Opening Academic Year 2026-2027
Dear colleagues,
We warmly invite you to join the festive Opening of the new FEB Academic Year 2026–2027 on Thursday 3 September 2026, 15:00–16:15 in the Kapteynborg, room 5419.0015. Staff, students, alumni and corporate relations are very welcome.
This year’s theme is 'Equal Opportunities for Broad Prosperity'.
During the Opening we will explore how education, research and collaboration can contribute to equal opportunities and broad prosperity, with a focus on the Northern Netherlands and the importance of cooperation between universities, businesses, government and society.
We are pleased to welcome Karien van Gennip and Pascal Roemers, who will reflect on these themes from their experience in public policy, business and regional development.
We will also present the FEB Bachelor Project Awards and mark the end of Prof. Manda Broekhuis’s term as Vice-Dean.
The programme will be chaired by Prof. Jutta Bolt.
Afterwards there will be drinks and bites in the garden.
No registration is required.
We look forward to seeing you on 3 September!
On behalf of the Faculty Board,
Professor Peter Verhoef
Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business
On behalf of the EBF Board,
Marit Zijlstra,
Chair of the EBF 2026-2027
Programme
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14:30
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Welcome with coffee and tea |
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15:00
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Opening by chair Prof. Jutta Bolt |
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15:15
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Handing out the FEB Bachelor Project Awards by Prof. Pieter Jansen |
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15:25 |
Introduction to the theme by Prof. Jutta Bolt |
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16:15
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Marking the end of Prof. Manda Broekhuis’s term as Vice-Dean and celebrating her contribution to FEB. Followed by drinks and bites in the garden of the Duisenberg Building |
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17:30
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End of programme
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Theme
Equal Opportunities for Broad Prosperity
This year’s theme is Equal Opportunities for Broad Prosperity. How can we create a society in which everyone has the opportunity to develop their talents and contribute to economic and social progress? How can education, research and collaboration help ensure that prosperity is shared broadly across regions, generations and communities?
These questions are particularly relevant for the Northern Netherlands. The North faces important prospects in areas such as innovation, sustainability and regional development. Realising these ambitions requires collaboration between universities, businesses, governments and society, and a shared commitment to ensuring that prosperity benefits all.
We are pleased to welcome Karien van Gennip, former Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and Supervisory Board member of ASML, and Pascal Roemers, member of the Provincial Executive of Groningen responsible for housing, employment and regional development. Drawing on their experience in public policy, business and regional development, they will explore how national ambitions and regional strengths can reinforce one another, and discuss the role of knowledge institutions such as FEB in creating opportunities for people, organisations and communities to thrive.
Speakers
Chair
Jutta Bolt is Professor of Global Economic History at the University of Groningen. Her research focuses on long-run patterns of economic development, with a particular emphasis on Africa. She currently leads an ERC-funded project on employment and labour in Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside research on health inequalities, income inequality, and state capacity in Africa. Bolt is also Academic Coordinator and one of the developers of the Maddison Project Database.
Speakers
Karien van Gennip has combined leadership roles in politics, business, and civil society throughout her career. She served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment until 2024, and previously held senior positions at ING and healthcare insurer VGZ. She currently serves on several corporate and non-profit boards. Trained as a physicist and MBA graduate of INSEAD, she is passionate about inclusion, innovation, geo-economics, and the role of business in driving societal change.
Pascal Roemers, Member of the Provincial Executive of Groningen, focuses on maintaining the attractiveness of regional centres in the surrounding areas and ensuring the highest possible spatial quality in regional development, creating the monuments of the future. He is also committed to strengthening the appreciation and position of vocational education (MBO). Through a transparent and collaborative governance style, he works with municipalities, businesses and residents on housing challenges and broad prosperity in Groningen.