Valedictory speeches

The Beadle’s Office (Bureau van de Pedel) is the point of contact for all matters relating to the valedictory ceremony. You can find the Beadle’s Office on the Woudestein complex, Erasmus Building (A).

Venue and date

The date of the valedictory speech is determined by the beadle and must be coordinated with the dean of the faculty concerned. It usually takes place on Friday at 4pm in the Auditorium of the EUR at Woudestein. Occasionally a valedictory speech is accompanied by a valedictory symposium. You can book a venue for this through the Room & Facilities Bookings of the EUR, tel. (010) 408 1107.

Invitation

The university sends an official invitation for the valedictory speech, and the valedictory symposium if relevant, to the professors and emeritus professors of Erasmus University Rotterdam and the governing bodies A copy of this address list is available from the beadle. You or your department are responsible for sending private invitations and invitations to staff members of your department/group. You can use the official invitations for this.

No later than seven weeks before the date of the valedictory speech, you notify the beadle of the title of your speech and the number of private invitations you wish to send. These are usually ready within one week. The costs of making and sending the invitations are at the faculty’s expense.

Valedictory speech booklet

It is customary to publish the valedictory speech in the form of a booklet. Between 250 and 400 copies of these are made available to the university. An allowance for the printing costs will be part of the faculty allowance scheme, if any. You can find more information about this at the faculty office. There is an additional allowance for professors at the Erasmus MC for the publication of inaugural and valedictory speeches.

Protocol on the day of the valedictory speech.

You and your partner are received in the Rector’s Room by the beadle fifteen minutes before the start of the ceremony. This is also where the other participants of the academic procession assemble: professors and members of the university’s governing bodies. Participation in the academic procession by professors from other universities, in their gown, is greatly appreciated. Partners of professors can also participate in the partners’ procession and also assemble at the Rector’s Room. Seats are reserved in the auditorium for family or other invited guests.

Your partner is accompanied to the auditorium from the Rector’s Room, together with the partners of the Rector and the dean of the faculty concerned, followed by the other partners present. You, the Rector and the chair of the Executive Board lead the procession into the auditorium. You take a seat in the left front row, where the other professors also take their seats. After the Rector has briefly introduced you, you go to the stage to give your speech of approximately 45 minutes.

After your speech, you take a seat on the chair next to the lectern on the stage. You will be addressed from the lectern. It is the task of your department/group to invite speakers. Finally, you will have the opportunity to thank the speakers, after which you and your partner and the other partners are accompanied out of the auditorium. The procession then leaves the auditorium in the same order as arrival.

You and your partner receive the guests at the entrance of the Senaatzaal. The reception is held in the hall in front of the auditorium.

Contact with the media

A few weeks before your valedictory speech, a press officer of the university or faculty will contact you to request material for a press release about your speech. The press release is published in the digital newsletter of the EUR a week before the speech and is stored in the digital press room. If you would like the press release to be sent to academic journals or your own press contacts, you can give the addresses to the staff members of the Press Briefing room, tel. (010) 408 1216, e-mail: press@eur.nl

Audiovisual aids

If you wish to use audiovisual aids for your speech, you can contact the Room & Facilities Bookings department at Woudestein, no later than fourteen days before the date of the valedictory speech, on tel. (010) 408 1107 or via email: rfb@efb.eur.nl.

Photographer

If you would like to hire a photographer you can contact Frank van der Panne, tel. 06 13 21 37 09, e-mail fotovanderpanne@kpnmail.nl.

Children

In light of the solemn nature of the ceremony, we recommend that you do not take children under the age of 6 to the ceremony.

Reception

To organise a reception you can contact caterer Vitam at  Woudestein T (010) 408 2415
E banqueting@catering.efb.eur.nl