VVD Senator and Professor named new president of Universities of the Netherlands

Professor of Public Administration and Senator Caspar van den Berg will become the new president of the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL). He will lead the association of Dutch universities from June 1. The VVD member will also remain in the Senate, but he will resign from the Committee for Education, Culture and Science.

His appointment is valid for the next four years. The previous permanent president of the UNL was also a former VVD politician: Pieter Duisenberg. He was a member of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament, and has been President of the Court of Audit since 2023.

After Duisenberg departed from the UNL, his position was temporarily taken over by Jouke de Vries, chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Groningen (RUG). Van den Berg also works there as a professor and dean at the university.

"His experience in administration and politics as well as his success in academia make him the ideal new president of the universities of the Netherlands," said interim president De Vries in a statement about his successor. “These are challenging times for universities, which call for close cooperation within UNL. With his background and energy, Van den Berg is the right person to bring the universities together to make a joint commitment to the Netherlands as a knowledge nation,” De Vries stated.

Van den Berg himself emphasized the "indispensable role" of universities in society and the economy. "Universities are full of talent, curiosity and creativity, both from within the country and from abroad," said the public administration expert.

"This has been the case for centuries and is the essence of the university. As president, I am committed to ensuring that universities are a free, safe and stimulating environment for everyone.