Carolien Kroeze. Photo WUR The successor to rector magnificus Arthur Mol, Carolien Kroeze, starts on 10 March. She says it’s too soon for an interview in Resource. So we asked people who know her to give us some idea of her.
‘Carolien has a good eye for the quality of a degree programme’
Rik Leemans, professor of Environmental Systems Analysis
‘It’s terrific for Wageningen to have a woman in this position for the first time. I think she is highly capable of the job. I’ve known Carolien for 35 years, since we both worked for the public health institute RIVM. In 2003, I became full professor at Environmental Systems Analysis and therefore her line manager. She worked very independently on her topics of water quality and global river systems, in which she was innovative and groundbreaking.
Carolien is a very good communicator and has a good eye for the quality of the education programme, particularly of our thesis students and PhD researchers. She is also good at taking an integral approach to problems. She is a good fit with the university’s motto: science for impact. That principle, established by her forerunners, needs an even stronger impulse. Make sure the big societal issues, both national (nitrogen) and international (biodiversity and the climate), are tacked integrally.
It is also very important to anchor the new tenure track system firmly in the organization. And that staff feel they get a fair chance to advance their careers. I know Carolien is an inspiration to her students. I think she can be the same for the staff.’
‘She is systematic, organized and takes informed decisions’
Theo Jetten, secretary of the PE&RC research school
‘I know Carolien from the Recognition & Rewards committee and through the WIMEK research school, of which she is the director. She was also the chair of a number of BACs (appointment advisory committees for professors, ed.), of which I was the secretary.
Carolien excels at connecting people and chairing meetings, and is open to everyone’s ideas. She doesn’t seek the limelight but does always make a clear contribution. For the job she’s going to do, it’s a big plus that she knows all the ins and outs and the discussions around Recognition & Rewards. She is systematic, organized and takes informed decisions. I wouldn’t expect big disruptive steps of her. She builds things up carefully.
The position of science in society is changing. Her biggest challenge, in my view, lies in encouraging Wageningen science and scientists to get on board with this, without harming the current high quality of our research and education. That means that from our various scientific angles, WUR should make itself heard more on specific societal issues. Recognition & Rewards keys into that too. As rector, she should take that further and expand it.’
‘She’s a good listener’
Wijnand Fredriks, chair of the Student Council
‘Nice that Carolien Kroeze will be the new rector. She will be Wageningen’s first woman rector. The Student Council met her during the selection process. She is capable, experienced and a good listener. Her way of talking is clearly informed and nuanced, so she makes a constructive impression.
The rector magnificus is the person in the university management team who is responsible for student affairs. So in general, we think a rector should be close to students, and should be approachable with an open attitude. We hope Kroeze will prioritize student wellbeing, and maintaining educational standards and innovation.’
‘She is aware of what’s going on in WUR’
Blair van Pelt, WUR Council chair and senior university lecturer, Farming Systems Ecology
‘Carolien has a calm presence and demonstrates an in-depth and nuanced awareness of topics, such as the fossil fuel collaboration issues and the implementation of the new Academic Career Framework. I think she is well aware of what’s going on in WUR and she has a solid CV. I am looking forward to working with her as chair of the WUR Council on topics like Recognition & Rewards, and I hope she will guide us in the culture shift that is needed. I also look forward to seeing what her leadership style will be like in terms of how we as an institution position ourselves and take a leading role in relation to climate change and biodiversity loss. I think she is the right person for the job.’
‘She will look for connections rather than confrontation’
Richard Marijnissen, postdoc in Ecosystem Services at Deltares, got his PhD in 2021 for research on the combined functions of surge barriers, with Kroeze as his supervisor
‘As my supervisor, Carolien helped me get to the essence of the subject. My topic was somewhat outside her area of expertise, but that actually created a nice dynamic: I mainly discussed my academic training and personal development with her. How does your research fit with the bigger picture, what about scaling up, are you taking climate change into account sufficiently? These are typical of the kind of questions Carolien asks. Of course she had her personal views but that was never the focus: she encouraged me to develop my own viewpoint. A fellow PhD student once described her as “my academic mother” and I find that quite a good description. Carolien keeps you on your toes but she’s approachable and down to earth — she’s not in an academic ivory tower. She is also not the kind of scientist who makes controversial statements to get things moving. My expectation is that as the rector magnificus, she’ll look for connections rather than confrontation.’
