotterdam, EUC is a place where different perspectives meet and where students can explore who they are, what they want to contribute, and how they can grow.

In a world where societal challenges are increasingly complex, collaboration across disciplinary and institutional boundaries is essential. EUC’s Liberal Arts and Sciences programme embodies this approach. By bringing together insights from multiple fields and encouraging students to think and act across borders, we prepare them to engage with questions of sustainability, social justice, and democratic citizenship in thoughtful and responsible ways.

Throughout my career, I have been driven by one central question: how do people learn, develop, and realise their unique potential? As a researcher in lifelong learning, I study learning and development from before birth to very old age. This curiosity is not limited to my academic work; it shapes how I teach, how I lead, and how I help build academic communities. For me, education is not the transfer of knowledge, but a joint construction process in which students build their futures while we, as a community, create the conditions for continuous growth.

What makes Liberal Arts and Sciences education at EUC distinctive is its formative character. Students not only acquire knowledge and skills, but also develop their identities and sense of social responsibility. Contributing to this process together with colleagues and students is a privilege. Working at EUC allows me to combine my passion for learning, interdisciplinarity, and community-building in a context where everyone is encouraged to learn from each other’s energy, perspectives, and development.