Farewell to Vice Dean Van Haastert

An official farewell reception was held for Vice Dean Peter van Haastert on 2 September. For the past four years Van Haastert was responsible for education-related matters within the Faculty Board. This also included Science LinX, the Faculty’s science centre. Van Haastert, who is returning to his research group, will be succeeded by Klaas Poelstra .

In his farewell speech, Dean Jasper Knoester recalled how Van Haastert joined the Faculty Board four years ago in turbulent times, with the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences facing impending deficits. These were, however, prevented thanks to increasing student numbers, aided by international student recruitment. But Van Haastert’s greatest achievement was the recent change in educational organization, where all degree programmes were combined into an Undergraduate and a Graduate School of Science, and the new Education Support Centre (ECS) was made responsible for all teaching support. Although this caused some unrest in the organization, said Knoester, this was the only way to prepare the educational organization for the future.

Klaas Poelstra was appointed the new Vice Dean and Faculty Board member for Education. on 1 September.