Debbie Jaarsma to lead University of Groningen from 1 March

Debbie Jaarsma will become university president (College van Bestuur) of the University of Groningen (RUG) on 1 March, succeeding Jouke de Vries. The appointment runs for four years. Jaarsma has been dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University since 2021.

She returns to Groningen after five years. Jaarsma studied veterinary medicine in Ghent and Utrecht and gained her doctorate at Utrecht University in 2008, with research on veterinary education. After a spell as a professor at the University of Amsterdam, she became professor of Research and Innovation of Medical Education at the RUG and the UMCG, the university medical centre, in 2014.

Johan Remkes, chair of the university's supervisory board (Raad van Toezicht), said: "With Debbie Jaarsma, the RUG has a new executive board chair who combines scientific expertise and administrative experience with a clear sense of social purpose." He added that her focus on cooperation and on what science means for society "fits perfectly with the direction our university is taking".

Jaarsma said she was drawn in particular by the university's ties with the north of the Netherlands. "From technology and medicine to the social sciences and humanities, that combination offers huge opportunities to tackle society's problems," she said. She called the job "a wonderful challenge" to keep building "a strong, open university community that brings people together" with staff, students and partners in society.

Rector Magnificus Jacquelien Scherpen and Hans Biemans, vice-chair of the executive board, said they look forward to working with her and to the energy, experience and new perspectives she brings.