The Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) has appointed Prof. Liesbeth Noordegraaf-Eelens as the new Dean of the Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) with effect from 1 October 2025. Noordegraaf-Eelens (1973) has been acting dean of the faculty since 2024 and also holds the position of professor of Transformative Higher Education.
Rector Magnificus Prof. Jantine Schuit responded enthusiastically to the appointment: ‘Liesbeth Noordegraaf-Eelens has proven her ability to provide direction to the faculty, working with great dedication and creativity to shape the future of our education. Her broad experience in both philosophy and economics and her commitment to innovative, interdisciplinary collaboration make her ideally suited to further grow and develop the faculty in the coming years.’
The place where critical reflection and social engagement come together
Noordegraaf-Eelens herself sees the appointment as an opportunity to build on what has already been achieved: ‘The Erasmus School of Philosophy is a place where critical reflection, academic drive and social engagement come together and reinforce each other. I look forward to working with colleagues and students within and outside the faculty to further develop education and research that not only transfers knowledge, but also contributes to identifying and addressing the transitions our society is facing.’
'I look forward to further develop education and research that contributes to identifying and addressing the transitions our society is facing.'
Prof. Liesbeth Noordegraaf-Eelens
Dean Erasmus School of Philosophy
The Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) offers small-scale philosophy education at Bachelor's and Master's level, including the Master's programme "Philosophy Now", the Research Master's programme in Economics and Philosophy, and the Master's programme in Societal Transitions. In addition, ESPhil is characterised by interdisciplinary education with its second degree programme, in which students receive philosophy education in addition to a disciplinary study programme.
Since this academic year, ESPhil has also been offering students the opportunity to participate in the RASL dual degree programme, an education-related programme in collaboration with the Willem de Kooning Academy and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. ESPhil's nationally and internationally renowned research focuses on themes such as Philosophy of Technology, Philosophy and Economics, Erasmian Values and Societal Transitions. Important for the Dean's Office is the mutually reinforcing interaction between the EUR Strategy 2030 and the education and research at ESPhil.
Educational innovation: Art, Science & Society
Noordegraaf-Eelens' research focuses on transformative and transdisciplinary educational innovation. She investigates how collaboration between disciplines – philosophy, art and science – can contribute to new forms of learning that prepare students for complex social issues. This research guides the way she teaches at ESPhil.
As co-founder of the Rotterdam Arts & Sciences Lab (RASL), she was jointly responsible for developing the RASL dual degree programme, in which art, science and society reinforce each other. Together with the RASL team, she received various grants, and the RASL minor "Re-imaging Tomorrow" was awarded the prestigious Dutch Higher Education Premium (2021).
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