Willy Spaan will join the Supervisory Board (RvT) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) as of 1 May 2021. The appointment, by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, is for a period of 4 years.
Spaan succeeds Gerards Mols, whose second term of office expires on 1 May. The preference of the Supervisory Board was for a successor with extensive experience in scientific education and research, gained as a professor and administrator, preferably in the context of work in the sciences or interdisciplinary research, enabling them to actively contribute to the RvT's Education and Research Committee. Spaan more than meets this profile. The representative advisory bodies were consulted on the profile at an early stage in the process and gave it their approval.
Marise Voskens, chair of the Supervisory Board, is enthusiastic about the appointment: 'Willy is without doubt a suitable successor to Gerard, who contributed greatly to the vision and substantive input of the Supervisory Board over the past 8 years. We are very grateful to Gerard for this. The arrival of Willy means a valuable addition to the palette of knowledge and experience within the Board. We look forward to working with him.'
About Willy Spaan
Prof. Willy Spaan (1954) is emeritus professor of Fundamental Virology at Leiden University, and from 2015 to 2020 was chair of the board of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Spaan has also been chair of the board of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital, chair of the Center for Infectious Diseases and head of the Medical Microbiology Department of the LUMC.
Spaan holds various administrative and supervisory positions. For example, he is vice-chair of the supervisory board of Martini Hospital, he is a member of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport's COVID-19 scientific advice panel regarding the coronavirus vaccine, and he is chair of the Deltaplan Pandemic Preparedness set up by Health Holland.
'The UvA is a broad university and at a top international level across the board. The ambition in the new strategic plan appeals to me very much and I consider it a privilege to be able to contribute to its realisation,' said Spaan.
About the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board independently supervises the UvA's Executive Board, appoints its members and provides advice where necessary. Important documents such as the institutional plan, the budget, the annual accounts, the annual report and the university regulations must be approved by the RvT. The RvT supervises compliance by the Executive Board with its legal obligations, as well as the efficient and lawful use of its resources. The Supervisory Board consists of 5 members. The other members are Marise Voskens (chair), Pauline Meurs, Rob Becker and Omar Ramadan. Voskens, Meurs and Becker were reappointed for second terms last year, with Ramadan beginning his first term in 2019.
