TU/e has been working on sustainability for decades already, in both research and education and in its operations. But the university wants to make an even greater contribution to making the world more sustainable, as also stated in TU/e's new Institutional Plan. That is why the Executive Board has enriched the TU/e Advisory Board for Sustainability with external figureheads. The newly formed council met for the first time yesterday, 26 March.
The new chairman of the board is Marcel Wubbolts, who previously served as Chief Technology Officer of DSM and Chief Science & Sustainability Officer of Corbion, among other things. In addition, the following new external members will join the council: former province deputy Anne-Marie Spierings, Eefje Cuppen (director of the Rathenau Institute), Aniek Moonen (former chair of the Young Climate Movement), Floris Alkemade (former Chief Government Architect, 'Rijksbouwmeester') and Ralien Bekkers (special representative of the Minister of Finance for climate action). The new members have been appointed for a period of three years.
They complement the existing council, which consists of prominent TU/e staff: Campus & Facilities director Dorine Peters and professors Anna Wieczorek, Heleen de Coninck, Isabelle Reymen, Ingrid Heynderickx, Guus Pemen, Theo Salet and Richard van de Sanden.
Koen Janssen
The university already has a general Strategic Advisory Board, but has a separate advisory board on the important topic of sustainability. President of the Executive Board Koen Janssen: "As the Executive Board, we consider sustainability and the energy transition to be extremely important themes. We have a joint duty to ensure that future generations also have the chance of a happy life on our planet. That is why we want to weave sustainability as much as possible into everything we do as TU/e. For example, TU/e was one of the first universities to sign the manifesto 'think sustainably, act sustainably'. The renewed council will have an important role, and will bring in the view from the outside as well as from our own experts. We are grateful to the members for helping us with this and we look forward to working together."
Marcel Wubbolts
Marcel Wubbolts: "Universities of technology play a crucial role in achieving a sustainable world. Not only by generating knowledge, but also by training new generations of responsible engineers. I am pleased that TU/e takes this role very seriously, because with its interconnectedness with industry and focus on entrepreneurship, this university is ideally placed to create real impact in this area. I am going to dedicate myself with full conviction to helping TU/e make a maximum contribution to the sustainability transitions and a sustainable world, for generations to come."
Anna Wieczorek
Professor Anna Wieczorek, sustainability ambassador of TU/e: "I am pleased with TU/e's strengthened focus on sustainability, and with the reinforcement of the Advisory Board for Sustainability. Thanks to the work of many colleagues and the important role of the Sustainability Office, led by Sindy Harks, we are already making strong progress on sustainability at TU/e. At the same time, we can greatly benefit from the fresh, external perspectives that the new members bring. They also provide valuable insight into the views of younger generations, which is crucial for sustainability. All together, this keeps us sharp and ensures that we can maximize our societal impact."
