The Dean of the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Marjolijn Antheunis, has appointed Prof. Renate de Groot as the new Director of the Erasmus University College, including the role of Director of Education. She will succeed Dr Gera Noordzij, who is retiring, with effect from 1 June. Renate de Groot is a renowned academic who has held various management positions at the Open Universiteit and has extensive experience in education at different universities. Her academic expertise lies in the field of various factors influencing learning. Her research focuses on the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence learning, cognition, and well-being throughout the life course, and on how this knowledge can contribute to future-oriented and inclusive education. The Executive Board has appointed her to the Chair of Biopsychology of Lifelong Learning.
Marjolijn Antheunis: “In Renate de Groot, we are welcoming a director who is known for her inclusive, unifying, committed and democratic leadership style, and for her deep passion for education. With her experience in complex educational and research organisations, she knows how to bring people, ideas, and disciplines together. She is committed to innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, whilst keeping everyone’s well-being in mind. Making a social impact, particularly through education, is a real driving force for her, and that fits perfectly with what EUC, our faculty and the EUR stand for. I am delighted to have her on board at EUC and have every confidence in a fruitful collaboration.”
Renate de Groot is delighted to be taking on the role of Director of EUC, as she explains: “What particularly appeals to me about EUC is its small-scale, intensive, and community-driven learning environment, characterised by strong student participation and a high level of commitment from lecturers and staff. I see EUC as a place where curiosity, interaction and personal development come together, right in the heart of dynamic Rotterdam.”
“Throughout my career, one question has always driven me: how do people learn, how do they grow and develop, and how do they realise their unique potential? That is why I am particularly drawn to the formative nature of EUC’s Liberal Arts and Sciences education: students not only grow in knowledge but also develop their own identity and personality. Together with the EUC team, I want to contribute to this process of development in young people. I am very much looking forward to getting started in Rotterdam.”
Marjolijn Antheunis expresses her great appreciation for Dr Gera Noordzij and her long career at Erasmus University College. As Director of EUC, she brought stability to the organisation and ensured its continued development.
Over Renate de Groot
Prof.Dr Renate de Groot studied Health Sciences at Maastricht University and specialised in cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and educational sciences. In 2016, she was appointed as Professor of ‘Biopsychology of Learning’ at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the Open Universiteit. De Groot has extensive management experience. Among other roles, she has served as Dean of the Open Universiteit Graduate School, Vice-Dean for Research at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, and Head of the Department Conditions for LifeLong Learning. She coordinated PhD policy, promoted interdisciplinary collaboration, and actively contributed to inclusive academic cultures.
Her research focuses on the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence learning, cognition, and well-being throughout the life course, and on how this knowledge can contribute to future-oriented and inclusive education. Teaching forms an important part of her academic profile. She has taught at various universities, including Maastricht University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Open Universiteit, and the University of Wollongong (Australia).
In her teaching and research, she combines scientific theory, professional practice, and societal relevance.
De Groot has been appointed as Professor of Biopsychology of Lifelong Learning at Erasmus University Rotterdam | ESSB, with an interdisciplinary academic profile at the intersection of educational sciences, psychology, and health sciences.
Over Erasmus University College
Erasmus University College was founded in 2013 and provides a three-year, English-language bachelor programme in Liberal Arts & Sciences. A key component of a Liberal Arts & Sciences curriculum is that it aims to provide a broad general knowledge and development of the academic skills and intellectual capacities of students. It also allows for the opportunity to specialise in one particular field of study, termed a Major, with the possibility of supporting that with another field, termed a Minor. Another characteristic of Liberal Arts & Sciences, including at EUC, is the close involvement of staff in the personal and academic development of students. Education is also small-scale and connected; most study groups are smaller than 15 students, and first-year students are required to live together, in dedicated student accommodation in the city centre.
- More information
Marjolein Kooistra, communications ESSB, kooistra@essb.eur.nl | + 31 683676038
